Cultural Acceptance of Tattooing - Essay Example

153367 Cultural Acceptance of Tattooing The following will seek to examine whether tattoos are socially acceptable or not. In the last two or three decades there have been steps taken to tackle various forms of social discrimination or exclusion. Action has been taken to counter discrimination or exclusion for various groups such as African - American women, the disabled, and upon the basis of sexual orientation. Those actions have included the promotion of equal employment opportunities and attempts to prevent exclusion from social and economic services. Tattoos as will be discussed have often been regarded negatively in many societies and countries including the United States. Tattoos may have given the people with them a bad image, as people without tattoos rightly or wrongly associate tattoos with trouble - makers or criminals. Organizations ranging from private companies through to government departments or institutions have not always treated people with tattoos fairly for the reasons presented below. The art of tattooing is an old one that can be traced back many centuries to countries such as China and Japan. Admirers of tattoos would argue that it was the start of a new art form, whilst detractors would count that it was the beginning of an unnecessary or undesirable social practice that should be discouraged. Although as an art form it was mostly advanced in China and Japan that was also where people with tattoos got a bad reputation. The following quote describes the origins of tattoos: The word tattoo can be traced to the Tahitian tatu or tatau, meaning to mark or strike ~ the latter referring to traditional methods of applying the designs. In Japanese, the word used for traditional designs or those that are applied using traditional methods is irezumi ("insertion of ink"), while "tattoo" is used for non-Japanese designs.1 Tattoos have therefore been socially unacceptable for the vast majority of the time that they have existed. In most societies the majority of people that would describe themselves as being socially and morally respectable has shunned tattoos. Despite the stigma attached in many countries to tattooing, it seems to becoming increasingly popular. The art of tattooing has been put to many uses through many centuries. The quote below gives a strong indication of the number of uses for tattoos. This list is certainly not exhaustive by any means: Tattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, amulets and talismans, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts.2 Tattooing started to lose cultural and social respectability with the onset of Christianity into Europe, an attitude that white settlers brought with them to North America. Or as the Butterfly Tattoos website describes it: Historically, a decline in traditional tribal tattooing in Europe occurred with the spread of Christianity. A decline often occurred in other cultures following European efforts to convert indigenous people to Western religious and cultural practices that held tattooing to be a "pagan" activity.3 Few people that have taken the time and the care to be sure of their social respectability are going to ruin their efforts by having tattoos printed upon their bodies. In closed societies with strong obvious bias against people already having tattoos or going to get tattoos those that wish to remain socially acceptable would have to think very carefully about challenging social norms simply by getting a tattoo. When and where tattoos are socially taboo then it will be a lot harder to find people with tattoos or at least people willing to show their tattoos. In the societies in which tattoos are socially taboo those people with tattoos have two main options. The first option is that they hide their tattoos as much as possible when in public view, whilst laving them to be seen in private. The second main option is that people have their tattoos open visible all the time to challenge the taboos and the prejudices of their societies. Just which option people with tattoos take will depend on their personality and the motivation they had for getting tattoos in the first place.4 Before discussing how societies handle people with tattoos it is worth examining the motivations for having tattoos, as without strong motivations few people would want tattoos in the first place. People might be motivated to get tattoos done simply because they like certain designs and wish to see those designs tattooed on to them. People might like those designs because somebody famous already has the same tattoo. In this respect sport stars, musicians and actors can heavily influence the tattoos people choose. People can also be motivated to have tattoos done if they see family and friends with tattoos and copy them because they like those tattoos. As tattoos are permanent people may choose to have tattoos as a demonstration of their devotion to a partner, their children, their favourite football team, their favourite rock group, or an affinity to a gang. If somebody has tattoos of their favourite sports team or rock group might make them more acceptable to their fellow devotees but less as acceptable to people with differing affinities. Some people are tempted in to having tattoos are a highly visible sign that they do not accept their society’s norms and moral values. Having a tattoo can equate to having a rebellious attitude towards society, the establishment, and people with authority within the local area. People also decide to have tattoos upon the spur of the moment. It would be difficult to gain a precise number of people that got a tattoo whilst out drinking. Having tattoos has become increasingly fashionable, especially those who are highly motivated by keeping up to the latest trends will have tattoos that are fashionable even if that can mean that they may face social discrimination. After all the belief or the knowledge that tattoos is increasing fashionable with many celebrities is arguably very influential. Cultural acceptability is now more influenced by the following groups instead of people that object to tattoos: Movie stars, models, popular musicians and sports figures are just some of the people in the public eye who are tattooed, which in turn has fueled the acceptance of tattoos.5 Research has shown that some parts of American society are happier to culturally accept tattoos and that are therefore more likely to have tattoos themselves. The following figures give a clear indication of the demographic spread of tattoos amongst the American population: A poll conducted online between July 14 and 20, 2003 (Harris 2003), found that 16% of all adults in the United States have at least one tattoo. The highest incidence of tattoos was found among the gay, lesbian and bisexual population (31%) and among Americans ages 25 to 29 years (36%) and 30 to 39 years (28%). 