Tattoos and Society - Essay Example

Tattoos and Society Student’s Name University Affiliation A tattoo refers to a modification done on the skin by inserting ink that is indelible into the dermis layer (Bronner, 2006). Tattoos can be drawn on various sections of the skin according to an individual’s personal preference. Most people prefer having them in sections of the body that can be seen by the public, while others prefer to keep them secretive. The rate at which tattoos are becoming popular is alarming. Increase of tattoos may be as a result of influence from celebrities, pop culture and social networks. Tattooing being an art of centuries has a history. Most people claim that tattoo discovery might have been accidental. These people argue that dried burnt wood leftovers were the first coloration element used in the process. The Japanese saw tattooing as ornamental and graphical while the Ainu perceived tattooing as magical and religious. It started from Japan and spread across the globe. The Japanese used needles and ink held in wooden vessels to decorate the skin. Tattooing became an economic activity for the Japanese. After some years, the British got interested in this art. They travelled in large numbers to Japan where they got their skins decorated with different images and writing. Some individuals leant the skill and started to make a living from it. Tattooing spread from Britain to America and then to the rest of the world (Poysden, 2006). Thomas Edison contributed in the spread of tattooing by making a discovery of the stencil machine which later was used to design the electric machine for this purpose (Mifflin, 2013). Initially, people used sharp stick and bones to inscribe tattoos on their skin. Traditionally, tattooing was used to signify a rite of passage. Some of the rite's tattooing was used to symbolize circumcision and marriage. After circumcision, the initiates could be decorated with tattoos. Thus, people from that society will differentiate them from uncircumcised people. The married women and men could have a tattoo to indicate they are a couple and not single. Tattoos are also used by some members of the community as a secret identity to either gangs or armed forces. Originally, tattoos were associated with men but a new trend is rising as women have joined men in tattooing their bodies too. Men prefer putting multiple tattoos in parts of their skin that are visible. They mostly tattoo their arms and legs while most women prefer having them hidden from the public like the lower back and ankles. Tattoos have not been accepted in the general society as any other normal activity. Men who have large tattoos are often associated with gang groups or considered bikers by most people (Hetherington, 2010). The women who have large tattoos are often mistaken to be immoral. Thus, not all men could want to be associated with them. These women are also considered rebellious and less feminine. According to statistics conducted by various groups in Australia, students were the highest ranking in tattoos. The research also reported that students who had tattoos recorded good grades in college. The gangs were reported to be the lowest ranking in tattoo possession. The desire for students to have tattoos is higher than any other individual in the society. This was shown through the conducted research. The face of body decoration is changing and more people are accepting tattoos. Most people claim they have reasons for having tattoos on their skin. These reasons are quite a number, but to start with, the women have resolved to have tattoos as a way of setting themselves free. Women consider themselves tied to a certain force, which is men and putting a tattoo on her skin gives them the masculinity they admire to compete with men (Moramarco, 1992). Women also feel oppressed and neglected by the society, thus, by having a tattoo the women fill a sense of belonging to a particular group of individuals in the international society. Children may have tattoos due to their role models in the society. Most people claim that they have tattoos to remind them of certain memories in life. Some claim that their tattoos remind them of their deceased and loved ones. Those who have tattoos of their kids and family confess that these tattoos give them a sense of being with their families when they are not together. Soldiers have tattoos of different kinds ranging from pictures of family members to simple words or symbols. The symbols they claim enable them identify one another during war or crisis. The family pictures are there to remind them of love and belonging to their family. Soldiers are many and one cannot have the picture of all colleagues in mind. The tattoo does not need a name to be identified, but they are identical and permanent on one's skin, thus, by showing the tattoo the soldier gets identified by colleagues. The other group of people claims that they get tattooed as a style and fashion. They ink particular tattoos on specific parts of the skin, which helps improve their physical outlook. Tattoos on the arms look beautiful, ladies who decorate their skin with tattoos are said to catch the attention of most men wherever they go. Profit is another reason why people have tattoos on their skins. Some organizations