Why Do People Choose To Get Tattoos?

As a newly 18 year old, there are two tattoos on my body. One symbolizes the dirt that one collects while being blown in the direction of a future. The other is a direct link to a faith. It points to a firm stance on a belief. Are there any regrets? Absolutely not. Tattoos are very captivating and alluring. They provoke conversation which causes a piece of a story to be left with each and every person encountered. Tattoos also allow a person to feel that they are themselves. Meaning that they feel that their body has individuality. Is the right tattoo ever really something that a person wants? Yes because it leaves a gesture hope and, it shows your intimacy.

When everyone looks and acts remotely the same, people end up losing their individual identity. When people feel like they are losing their individuality, they try to find ways to redefine their uniqueness in society. One of the more efficient and permanent ways of self-identification is by giving yourself a tattoo. Tiffany Cross studied this ideal of self-identification in her article, Stigmatization or Decoration: Tattoo as Deviance, a Cross-Cultural Study, where she says that, “the tattoo historically has been that symbol of rebellion, and here we see the tattoo emerging as a symbol of values and beliefs anew. The individual establishes his or her independence because the tattoo as a symbol is still enough to visually separate oneself from society at large” (Cross 20). Most of the time, tattoos are very meaningful, and hold some sort of value for the person who has them. By having a meaningful design constantly a part of you, people have essentially rediscovered themselves. Tattoos can also act as symbols of memories or influential experiences for a person. They are a constant reminder of an event that someone wants to feel and reminisce in every day of their lives. Tattoos can definitely have a large underlying meaning for the people who get

Body piercings and tattoos have become much more popular in our everyday society throughout the last century. When you lose a loved one, you’ll probably have a framed picture or you’ll keep a memento with you, but others want to have a memory of their loved one permanently placed on their body. In Is Getting a Tattoo Therapeutic? the author states, “Most tattoos have meaning behind them, memorializing an event, person or time in their lives. Some are art lovers and would like to wear their art on their sleeves.”

Often times people with tattoos are viewed as punk, alternative troublemakers, overly aggressive ideals or just a lain stupid decision. Many say that they are just a plea for attention. My grandmother is against all tattoos she says that “they are trashy and that they will not look good when the person is in their later years”. While my mother says that “[tats] hard to hide” and is partially against them because “they do not pertain to a business persona”. My grandmother on one hand is just a stubborn and bullheaded 80 year old woman, but on the other hand she does have a point tattoos have to be maintained if not they can fade into a blotchy faded mess. Mom has been in management for the past 20 years or so, and knows how closely companies and future employers look at applicants appearance. Often times if tattoos are out in the open and if they pertain to an abstract or taboo subject the person will most likely not get the

Tattoos are marks with an indelible designs that is perminant to the body. Some Tattoos could have some meaning behind it, other could be because they like the way it looks. Tattoos were viewed as bad, but as time has progressed it has changed people’s attitude against them. Tattoos has define the emergin culture. It has defined our culture because it expresses how people are, it act like a tribute, and it shows diversity.

There are multiple reasons for individuals to tattoo their bodies and the reasons are usually individualistic and subjective. The experience of being tattooed is intricately bound up with one’s character,

Seen as symbols of life accomplishments or beauty, tattoos have become a worldwide trend. Individuals have been getting tattoos for many centuries, with the earliest ones dating back to 5,200 years ago. It all started with their important role in rituals and tradition. As they slowly began to be associated with smoking and alcohol abuse (The Economist, “How a Tattoo Affects Your Job Perspectives”), the amount of people getting them increased. Today, 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo (“Tattoo Statistics”). Tattoos are permanent markings on the skin that increase the difficulty to get hired for a job and are against some religions, such as Islam, making them a trend that people should not follow.

