What Is The Role Of Tattoos In Western Society

Although there is history that proves tattoos were used for many reasons, some people still fell into groups that are considered stereotypes. The stereotypes of people with tattoos were considered to be criminals, drug addicts, or habitual underachievers. There is somewhat of a statistical truth to that slander. Sadly when it came to people who had chosen to show their tattoos in public, the stereotype is all too real. That is no surprise though; people with tattoos are treated poorly by the majority. Traditionally, tattoo clientele was considered to be that of bikers, bad-boy personalities, and truckers; however all that seems to be changing. There is still the tough guy image to contend with. However, it is mostly just with the older population. Chris Weskamp told the Denver Business Journal

Tattooing is not just a recent fad. Tattooing has been around for a very long time. "The current first proven incident of a tattoo dates back 4,000 years B.C. a traveler was found in Italy near Austria, preserved in the permafrost of a glacier. Carbon dating and arte facts found near him suggest that he is over 5,300 years old" (Tattoos and Design). Tattoos have been used

Before the mid 1960’s, tattoos were viewed as self-infliction and are deemed simply as unnecessary.

One in every five Americans have a tattoo. It is no longer surprising to see people with markings on their bodies. Many believed it is a form of self-expression. Even though some cultures or religions view tattoos as a negative thing, that does not stop people from getting them. To have a better understanding about tattoos we must go back and trace how it all began. From the tools, they used to the ink, it is incredible how tattooing has evolved over the years.

Tattoos have been dated back to 5000 BCE. Tattoos have played the role of being badges of honor, ceremonial markings, signs off social rank, forms of punishment, and of course ways for people to beautify themselves (The Cultural History of Tattoos). Over the past years, tattoos has increased and continues to increase significantly in popularity. According to statistics, 36% of American adults in the U.S. between the ages of 18-25 and 40% of American adults in the U.S. between the ages of 26-40 have at least one tattoo (Seth). While the trend of getting tattoos are increasing, the concerns of the employers starts to increase. People who have tattoos should not be discriminated because it is unethical, a form of self-expression, and art.

Throughout history tattooing has served many purposes. The earliest evidence of tattooing was found in 1991 in the mountains of Austria. An Iceman was found, his bones dated back to 3,300 B.C. which is over 5300 years ago. His skin had signs of blue tattoos. The scientists did not understand the reasons for his tattoos, but counted fifty-eight in total. (Wiman-Rudzinski, 2002)

The story we know goes back to the Stone Age. In 1991, one hunter man was found in a glacier from the Neolithic era; his back and knees tattooed. Before the hunter mummy, the oldest person with tattoo that was discovered was the Egyptian priestess, Amunet worshiper of Hathor, goddess of love and fertility. She lived in Thebes around 2000 BC, and her tattoos, were pretty much the same style as the mummy of the hunter, linear with simple designs of dots and dashes. In the prehistoric cave of Aurignac small pointed bones were found and were believed to be use for tattooing at that time.

The history of tattooing date back to the first man, Otzi, in 3300 B.C. who was found frozen in the Alps (Nat-A-Tat2) and the history piercing date back to different primitive tribes for their beliefs (Tribu). Scientists say that the tattoos he had were for medical reasons. When they found his body, they took X-rays and where there were tattoos was where his bones had started to decay. His tattoos were on his back, knees, ankles, and feet. The ink used on his tattoos was made of powdered charcoal and rubbing it into his cut skin. Many ancient civilizations did tattoos and piercings for example the Egyptians, Greeks, Japanese, Arabian and Siberians. Many mummies have been found with tattoos and are the oldest bodies to be found with gauged or stretched earlobes (Tibu). The Egyptians were also the ones who brought tattooing to Greece and to Arabia (Nat-A-Tat2). In Japan, tattoos were used for beauty, beliefs “and to mark criminals” (Nat-A-Tat2).

Historically tattoos have played an important role in Middle Eastern culture. Tattoos have been especially significant in tribal communities. While traditional techniques have lost popularity in the Islamic countries, skin decorating has remained prominent. The once popular practice of permanent tattooing has shifted, in many places in the Middle East, to the practice of temporary tattooing. There is a diverse range of meaning behind tattooing in theses countries. The tattoos were used for protection, decoration and displaying sexuality. Interestingly, it appears as if there have not been many formal studies about the meanings and origins of tattoos in the Middle Eastern culture. However, I was still able to find

Tattoos are changing because more and more people are realizing that the reputations associated with tattoos are not usually true. Tattoo culture is not in any way, shape or form different from my culture. My culture is American and the tattoo culture that I chose to do is based on the American side of tattooing. Today tattoos are seen as more of a way of expressing oneself as opposed to being seen as destruction to the body. American tattoo culture is unique because it gives people a sense of individuality to express themselves. It gives the quiet people a voice and the outgoing people a way to express themselves other than speaking. Tattoos speak to people. Some tattoos mean peace, tranquility, and happiness while other tattoos may mean

The tattoo is a very old form of body modification, but in spite of that there is still a certain rejection towards those who carry them in a visible area of the body, for some it disfigures what has been created in the image and likeness of God while for others associates this with convicts or gang members mainly because they were one of the first groups to use tattoos to differentiate themselves from the rest of society. But also it is true that there is a very limited understanding about this corporal modification that could be one of the reasons why it can not be appreciated as for how it should be. However, modern society reflects the current popularity of tattooing because it has acquired an entirely artistic meaning to a social expression and a way of identity.

Without a doubt, tattoos have been around longer than that. When the Egyptians empire expanded, so did tattooing. Civilizations like Crete, Greece, Persia, and Arabia learned and developed the tattooing art. It eventually made its way to China. Greeks used tattooing as a way of communication for spies. Certain markings showed their ranks and identity. The Romans used tattoos to mark criminals and slaves which is still used today. As years passed, so did the use of tattoos. Heavily tattooed people were known as freaks and travelled with circuses or freak shows. They were not used as religion or cultural purposes as much anymore. In the late 1700s, “the cultural view of tattooing was so poor for most of the century that tattooing went underground.” (http://www.powerverbs.com/tattooyou/history.htm) Tattoos first came to Chatham Square in New York City. It was the turning point of the century in the 1900s. The popularity of tattoos were declining across the world. Husband 's started tattooing their wives to display their best work. After losing popularity in Chatham Square, it made its way to Coney Island. Tattoo shops began opening up in places around the world that would accept them or people who supported them. At this point, tattoos became known as ‘travel markers’. “You could tell where a person had been by their tattoos.”

Tattoos are a taboo throughout society in different regions of the world. The practice of body art demonstrates many aspects of religion, traditions, customs, and other things. A tattoo can mean anything to anybody. People can say all the negative things about them, but the evolution of tattoos is actually different from their expectations.

Tattoos tell a story about who a person is and what they stand for. Some people see past the true story and judge by what they see. People get judged for getting tattoos because they can “prove” a person is a delinquent. Tattoos should be accepted and not judged because they are a way for people to express themselves, show artistic freedom and creativity, and show religious views.

The stigma associated with tattoos are often viewed as deviant and frowned upon by people with long held religious beliefs. “Persons who have tattoos remain stigmatized as deviant people, and commonly are stereotyped as having poor decision-making skills, rarely attending church, easily swayed by peer-pressure, having had unhappy childhoods,