pay individuals a lot of money to have their logo drawn on the forehead skin. The organizations do such things as a way of advertising the services and goods they offer to the society. Most of the people these organizations are involved with are celebrities. Some people have reported that they have tattoos on their skin for other reasons like covering a scar left by a wound. The scar might be ugly but drawing a tattoo on that part of the skin makes the scar invisible. Covering scars through tattoos has become rampant in the society. The society has its views on the people with tattoos based on their role and age. To start with the perception of society to the people with a role in the society, teachers have a role of teaching, guiding and counseling. If a teacher is having visible tattoos on his or her skin the people in the society develop views about such a teacher. Studies show that most community members regard teachers with tattoos as immoral, and they also believe such teachers are misplaced in terms of career. The society members are less likely to seek guidance and counseling from such teachers. However, the students may perceive such teachers as friendly and reachable as they do not require following the proper procedures outlined by the school, to talk or inquire anything from them. The society may judge the pastors and other religious leaders who have tattoos on their skin. Studies have shown that, the society develops a negative attitude towards tattooed pastors and other individuals assigned religious roles. The negative attitude develops because most of the people in the society attach tattooing to spiritual cults (Rush, 2005). Therefore, a religious leader with a tattoo on the skin will receive less trust from the society. Some people may doubt whether he or she is a true servant of God. If believers realize that their pastor has a tattoo, the chances of them shifting from that religion center increase. The society may judge the medical doctors in case they have tattoos on their skin. Patients from the society will always wish to be treated by medics of high moral standards, and professionalism. When a patient discovers that the medical doctor treating him or her has a tattoo, he or she regards the medical doctor to be less professional. Some patients could avoid nurses and doctors with tattoos. The police can be judged by the society in case of having a tattoo. Police with tattoos are regarded as rude and ruthless. Studies have shown that most policemen and police ladies with tattoos are less considerate of people’s problems, and they do not estate to gun down criminals. They are always dedicated to their jobs and have little time for negotiation or interaction with people in the society. The society analyses and judges students in the locality, if they possess tattoos the society tends to categorize the students with tattoos as irresponsible and jokers in education, such stereotyping might not be true. The students with tattoos have portrayed good performance in research conducted by various scholars. The society also has a view on parents with tattoos. The society regards parents with tattoos on their skins as bad role models to their children. Kids brought up in a family where the father and mother embrace tattoos is likely to have them inked on their skins too. The people also consider these parents irresponsible because they propagate a behavior that has not been accepted by the society. Fathers with tattoos are considered less harmful and influential to their children while mothers with tattoos are more likely to inspire their children to have tattoos. Studies show that mothers spend more time with their children than average fathers. Hence, children learn most traits from mothers. The leaders of a society are also subject to judgment by the community. Studies have shown that leaders with tattoos inked on their skin are considered less important, and motivational to the entire community. Research has it that, tattoos on the skin of any leader reflects the low level of maturity and irresponsibility. Most people in the society consider having Leaders with high moral standards and respect. If an individual’s tattoo is discovered before he or she gets an electoral post of leadership. Then the chances of people from his or her society considering him for the leadership post are minimal. Tattooed guards in different firms, homesteads or institutions also are subject to community judgment. The society tends to associate tattooed guards with gangs and prisoners. If instances of robbery occur within their area of supervision then they risk being suspected to have a hand in the robbery. The society may have its view on people who have tattoos on their skins based on the age. The society considers young generation with tattoos rebellious to the society norms. The society tends to believe that these young people have their role models outside the community and they are not likely to obey the laid rules and regulations of the society. Instead, they follow some outside society with different personalities and regulations. Studies have shown that youths with tattoos are generally isolated from other society members. The mid aged generation with tattoos is subject to community judgment. Studies have shown that