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Why do people perceive tattoos as being dangerous, dirty, and generally belonging to a class of “undesirables?” It could be because people cannot live in a world without narration and stories. Since the dawn of mankind stories have been developed both through natural happenings and casual relations, as well as constructed through characters, themes, language and the meaning of words. The story of tattoos as well as countless others are narratives that have been developed and passed down through the generations without much revision. Walter Fisher once wrote that, “..narratives are fundamental to communication and provide structure for human experience and influence people to share common explanations and understandings.”(pg. 58), which could perfectly explain why tattoos have had a bad rap for centuries. Similarly Kenneth Burke wrote that “..a similarity is taken as evidence of an identity.” when writing about how the world is defined through nothing but a vast array of symbols that people have attributed meaning to. Narratives, themes, characters, and symbols through the years, as they are shared among the public, are the reasons why tattoos are seen as anything but beautiful and non-threatening. Questions that arise as a result of the above mentioned discovery are philosophic ones, because they propose hypothetical changes in the way society acts and lives. Is it possible to change public’s opinion on tattoos? If so, how would one go about that? Would tattoos become more admirable, perhaps even regarded as an art form if they were accepted into public? To answer some of these questions it is necessary to critique the narrative of tattoos. To do that though, some preliminary attributes have to be categorized. To start, ever... ... middle of paper ... ...80 degree turn, and the tattoo story would have a new ending. Everybody dance and sing. General narratives, themes, characters, symbols, and societal views are all still reasons why tattoos are seen as ugly. By altering the way the general public perceives tattoos through the use of positive media and revised storytelling/narrative, tattoos could become more acceptable and even beautiful in today’s society. Works Cited 1. Burke, Kenneth. Attitudes Toward History. Third ed. Berkeley: U of California P, 1984. 2. Fisher, Walter. Human Communication as Narration: Toward a Philosophy of Reason, Value, and Action. Columbia: U of South Carolina P, 1987. 3. Perse, E. M. (2001). Media Effects and Society. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from Questia database: http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=106226367
Tattoos have been utilized in various ways for thousands of years, ranging from punishment, to status symbols and indications of religious beliefs. They have served as the ultimate illustration of cultural diffusion in America, and despite generally carrying a negative social stigma, perception of tattoos has continued to evolve into a more acceptable practice.
...siderably. From a mark of criminality to an embraced art form, the body modification has represented various expressions of the bearer’s inner self. However, despite the efforts to normalize tattoos in the society, the social stigma of deviance perceived by the larger society still remains deeply etched in the art. It is apparent that the intended message a bearer wants to communicate through a tattoo may not be perceived correctly by others. These motivations behind tattoos are filtered through cultural and historical lenses that often result in unintended perceptions of tattooed bodies. In addition, the attempts of using tattoos to change social conditions often reinforce the very conditions they seek to counter. Though these stigmas and misinterpretations see no sign of fading, tattooing will remain as a powerful vehicle of self-expression and social commentary.
Society’s outlook on “what’s in” changes every day, from what’s hot to what’s not. Fads repeat themselves over time and grow to be something that everyone now loves. Tattoos are the main trending thing of this century. They were once only a symbolism for criminals, sailors, prostitutes, and bikers, but now tattooing is mainstream in today’s times. Tattoos are seen as works of arts and your body is the canvas for aspiring tattoo artist. Nowadays there is such a wide variety of tattoos with different meanings, such as, a hand print of a loved one to someone’s favorite quote or bible verse. Some tattoos don’t always have to have meaning behind it. Anyone can decorate their body simply because they want meaningless, but artsy and funny tattoos. Inking up is becoming a significant part of someone’s life whether there is a meaning behind the tattoo or not, it is a growing thing to do and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Going back throughout history, tattoos have long been associated with criminals. Unfortunately, there is not specific date when tattoos where first performed (McCarron 86). You may say that it all started when Cain was "marked" as a murderer by God (DeMello). It is true that there are links to certain tattoos, gangs and
There still is a lot of intolerance towards people who have tattoos especially towards people who have a lot of them but these days a tattoo here and there is not looked down as it once was. There was a time when only "low lives," were thought of as having tattoos and people who had them were dirty criminals and should not be associated with. Due to the mainstream of the world not accepting the practicing of tattoos many tattooists and their clients went into an underground state. It was not always easy for people to even find a tattoo artist even if they were brave enough to be labeled a "low life" by the majority of culture. A lot of places even banned tattooing due to the fact that they thought tattooing was morally wrong and a health risk. Tattooing was still illegal in New York City until 1993. The mystery that surrounds the art of tattooing has always created ignorant ideas from people who are misinformed.
Symbolism and meaning is by far one of the most important aspects of the tattoo industry. “The abstract emotions and human awareness of emotions show what really is going on in ones life (Johnson)”. For that reason tattooing is a form of self-expression, and can stand for literal interpretations. For the most part these interpretations are the conveying of spiritual meaning, or marking milestones such as life or death” (Johnson). For those who think tattooing is just for looks or put a bad judgment on it, should also realize that ones personal interest reflects upon their lives. “Many individuals get their first tattoos during adolescence or young adulthood.”(Bravermark) Due to the mainstream culture, these traditions traditionally associate with stereotypes. Stereotypes defiantly have a huge impact on life. Which leads to the next point? Whether flaunted or hidden, sought as art or brought out on a whim, the tattoo has left a huge impact on generation after generation.
