Introduction
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.
With thousands of people getting ‘inked’ everyday around the world, does this infer that they are more likely to engage into deviant behaviour such as drug abuse and criminal activity? In this proposal we will examine the relationship between tattooing and high-risk deviant behaviour among adolescents. Through exploratory inductive research we will attempt to analyze the relationship between tattoos and adolescent deviance in an attempt to see if rates of high-risk behaviour are still present in the subculture.
Literature Review
Adolescent tattooing may be an indicator of other high-risk behaviors. A large sample of American males being screened for the military showed that tattooed men when rejected at a 50% higher rate than non-tattooed males (Lander and Kohn 1943). The reasons were divided into psychological and physical categories. Lander and Kohn (1943) noted that 58% of the tattooed males where categorized as mentally unstable or socially deviant when compared to only 38% of non-tattooed in the same category. The general conclusion was that tattooed men w...
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...ending on the results, it can help increase or decrease the criminal or deviant stigma attached to bearing tattoos. We live in a hedonistic and free willed society, therefore one should not be categorized as delinquent or deviant without justifiable cause. On the other hand, the growing population of adolescents with body modifications engaging in high-risk behaviour can be more easily identified due to their markings. This makes it easier for the criminal justice system to spot the early manifestation of criminal activity. Health care officials can also use these visual cues to encourage a change of self-image by supplying teens with the knowledge and assistance to get their unwanted pieces of ink removed. Will removing the tattoo eliminate the deviant behaviour? Further research should be done on the effects of tattoo removal to an adolescent high-risk behaviour.
West, T. (n.d.). The Taboo of Tattoos: Changes in Body Art during the New Deal and World War II. Journal of Research Across the Disciplines. Retrieved November 28, 2013, from http://www.ju.edu/jrad/documents/tiffanyw.pdf
Brooks has structured the article in an organized manner whereby he starts off by making the reader understand that almost every American has a tattoo. He then provides evidence and facts throughout his work which helps the reader to gain a deeper understanding. The work is also very persuasive because it convinces the reader about the author’s feelings. The structure of his work is therefore very effective because it enables the reader to associate better with his work. This therefore makes the understanding of the author’s ideas to be easy because it is engaging.
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
Michael Atkinson had many questions about the stigma that comes with the tattooed body, but not very many answers, so in his book Tattooed: The Sociogenesis Of Body Art, he set out to find why such a large number of Canadians are currently turning to tattooing as an outward appearance of self-expression rather than clothing or free speech and tries to explain why individual habituse´s, otherwise known as personality structures or second natures, fluctuate over time (Atkinson, 2003: 13).
...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.
In the journal titled “To Ink or Not to Ink: The Meaning of Tattoos Among College Students”, the authors discuss how students in college feel about tattoos. They address how many people do or do not have a tattoo, the meaning behind the tattoos, and why the non-tattooed students have chosen not to get one. The students with tattoos were said to of taken time to decide what their tattoos was going to be of, where they were going to have it done, and the placement of
An interesting article in Skin Art Magazine by Kyle Burkett proposes another possible cultural root to the American and European stigma associated with tattooing that is today being challenged in a broad way. Burkett states that for centuries there has been a stigma against tattooing, buried deep within the skin of western idealists as well as and in the minds of Jews and Christians alike. He believes the stigma to be rooted in different aspects of ancient Mediterranean culture; more specifically, it finds its origin in ancient Greece and Rome. Some of the first forms of tattooing in these cultures was the branding of slaves. To be tattooed in ancient Greece meant that you were a slave and in Rome a tattooe meant that you were either a slave or a criminal (World Book 51). In light of this, Burkett's theory regarding this characterization of tattooed people as slaves and criminals, (the lowest rung on the societal ladder)prevails, and makes a great deal of sense when considering the historical roots of cultural biases today.
Incarcerated Criminals versus Tattoos; a display form of artistic creativity, tattoos have been associated with criminals that have been incarcerated. In today’s society, convicted males and females who display their tattoos are assumed to be “hard core”. Tattoos are a representation of a person character or characteristic. Tattoos are reputations that criminals withhold that marks there place in society and while they are incarcerated. That is the reason, why many criminals have tattoos? But then again, tattoos don’t always represent toughness or hard core. There is a part of society that has a different representation for displaying art/tattoos that does not mean “hard core”. For the non-convicted criminals of society, it means beauty,
Identifying the youth’s body to be unique, adolescents looking for setting themselves apart as well as gaining privacy and the rapid physical changes that occurs over which they can’t control are three psychological explanations of youth tattooing. In addition, tattoos might be the possessions of a relationship or possibly the only reason of its being. Decorations can be seen differently, for instance in terms of figuration and symbols rather than just scars on the body. Furthermore could be considered as being independent than irresponsible, once we observe all these thoughts we may not only lean to the other position but informed through our skins to another
Many people have been getting tattoos lately. People of all ages have been getting them and from all different backgrounds. On a nice day in just about any public place one can spot a tattoo about every five minutes, from the business man who had a portrait of his daughter put on him to a young girl with a butterfly on her ankle and even people with extensive tattoo coverage. What is even more interesting is the rise in the number of people who are heavily tattooed and that they come from all different backgrounds. Not too long ago tattooing did not experience the popularity in mainstream culture that it does now. The question that must be asked in order to understand this fascination that popular culture has had with tattoos is why people get tattoos.
Every person on earth is destined for self-definition. When it comes to tattoos, most of society has formed preconceived notions; that people with tattoos are seeking to identify themselves. This topic is important because it should be considered a crime to label these people as a whole the way Andres Martin does. Andres Martin is a well-known child psychiatrist who specializes in diagnosing, and treating mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse and schizophrenia. In On Teenagers and Tattoos, he is trying to express to other psychologists that it could be easier getting to know a teenaged
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.
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
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...
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.