This Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Minority Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship aims to: (1) investigate the psychological factors driving the preservation of skin bleaching products and practices in Tanzania, and (2) design a culturally sensitive emancipatory (freedom) education dissemination model that can begin to inform the Tanzanian community about the psychological and health related risks of preserving skin bleaching products and practices in Tanzania. A multi-method approach to data collection (in-depth interviews, observation, and archival review) will be used with the target population for the first part of the study; and participatory action research methods will be used with participants for the second part of the study. This research will occur during a 24-month post-doctoral period split evenly between the proposed host institution (Emory University) and the foreign institution (University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, East Africa) respectively. This will allow the applicant to further enhance her career development by enriching her methodological and statistical skills, teaching skills, publishing/dissemination skills and conference/workshop/training involvement. Research in this area has the potential to influence government policy pertaining to the preservation of skin bleaching products in Tanzania and promote national social change geared toward psychological and health liberation.
