The Reasoning for Tattoos in the US Army Essay

For the past two millennium people have had tattoos, these people over the years ranged from warriors, royalty, sailors, circus workers, bikers, and more recently even doctors, lawyers, as well as the average everyday person. More recently, over at least the past century or two, more and more people have discriminated against people with tattoos. Over the past thirty years the only people to have openly displayed any tattoos were usually inmates or sailors. Considering that these men were usually away from home for long periods of time, where the people at home where looking down on people with visible ink already, and wasn’t susceptible to the lifestyle of tattooing. As more people became influenced by this reoccurring lifestyle, more people

Tattoos first originated in the west by a captain and his sailors. This group of Navy men returned home with their new pieces of art and were looked at as “oddities” by the people of their hometowns (Burgess 746). Much time has passed and a lot of things have changed since this event in the 1700s. However, looking at people with tattoos differently than people without tattoos has not changed. The main issue is people with tattoos are being discriminated against in the workplace. The number of people with tattoos has increased dramatically within the past decade. Tattoos have now reached a new audience including men and women of many different occupations. Although there are people with tattoos currently in many occupations

Throughout society, body piercing and tattoos are often seen as dirty, disgusting, irresponsible, and trashy. When is comes to stereotypical comments on people who have tattoos and piercings, the outcomes of what these comments are is that they are less likely to be intelligent, responsible, and respectful. “People with tattoos generally seemed to have a positive outlook on each other and themselves, whereas people without

Getting a tattoo is no longer just for rebels and people who served in wars, tattoos have become a form of self-expression and a confidence boosters for the everyday Joe. From pieces that speak the out loud personality of their owners, to people who simply enjoy the fine nettle work and even patients that need an extra step in self-esteem. With society becoming more and more use to the idea of ink decorating skin, conversation pieces are being formed and the shy guy no longer has to feel wired in their own skin. Art is pulling people out of their shells and telling their stories, while helping the walking canvas learn to love themselves. Tattoos have become an outlet to help people fix what they deem wrong with their bodies and turn them into

Tattoos are a growing trend that continues to become more popular as the years go by. However, the trend does not stop the rules and regulations that are set in the U.S. military. The paper examines the reasons why tattoos should be allowed in the U.S. military. The history of tattoos date back to the pyramid times and they have also been a longstanding tradition in the military. Tattoos are a form of art, which express a significant meaning. The artwork reflects a positive image of individuality and self-expression for people. Tattoos are a lifelong commitment. People who view the art of tattoos as trashy can be quick to judge others who have tattoos. However, it is impossible to know the true colors of a person based on their tattoos. As long as the tattoos are not offensive to anyone, service members should be allowed to have them in the U.S. military.

Dickinson, Dukes, Smith, and Strapko’s (2014) data was implying that the stigma, deviant attitudes, and negative perceptions of tattoos are becoming a things of the past, and applies mainly to older generations. They also found the opposite to be true, with their data finding the younger generations opinions range from a form of self-expression, self-identification, and/or as a piece of art. John Robert’s (2012) research agreed, and went on to show that majority of the younger generations, aged 18 to 24, were aware that having a highly visible tattoo, or multiple tattoos, would largely impact their future, no matter the content. Several of the interviewed subjects stated that it was against the social norms for their specific occupation to have tattoos, or that they were simply not allowed to have tattoos due to fear of offending another person. Explaining the reasoning for specific

Today more people are artistically expressing themselves through tattoos. According to a recent poll done, about one in five Americans have at least one. In fact many celebrities and influential people are seen almost covered in ink. Although there is a rise in popularity, there are still few who continue to believe tattoos are taboo, or have traditional, stereotypical thoughts on decorating ones skin. The most common misconceptions being; tattoos make finding employment difficult or they can’t do their job as well, people with tattoos are affiliated with gangs or are felons, and lastly parents with tattoos are bad parents.

According to Lemma, tattoos have been around for over 5000 years now (149). Across the world today, there are several cultures that have used tattoos as a cultural identity tool, and at the same time, millions of people have been influenced to copy these cultures and get their tattoos inked onto their skin. However, some people get tattoos for beauty reasons, cult identity, for fantasy or just through peer pressure. Over the recent decades, tattoos have become an issue of controversy in some professions. While others feel that tattoos are not suitable for certain jobs, an almost equal number of others are against the idea. Those against tattoos at some workplaces cite professionalism, protection of the organization’s image and repute and the socio-cultural perception of tattoos. Those who are not against tattoos in the workplace argue that some people have cultures that need them to be inked and that tattooing is a form of freedom of expression. This paper argues that tattoos are not suitable for certain jobs.