Since most people do not experience body modifications like piercing with stainless steel, wood, or bone rings in the face, ears, genitals, or other places. They also have not experienced branding or burning or scarification. Since the a majority of people have not experience extreme body modifications, they assume that there is something wrong with those that do take part in these body modifications and usually think the worst of them. Martin found that previous research that showed that several stereotypes about people with tattoos are unsuccessful in school, they come from broken homes, had an unhappy childhood. They also rarely attend church, they make poor decisions in life. They also think that the people that get body modifications while intoxicated and are easy to give in to peer
The ancient practice of tattooing, once considered a trademark of social outcasts and criminals, has steered back into mainstream culture at an alarming rate (Irwin 2001, Swan 2006). In western society, tattoos are often associated with antisocial behaviour. In 1895, Cesare Lombroso concluded in his study that the art of tattooing is most commonly found on the bodies of criminals (Putnins 2002). The frequency of tattoo’ are predicted to be found at higher rates in criminal subcultures than in the general public. According to the 2003 Harris poll, nearly 40 million Americans’ have at least one tattoo. The practice is becoming more popular with teenagers.
Tattoos are a controversial subject in the world we live in. The kind of people that get tattoos is now varied to almost all humans regardless of race, religion, or age. What many people fail to understand or realize is how much of an effect a tattoo can have on the rest of your life. The original tattoo stereotypes have faded from what they were many years ago and yet tattoos still have a reputation as for what kind of people get tattoos. There are many reasons as to why people would get a tattoo but there are many reason why you should think before you ink. Our society and the social media today has a huge impact on the tattoo industry. Movie stars and pop singers with many tattoos are posing as role models for our generation and
Tattoos have become commonplace in our society on both men and women, yet women are still judged more harshly than men when it comes to visible ink. In a nation where every person has the freedom to express themselves in any way imaginable it seems that women with tattoos are breaking the mold and thus paying the consequences. Women with visible tattoos are often discriminated against while men are applauded and accepted for their individuality. In such a modern world, why does it seem that people are clinging to old-fashioned ideas that women with tattoos are somehow less feminine, less capable, or less trustworthy?
The second reason is tattoos allows you to separate you from others in this extremely large world.Tattoos sometimes make you stand out from a group of people.some people don't like to stand out,
A persons’ image is vital when meeting someone for the first time. Our peers, employers, family, superiors, even strangers that you walk past can automatically judge someone, and imagine how they present themselves to the world. Tattoos have been predominantly linked with a rebellious attitude and pictured on out of control stereotypes such as rock starts, bikers, sailors, and disobedient teenagers who want nothing more than to hack off their parents. With a new coming of age generation and a step into a more lenient and liberal society these types of patrons still participate in body art but so do doctors, lawyers, or just the run of the mill house mom. Tattoos signify religious beliefs, cultural influence, or each individual’s sole style. Body art is no longer socially offensive, employers are more apt to hiring tatted hopeful applicants, parents are warming up to the idea of their children inking their body and no longer a stranger on the street with a tattoo is necessarily prejudged as a criminal or safety hazard. Tattoos have become more evolved over the years because they have become more of a socially accepted element of the general public.
Tattoos have been around for centuries, early civilizations have witnessed numerous forms of bans on tattoos and piercings with an assumption that these works were impure and as a result could without doubt stain sacred places of worship like temples, churches and so on. The prevailing view at the time was that this practice at times disdained the body and rendered it as a means to release inner turmoil and pain.
The existence of tattoos has been considered part of the deviation. Tattoos are still part of the action that comes out of the rails of rules and values prevailing in society. In Indonesian society, conformity is still very strong where a person is considered normal and polite if neat, clean of tattoos, not piercing and others. If there is a slight distortion such as a pierced ear or nose, it will cause widespread reproach and discrimination to spread everywhere. Therefore, it is not surprising that such a person's style will be quickly considered a negative thing. In different cultural systems, tattoos have different meanings and functions. In Indonesia itself, there has been a time where tattoos are considered as something bad. People who wear tattoos are thought to be synonymous with criminals, disrespectful and mischievous people. Another assumption is that tattoo users are a group of people who live on the street and are always considered disturbing the community. The community's negative response to tattoos and the prohibition of wearing tattoos or tattoos for religious believers further enhances the image of tattoos as something forbidden, haram, and not allowed. So wearing a tattoo is like rebelling against the existing
Tattoos have become more prevalent in our society over the last few decades. What used to be a social faux pa or a negative brand has come to be a more acceptable life choice in our culture. However, only those who have joined the inked-up club can describe the sensation of modifying one’s body with art. From the pain and tantric feeling from the stinging that is released as a person allows themselves to be marked for the rest of their life, and the hot pierce of the needle that gives a sensation of feeling alive and the desire to do this again. Tattoos have become a major social focus today, so the psychology behind their popularity warrants discussion. Ultimately, people who get tattoos yearn for individual expression through artwork, acceptance or adherence to some rite of passage, and the physical satisfaction that only the experience of tattooing can provide.