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understanding cultural differences
understanding cultural differences
understanding cultural differences
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Body Art
For thousands of years, men and women around the world have gone to redundant lengths to change their natural appearance of their bodies in an attempt to make themselves feel more attractive, to get attention, to conform to new customs of their particular cultural group, to attract a mate or sex partner, to show of their wealth or social status, or to just make an outgoing statement about themselves. Is body art really a pop culture?
Our dissatisfaction with the human body and its covering is expressed in endless change. This results in the desire and adoption of a trend, these trends are shown through ways such as piercing, body painting, and tattoos,
Body piercing has grown in popularity over the past five years especially among American teenagers who pierce just about anything that can be pierced: ears, noses, tongues, and navels. The most conventional form of piercing in the United States today is ear piercing, and it has become more mainstream for both sexes than it once was. Ear piercing can range from single hole in one or both ears to holes along the enti...
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.
His work has also made it possible for the non-conformists to know that their attitude towards tattoos is shallow and that in the near future, they are likely to also have tattoos because the rebelliousness is growing. The manner in which people have transformed and embraced the tattoo culture is also so strong that any negative comment against tattoos will be offensive to most people in the society. Brooks work has therefore achieved its aim of enabling people to understand that they have conformed to the tattooing culture.
Society has changed in many ways over the years; at one point tattoos were considered unprofessional and disgusting to most people, but today, they are quite common amongst young adults and people who enjoy art. Parents and people of many older generations, sometimes struggle to understand why this new interest in tattoos has been able to consume American culture so quickly. Prior to this boom of interest in tattoos, there were many horror stories that surrounded the subject due to unsanitary tools used and possible diseases a person could catch if a mistake was made. Lois Desocio is one of those adults who has struggled to understand tattoos, especially since her son Alec began to fill his body with them. As Alec’s collection of body art continues
Body modifications, with the focus of tattoos, have existed in our society for centuries and the way in which it is perceived has changed somewhat over the years, yet certain dishonors still remain our modern day. Like most body modifications, tattoos are an often misunderstood form of body modification. Despite the stigmas, tattoos have become a unique object of desire to endless diverse groups of people. But are the popular assumptions of tattoos out of sync with the true meaning behind them? Further explanation and exploration of the history will reveal the social and cultural practices of tattooing and the causal connection between the mind and the tattooed body, in addition to providing answers as to why tattoos stimulate uneasiness and curiosity and create a challenge to discursive practices.
(2014). The Artification of Tattoo: Transformations within a Cultural Field. Cultural Sociology, 8(2), 142. Retrieved from http://www.galileo.usg.edu.
Seeing how not accepting tattoos and piercings in the workplace can cause greater problems, employers need to start accommodating for individuals of all different backgrounds. Businesses need to start focusing on the important matters such as, education, work ethic, attitude, and the willingness to do their job successfully. Anything else is just an
A controversial topic today is whether or not body piercings and tattoos should be accepted by professionals working in health care. Currently, tattoos and piercings are allowed in health care as long as they are not visible. According to one of the studies, “Body piercing is defined as a piercing of the body anywhere other than the earlobes” (Westerfield). Therefore, the only visible piercings allowed are small studs in the lobes of the ears for females. The reason body piercings and tattoos are not suggested in health care is that they keep someone from looking professional as well as making them look intimidating. Not everyone sees them that way. The opposing side is that they do not affect
In the United States around 40% of millennials (ages 18-29) have at least one tattoo, while about 25% have piercings in places other than their ears. Through time people have been proceeding with body modifications because of cultural, or religious rituals. Now, it is seen as a normal coming of age experience that the younger generations have accepted. Therefore, the modern age has begun to grow more willing to show proudly their body modifications in public and employment settings. Tattoos and piercings should be accepted in a professional setting, lifting the restrictions of employment based off of appearance. (Negley 1)
The world has changed tremendously throughout the years. Through the personal and cultural expression of tattooing oneself most wonder why people today get tattoos. Furthermore, those who think tattoos are just for looks will have to realize that tattoos are a part of ones life. Therefore one might say, “ Tattooing is used in a way to mark important events or people in their lives in a permanent way.”(Milcetich) people today should look in the meaning and value of a tattoo “As a statement carved in ones body” (Milcetich). Along with that meaning in ones body, people’s attitudes towards tattoos have begun to change what one thinks about tattoos.
In today’s society, over one hundred years since the days of the tattooed women in circus side shows, women who choose to tattoo themselves still meet resistance and adverse reactions. “It has been estima...
Tattoos are becoming a popular phenomenon seen everywhere. Today youths are getting permanent tattoos to be cool and trendy, but they are not considering the long terms effects. Teenagers should be aware that body modification may include risk to their body and it is not just a pretty picture. Adolescents needs to consider the dangerous and conscientious results of attaining diseases, being underage, and having a permanent mark on their body. Adolescents need to know that if they have a tattoo or piercings, they will not find employment.
There are many different types of body piercings. The most common types are ear piercings, nose piercings, and lip piercings. The n...
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.
Looking at the world today there are many different traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation, but one tradition that seems to get overlooked and miss interpreted is tattoos. Tattoos have been a way of life for many years and have many different meaning to different countries, races, and social groups. Tattoos have been given to many different age groups of people in many different ways such as nails, sticks, bamboo, barracuda teeth, and many of other different tools that have been passed down throughout time. Most people think that tattoos only express people’s feelings in negative ways but there are many more important meanings for most people’s tattoos and it changes from culture to culture. This paper will discuss the history behind tattoos, and the cultural significance from several different cultures. It will address the American point of view in comparison with these other cultures.
Armstrong, Myrna L., Donna C. Owen, Alden E. Roberts, and Jerome R. Koch. “Body Art, Deviance, and American College Students.” ScienceDirect: The Social Science Journal 47 (2010): 151-161. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.