6 The last group of people may only be happy with their tattoos whilst those designs are still fashionable and may want them removed once trends have shifted elsewhere. The last group are probably the people that have gained the most from the development of temporary tattoos, they can have the tattoos for as long as they want, yet are not faced with the prospect of costly and potentially disfiguring laser treatment to have them removed.7 There are various degrees of social acceptability or unacceptability when it comes to the issue of tattoos. Some people or groups regard tattoos as being socially unacceptable in any circumstances. These people believe that tattoos are not an art form and disfigure the people that decide to have them. They can also object to tattoos on religious grounds, due to changing people’s appearance. To a certain extent those that regard tattoos being totally unacceptable have prejudices that portray those with tattoos as having links with criminal gangs and generally being more likely to commit crimes. They see tattoos as an outward demonstration of a refusal to accept all of societies conventions and accepted standards of behaviour. Employers with such attitudes are highly unlikely to give jobs to people with tattoos even if they might have the required skills, qualifications, and experience to perform the role competently. Those that find tattoos socially unacceptable may even believe that tattooing should only be legal to ensure that people’s lives are not endangered by unhygienic practices.8 Perhaps a more general attitude towards tattoos is that although they are legal and deciding to have tattoos is a matter of personal choice that people should be socially discouraged from choosing to get tattoos. In the countries in which tattooing is legal there are age restrictions to ensure that people only choose to have tattoos once they have reached the age of legal responsibility and can make a free and informed decision to have tattoos. There are also restrictions as to whom can carry out tattoos. Tattoo artists have to know their legal obligations, as well as being able to draw properly. There are health risks involved in tattooing which will be averted if the tattoo artists do their jobs properly.9 Opinion polls conducted in the United States have demonstrated that the number of people that find tattoos culturally acceptable is increasing. For instance: An August, 2005 telephone poll conducted by Zogby International asked 1,042 U.S. residents to give their opinions of tattoos as an art form. A majority of the respondents—54 percent—said tattoos were a form of art, while 40 percent said they were not .10 Those that do not believe that tattoos are socially acceptable will try to persuade people not to have tattoos. They can argue that having tattoos will make it harder for people to find employment that people will stare at them and that some people will no longer them. Deciding to have tattoos will lead to a loss of opportunities, the loss of respectability and being socially shunned by others. Those arguments are used to dissuade people from having tattoos, whilst fewer people are prepared to make people with tattoos socially acceptable. Obviously, the more people that decide to get tattoos then the practice of getting tattoos will become increasingly tolerated and will eventually become socially acceptable. Arguably, having tattoos is becoming more tolerable than before even if many people find it difficult to accept them. If tolerance of tattoos has improved, then logically the barriers that being socially unacceptable imposed will start to decline, reducing discrimination against those with tattoos. If social and economic discrimination against people with tattoos decline then presumably the number of people with tattoos will increase.11 Private sector employers have different policies when it comes to employing people with tattoos. More upmarket stores for instance will be less willing to employ those with tattoos; it would certainly be harder to get that job at Macys’s than it would be to get that job at a music store. Some businesses will simply require that employees with tattoos need to keep them covered up, other businesses will have no such requirements at all. The way, in which employees with tattoos will often depend on the social attitudes of customers, if customers generally accept tattoos then there is no need for employees to cover them up. Businesses such as banks and legal firms are usually less willing to employ people with tattoos, as they will often believe that tattoos did not fit in with their professional corporate images. If people with tattoos are employed they certainly have to keep their tattoos covered up. The quote below is a concise summary of the economic discrimination that having a tattoo can cause in the United States and other countries: Some employers, especially in professional fields, still look down on tattoos or regard them as contributing to an unprofessional appearance. Tattoos can therefore impair a wearers career prospects, particularly when inked on places not typically covered by clothing, such as the hands, neck, or face. It is not unusual for tattoo artists to refuse to tattoo these very conspicuous areas.12 In the United States, state and federal organisations will employ people with tattoos under certain terms and conditions. The United States armed forces have meticulous rules and regulations that people with tattoos need to comply with before they are allowed to enlist and serve. These regulations set all the conditions in which potential recruits with tattoos are acceptable and which are unacceptable. The regulations drawn up by the US air force are probably the most extensive list of which tattoos are allowed or not allowed within that service. These regulations are a dress code and behaviour code combined into a single guidance manual. The United States air force manual stipulates which tattoos its personnel are allowed to show and which tattoos have to be covered or are a bar to joining the service in the first place.13 The US air force has determined therefore that under certain circumstances that tattoos are socially acceptable and those that cannot be tolerated within the service at all. Al tattoos will be judged against measures such as whether they are patriotic, morally sound, or politically unsubversive. The United States air force has no objection to tattoos that are uncontroversial in design and wording.14 To conclude, the cultural and social unacceptability of tattoos is almost as old as the art of tattooing itself. Tattoos were seen as being culturally and social unacceptable for the reasons described and discussed above. The reluctance to find people with tattoos culturally and socially acceptable can be traced back to the beginning of tattooing as an art form. The reputation of people with tattoos suffered as a result of many criminals in China and Japan having tattoos, these countries still have a social mistrust of people with tattoos. In many countries in Europe and North America people were have been free to get tattoos yet that would frequently lead to them suffering cultural, economic, and social discrimination. Tattoos were not culturally or socially acceptable for long periods due to the strength of Christianity in Europe and North America, and the pagan roots of the art were frowned upon by many. Tattoos has become culturally and socially more acceptable due to the diminishing influence of Christianity in Western societies. Higher levels of acceptance are also a consequence of changing cultural attitudes and fashion trends. Many of the role models for the young, music, film, or sports fan no have tattoos which further increases the desire of people to get them. Data and opinion polls show that that young people, sports or music fans are more likely to have tattoos or at least regard them as being culturally and socially acceptable. Changing social attitudes have had an impact on how many discrimination people with tattoo faces. Employers in the private sector are less reluctant to employ people with tattoos. The United States Air Force guidelines demonstrate just how far acceptance of tattoos has increased. Bibliography Air Force Instructions 36 2903 2 August 2006 Butterfly Tattoo Homepage Freebiewizard.com, Tattoos - The Lowdown Thetattoo.info – Tattoo design Wikipedia.com - Tattoos Read More