the society considers its mid aged population with tattoos as lesbians or homosexuals. The society tends to believe that these people with tattoos develop sexual interest with people of same sex or gender. It does not trust these people with their children because of the esteemed low moral standards. In cases of theft or robbery, the tattooed people become the first suspects. Some old generation members of society have tattoos. Studies have shown that these people are regarded as conservatives of generation. The society perceives them as people who do not want to change from one generation to the other. They are considered to have stagnated in one generation during their development and growth. The old people are considered to be of value in guiding the young generation, but the old with tattooed skin are regarded to be of low values in terms of guiding the young generation in a moral way. The society may also have its views concerning tattoos based on poverty and riches (DeMello, 2000). The society considers people with large tattoos as rich and those with small tattoos as poor. Tattooing is an expensive process and those people who can afford large tattoos are perceived to have a good source of income. If an individual has a small tattoo according to the society, then the individual has a low financial status, he or she picks on the smaller size that he could afford. However, the view does not take into consideration the personal preference of individuals on tattooing. The society has industries and firms that employ people. The managers in these firms conduct employment interviews anytime they recruited new workforce. The possession of a tattoo has been found to cause some people to lose a chance of employment. Studies show that some managers perceive tattoos as a taboo and may have a negative influence on the customers (Belk, 2006). The people visiting such firms may see the tattoos and interpret them from a personal perspective. These may lead to low turnout of clients in some firms. Thus, managers are less likely to employ people with tattoos. Institutions like universities have their take on tattoos in a negative way. The heads of the institutions may love tattoos, but the professional staff involved in recruiting people to higher positions has a negative view on the tattoos. They argue that tattooing is not allowed in their code of physical outlook. If university lectures and professors have tattoos, the students they teach may have various views on tattooing. Thus, it will not be professional to allow tattooing in institutions. The increased acceptance of tattoos in the society calls for a need to create awareness for people about the effects of tattoos. Studies have shown that tattoos may result to allergic reactions. The allergy might not occur during the time of designing or early years of its placement, but it may occur after several years. Skin infection is another effect that individuals planning to ink their skin should be aware off. The skin is pierced during the time of tattooing. These may create a surface for infectious pathogens to penetrate into the skin. The pathogens cause swelling, pain, redness and other skin problems are also likely to develop. In the case of contaminated equipment, blood borne diseases may occur. The contamination may arise from lack of proper sterilization of the equipment after use. The blood borne diseases likely to occur include, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and tetanus. Another problem associated with tattooing is the permanence of the tattoo, when some people tattoo their skins in the name of decoration and beauty. They tend to forget that, after some years, they may lose interest of having a tattoo on the skin. The challenge of getting rid of the picture or name arises. Such an issue may disturb an individual in the entire lifetime. In some other cases, the person might not want to remember the incidents attached to the tattoo, but he will be forced to live with them forever. Tattooing is an old culture that started from Japan and spread across the globe. Tattooing is a painful process, but takes seconds to be in place with the new technology. People in the society may have different views with regard to tattooing, but the culture remains and is likely to spread more every day. People having tattoos should know the reactions the society has toward them. References Belk, R. W., & Business, M. a. (2006). Research in consumer behavior. Bingley, U.K: Emerald. Bronner, S. J. (2006). Encyclopedia of American folklife. Armonk, N.Y. M.E. Sharpe. DeMello, M. (2000). Bodies of inscription: a cultural history of the modern tattoo community. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Hetherington, T. (2010). Infidel. London: Chris Boot Mifflin, M. (2013). Bodies of subversion: a secret history of women and tattoo (3rd ed.). New York: powerhouse Books. Moramarco, F. S., & Zolynas, A. (1992). Men of our time: an anthology of male poetry in contemporary America. Athens: University of Georgia Press. Poysden, M., & Bratt, M. (2006). A history of Japanese body suit tattooing. Amsterdam: KIT Publishers. Rush, J. A. (2005). Spiritual tattoo: a cultural history of tattooing, piercing, scarification, branding, and implants. Berkeley, Calif Frog Read More