The process of tattooing is brutal and painful; more so in the past as it involved the chiseling of skin in some cultures. Nevertheless, tattoos have received great popularity in contemporary times, especially in America. I will therefore first explore the various reasons for which people tattoo themselves referencing Michael Atkinson’s book Tattooed: The Sociogenesis of a Body Art. Meanwhile, it seems that very few scholars have examined changes in the tattoo imagery. Since around the 1990s, the increased accessibility to traditional ethnic designs from different cultures has enabled people to appropriate, mix and create

The fundamental focus of my topic is the discrimination and prejudice experienced by individuals who have tattoos on their body. My hypothesis “Do tattoos make a mark on more than just your skin?” signifies the growing concern within today’s society towards equality and the elements of fear. This topic was developed from as I recently got a tattoo and the evolving negative stigma associated with it and my own concerns of discrimination in the future.

Today, many Americans have to worry about being discriminated against just for simply expressing their individuality. My first source entitled, "Tattoo Prejudice Is Alive and Thriving" is written by Dana Dovey, a reporter for Medical Daily. This article explains the judgement that some Americans have to go through just because they have tattoos and/or piercings. The majority of American society may think that an abundance of tattoos and piercings is unacceptable, but this article views tattoos and piercings as an act of freedom and expression (Dovey 1). In the article, Dovey explains, “Getting a tattoo is a common way for people to express their individuality. But body ink may possibly be too efficient at making you stand out from the crowd, and a new study reveals that tattooed individuals still feel

Art or Destruction: Why do people feel the need to get tattoos? ZZZZZZ!!!! The piercing sound of a needle going back and forth, in and out of the skin when a customer receives a tattoo. Body art, body bling, self-graffiti, walking billboards, fashionable ink accessories. Each of these expressions depicts the physical nature of the tattoo. The topic I chose for this eye search ended up as "Why do people feel the need to mark their bodies with tattoos"?I chose this topic really because, I would like to get tattoos, small ones, on different parts of my body such as my shoulder, wrists, and ankle. I want to know more of the how, why, and if's of receiving a tattoo. The definition of a tattoo, a puncture wound, made deep in the skin, that fills with ink. Injecting ink into the area, by penetrating the skin with a needle and usually creates some sort of design. Some people think of tattoos as an art because it represents something in their life or something meaningful to them. But some consider it a destruction of the body because of the mark for life on your body that will never go away but only fade slowly over time. Personally, tattoo art takes on the role of art, but part of me think of it as destruction because some people literally cover their body from head to toe with tattoos. I chose the topic really because I want to know why some people think that when people get tattoos they end up deemed a rebel or even a criminal; depending on the type of tattoos(s) they have on

Even the most incursive tattoos such as a Swastika are balanced out by bible verses. After all, it is someone’s body and ultimately it is his or her decision to get the tattoo. People can stare at a tattoo all they want, whether loathing and utter detestation or of desire and jealousy, but it will not make a difference; however, it may make someone uncomfortable. Yet, in many other countries, such as parts of India, tattoos are the desire of many and are sought after. They put a higher emphasis on the importance of tattoos that is more than just getting ink injected into the second layer of the skin.

A website by the name of Debate.org is a place where people can comment and voice their opinions either anonymously or under a name. The website put out a question asking, “Are tattoos negatively stereotyped in the United States?” 78% of responses said yes, stating that they thought tattoos were “trashy”, “unclassy”, or a way of saying “look at me!” Some people even commented that tattoos “represent poor judgment”, “low class”, and “a lack of education.” (“Are Tattoos Negatively Stereotyped in the United States?”) Unfortunately the opinions of the people are usually not in favor of tattoos. Because of this when looking at tattoos in America, we see a rough history; When you look back to the roots of tattoos though, we see something beautiful.Chris Rainer, a photographer for the Smithsonian, travelled around the world to figure out our urge to tattoo ourselves. Rainer says, “Blank skin, is merely a canvas for a story.” followed by, “They say, ‘this is who I am, and what I have done.’”(“Tucker, Abigail”) With these comments, Rainer is referring to the fact that in New Guinea, Cambodia, New Zealand, and Japan, tattoos are extremely important to who a person is. In New Guinea, Rainer met a woman with a swirl of tattoos on her face; these tattoos are an indication of her family lineage. When in Cambodia, Rainer met a Monk who has tattoos on his chest that reflect his beliefs.

Tattoos have decorated bodies for centuries. From religious beliefs, to punishment, to adornment, tattoos have reflected personal stories for each of the bodies it marks. In the modern era, tattoos have become a form of art in which people use to express their individualities. Although one may consider marking their bodies as a positive form of self expression, tattoos can have lasting negative effects on one’s physical, social, and professional lives.