This form of expression makes a person's body a canvas and when others see their bodies tattooed or pierced they no longer can see the person behind their expression. This leads them into their own conclusions on that person. Typically older generations see younger generations with these expressions and automatically assume they are trouble makers, have family problems or are just mean people. Just because a person likes piercings in a certain spot or tattoos on their neck, that does not define them a bad person. I chose this topic because I knew these stereotypes were incorrect and decided it was important to clarify and separate the person from the stereotype. This idea first came to me when my mom and dad were talking about self expression, my mother said how some piercings were “gross” and tattoos are “over the top” while my father disagreed saying it’s a form of expression and it wasn't ugly. After hearing this I began thinking of myself. Personally I love meaningful tattoos and I love the look of most piercings (i.e ear, lip, eyebrow etc) even if I wouldn't get them for myself. I believed it was an unique and creative form of expression, I was surprised to learn not everyone shared the same views as my father and I. After hearing this conversation I began to wonder about how others perceived tattoos and piercings. I soon realized that many people have

Tattoos have been around throughout our history, from Egyptian times to the present day. Many people may say they know the history of tattoos, and where they originate from, but do they really? Does one know that there were reasons that some people had tattoos? There may be people who know the actual history of tattoos and body art and why one would decide to get one; however there are people who do not. To be able to understand the idea of tattoos, one should educate themselves to the history of tattoos. Although tattoos have been considered taboo and a stereotype, history reveals that this particular form of body art has been used for self expression, status and

In some situations a tattoo is to represent something or to remember something or someone; a tattoo can actually have a lot of meaning and be in the place it's in for a great reason. My boyfriend Trevor Mucci said “I got a tattoo because I lost somebody important to me and this way the person is with me at all times. Yes my tattoo is very meaningful I lost my mother to cancer at a young age so I got the breast cancer ribbon over my heart , Watching my mother battle the way she did made me inspired to get the bible verse Phil 4:13 and the placement of my tattoo is on my chest which is over my heart so the placement is very meaningful” Ashlynn Mucci, Trevor Mucci’s little sister said “I got it for my mom It's a breast cancer ribbon and boxing

Answer 1: Many people choose to get tattoos for multiple reasons and while these individuals view it on a personal level, sociologist understand there are trends and outside influences involved when it comes to “getting inked”. According to Kang and Jones, individuals get tattoos as it allows them to define who they are, gain a sense of belonging, and identify with their own personal struggles (42). As teenagers and young adults go out into the world they often have a desire to control their own life and make their own choices. They may wish to express themselves in a permanent, artistic way, that gives them a sense of freedom. For others tattooing connects them with a group they feel attached to. For example, neo-primitives typically cover their whole bodies in artistic tattoos and consider it a way of connecting with the past and yourself spiritually (45). On a more common level, individuals will get a tattoo of a sports team they played on, or a symbol that belongs to their culture or religion. Their tattoos will remind them of who they are and what truly matters to them. Lastly, some choose to get tattoos because they’ve overcome a deep personal battle. It varies from cancer survivors, to veterans, or even those who have dealt with self-harm. Understandably, there are numerous social reason why individuals decide to obtain a tattoo.

Since tattoos were adopted into western culture, they were associated with criminals, gang members, trouble makers, or side show entertainers. As decades have past our traditional mind set has not since changed on the overall opinion of what tattoos and piercings represent. With the majority of people within the United States, it is shown that body modifications are always appeared negatively. Speaking from a generation Y viewpoint of things, my parents were raised believing that you wouldn’t get anywhere in life or you were a bad person if you had visible tattoos. Partly that is how this generation is being raised passing on the information to like-minded others and when being taught an idea as a kid by your parent it is more believable.

Like it or not, all of society does not accept or approve of tattoos. Deciding to have a tattoo is purely a personal desire. Restraint needs to be exercised as to the message of the tattoo as well as where it is placed. Deciding where to have a tattoo inked is a personal decision.

Many people now have tattoos since they are so widely accepted throughout many cultures. Tattoos have been around for a very long time and were used in many different ways. Montserrat states that tattoos were a part of the cultures in North America, Europe, Japan, China, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Greece. Many modern cultures have learned to accept the fact that tattoos do not mean the same things they used to. In the past, they were used as identifying slaves and criminals (Montserrat). Tattoos were used to remind people of the journeys they had taken and was used by members of the military (Montserrat). According to Montserrat, “From the late 20th century, many American and European celebrities had tattoos, as did many members of youth culture,

A task such as redefining identity to improve one’s life can be daunting. Since this identity is so important, especially to Jamison, a tattoo is necessary to ensure its continual significance and relevance in her life.