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 …show more content…
Most companies say that they don’t pass up people just because they have tattoos they merely choose the person that is cleaner cut instead because they give their company a better image. However, some companies do have policies that they will not hire people with visible tattoos such as: Geico, U.S. Postal Service, Starwood Hotels and Denny’s. Having visible tattoos is among the top three reasons that companies will not hire someone. More negative feedback that society has had in the past few decades were if you had tattoos you were in a category of people that had been in prison, jail, in trouble, or even in a gang. Also, the military is now frowning down on service members getting visible tattoos. Once, the armed forces were proud of getting their tattoos and being able to show them off, now if visible, now they can be charged with insubordination for having visible
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.
The ancient art form traces back 4,000 years to the Egyptians. The oldest mummy ever found –dating back to the Bronze Age of Europe – had 59 tattoos. Tattoos have adorned the arms of kings, queens and czars, representing power and wealth. King Harold of England’s body was identified on a battleground by his tattoo, which featured the name Edith inscribed over his heart. King Edward VII of England had a dragon on his forearm. In Great Britain, tattoos were a sacred familial ritual as the Danes, Norse and Saxon tattooed their family crests on their chests. Tattooing spread in the United States as a way to memorialize fallen soldiers during the Civil War.
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.
In today’s world there are several occupations one may choose from once receiving an education. Whether a person wants to be a doctor, a teacher, or a business person, one should be able to use their education to gain access to that job. Getting a job is no easy task, for there are many people who are also searching for that same job. Employers will interview many people just to find the right one and often times will have many stand-out applications to evaluate. When it comes down to making a decision, something as simple as having a tattoo could ruin every hope one has of getting the job. One may ask, “why does having a tattoo ruin ones chance of getting a job?” A tattoo would ruin one’s chances at getting a job simply because it is wrongly viewed as unprofessional.
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.
The concept of tattooing has been recorded to date back many centuries and was practiced throughout dozens of civilizations throughout the world. The most noticeable record of tattoos is dated in the mid to late-1700’s by Captain James Cook. Through his travels, Cook and his crew acquired tattoos, and when they returned to England, the...
Tattoos have been around for quite some time now, and they have always been a symbol of belonging, cultural expression or for religion. These days, individuals choose to tattoo themselves because it is part of their lifestyle or personal image. While continuing to grow in popularity and becoming a lifestyle, people are facing issues with having visible tattoos in the workforce. Although it is a form of free expression, employers have a right to enforce certain rules about tattoos in their company because they have a public image to uphold. How you present yourself to the public is solely important, which is why tattoos should not be allowed to be seen in the workplace, since it may appear offensive or unconservative.
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.
It isn 't uncommon to see people walking around with tattoos permanently stained on their body. It is also uncommon to know that they usually have a meaning. From Chinese symbols to images devoted to the flying spaghetti monster, people love to keep these tattoos to remind them of a message or a special someone. According to the World Book Advanced Dictionary, a tattoo is "to mark (the skin) with designs or patterns by pricking a line of holes and putting in colors. ' ' And the meaning of an individual 's tattoo can vary depending on where you are. In this essay, I will discuss contrasting elements in prison and in tribal tattoos. This will be done by doing a cross sectional study of their history, meaning and methods. Are prison and tribal tattoos similar or different?
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.
Actions such as tattooing, blemishes the body in a manner that repeals the moral beliefs of bodily appearances in Western circumstances. This kind of body engraving method supplies a way for the individual to completely change the appearance of their body on the outside. Within consumer culture, the use of body-modification methods varies from those in pre-modern or non-Western circumstances in the logic that these methods particularly aim their attention on the illustration of ones body. In previous years, methods of engraving were related to the stigmatization of certain social groupings and weren’t cooperative to extermination. As an example, tattoos were symbols on the skin that symbolized or indicated individuals who were socially classified
The trend of tattooing grew rapidly as a rebellious act in the early 80’s, however, tattooing actually dates back much further. The earliest record of tattoos was discovered back in 1991 on “the frozen remains of the Copper Age Iceman; scientists have named ‘Ötzi.’ His lower back, ankles, knees, and a foot were marked with a series of small lines, made by rubbing powdered charcoal into vertical cuts,” (Barbajosa, 2004). Despite the change in meaning or purpose for receiving a tattoo, it seems that there is sentimental value and the expression of self regardless of how times have changed. Five-thousand years ago, when the Ötzi’s tattoos were discovered, anthropologists perceived the meaning of his tattoos to be a symbol of accomplishment and an earned position in the community or even population. When a young adult turns 18, it’s a rite of passage to receive a tattoo, so the purpose is still there; however, having a purpose for a tattoo does not make it art.
... no sense for a job to tell people what they can do with their body lets alone if it is not innapropiete why not? If theres no violence why not let whom ever wants tattoos to go ahead and get it with out telling them they cant be hired or they will be fired. I hope that in a couple of years from now more jobs will see eye to eye with me that having tattoos doesnt make u a bad person it makes you different it shows can tell so much about a person and there are so many rich people that do have tattoos. Some people dont get tattoos because of their parents but whatever there reason i stand by each and every person that deiceds to put body art on themselves. some people dont see tattoos as art but yet if it wasnt then why do tattoo ARTIST charge from 100+ at a professional shop. One day i beileve people will no longer think that theres has to be restrictions to tattoos.
Tattoos are a form of art, a form of expression about one’s self. The world is very diverse. We have different races, ethnicities, believe in different religions, enjoy different sports, ...
In a bygone era tribes from all over the world have tattooed members of their group as part of their way of life. Whether it be a spiritual reason, a coming of age, a religious ceremony, or a celebration of an achievement in life.