Professor Schulman
Sociology 103
Dec 2, 2015 TATTOO
Tattoo is a form of art used for self-expression and for aesthetic appeal. Before only those who served in the military had them, then individuals with questionable reputations like prisoners, gang members got them and now nearly every other young individual has one. According to the study, 40% of adults aged between 18-25 have at least one tattoo now. Tattoos were once associated with gangs and criminals who wanted to categorize themselves but now it is gotten in memory or to honor someone, showcase artistic creativity, to beautify one's body, to have a constant reminder of something or someone important to them, a symbol with sentimental meaning or to stand out in the …show more content…
The word tattoo is originated from two different words. The first part of the word that is “ta” is a Polynesian word which means to hit/ smack something and the “tattoo” is derived from the Tahitian word “tatau” which means to mark or spot a little. Though no one exactly knows when and how the first tattoo exactly originated but it is believed the earliest record of tattoo was found in 1991 on the frozen remains of the Copper Age "Iceman" scientists have named Ötzi. His lower back, ankles, knees, and a foot were marked with a series of small lines, made by rubbing powdered charcoal into vertical cuts. As the years passed by other cultures such as the Celtic and Germanic with tattoos got them that were war inspired or traditional with pricking the skin to insert the dyes. Tattoos hold different …show more content…
In mainstream society today, there is a stigma attached to having tattoos. One with tattoos, or “bodily signs,” is referred to as a “deviator”. In the book, “Stigma: Notes on the Management of a Spoiled Identity”, Erving Goffman defines tattoo individual as an “individual member who does not adhere to the norms” (Goffman 141) and they are perceived as “failing to use available opportunity for advancement in the various approved runways of society” (Goffman 144). Tattoo recipients have been looked at by many people in society as socially deviant because they are going against the norms by cosmetically adding to their natural body. Tattooing, according to this book, is seen as negative behavior and is done by