Tattoos... In my own skin.

Today, I wrote on my Sociology class's discussion board regarding tattoos. In writing my post, I realized that my tattoos at one point were just my way of sticking my middle finger to the people who terrorized me as a child and never wanting to be like them in any way, eventually helped me become someone I am quite proud of and I thought I'd share my post with the world. 

This topic is a personal one for me. I have a number of visible tattoos which often stir up a reaction mostly good, but frankly, the controversy and judgement I experience is uncalled for. That to me is the biggest consequence of visible and large tattoos. People sometimes judge those who wear them assuming them to be trouble makers and drug users, then outcast them just because of a lack of understanding and perhaps fear. Another issue that happens to those of us is that because of the lack of acceptance we are forced to hide ourselves under long sleeves and make up so we can get jobs like everyone else. I have personally experienced a situation where I worked in a typical office setting as a personal assistant and had covered my tattoos to be "professional." One day I ran into a co-worker outside of work and they commented on my tattoos. When I got back to work I was immediately treated differently by people at my work and a girl came up to me and said she overheard I had tons of tattoos.  My boss who happened to be friends with the person I saw, started talking down to me and made my job difficult and eventually the treatment made me quit and find new employment. From that moment on I decided I would never cover up my tattoos again, I always show them at the first interview and have had a very successful career. But, I truthfully don't go for jobs in stuffy, drab offices. I try to work for people who are more lively and companies who are open minded and forward thinking. I'm sure my experiences would be different had I interviewed for conservative companies.

As far as the theoretical perspectives, all of which I find interesting, Symbolic Interactionism explains that tattoos have brought people together in some ways. Those of us who have tattoos often find an immediate bond. People see tattoos as something that makes them different and stand out, that difference bonds those of us to feel the same way. The tattoos are a symbol of our stance on not fitting into a preset expectation, an artistic expression, or just to fit in with those who accept you or you want to be accepted by.  I am often talked to about my tattoos by younger people who want tattoos in the future or have just a few and feel connected to someone like me because I have them. Tattoos are seen as a way to be an individual and has been popularized by performing artists, Hollywood, and the need to be apart of something. As much as we try to be different than one another, we are also trying to find similarities and ties that bond us together.  

Functionalism tells the tale of how who gets tattoos has changed and impacted the way we view tattoos. In the last 20 years, we have become much more accepting of tattoos, it wasn't that long ago that only sailors, motorcycle club members, and criminals where the typical customer at a tattoo parlor. The occurrence of everyday people getting tattoos is very common these days, which has helped breakdown the stereotype that only bad people have them. It has become more of a norm in our society and although some people still have an issue with them for personal or religious reasons, its becoming fewer and few that feel the people who have tattoos are inherently bad. Its also opened the door to those people who don’t want to be seen in a negative light to express themselves in this way.  Which has changed what our society views as bad and unacceptable and one or two small tattoos does not cause alarm anymore.

Conflict Theory shows how prejudice and the line drawn by it have created a stand between personal expression and conservative standard. Each side has explicitly shown how they feel on the matter. The issue with not being able to walk into corporate America and get a job without covering up and the prejudice people feel seeing tattoos has separated those with tattoos from those who don’t challenged the preset standard. On the other side of the coin, the spot light put on people with tattoos has actually made having tattoos something people crave being a part of. The more that people who unexpectedly get a small tattoo offers a bridge between those who have large visible tattoos and those who have none. This has allowed for the rise of those with tattoos to be in more powerful and better paying positions and hire more people due to merit and education rather than prejudice.  

There is a vast array of reason why people get tattooed. I can only speak for myself as to what my tattoos mean to me. I have always been someone who expressed myself differently, I wore non popular clothes, dyed my hair, and eventually realized that I was “different” than everyone else. I did not feel like a freak or a weirdo when I thought of myself, I originally assumed everyone wanted the same unique stamp on their lives. After being teased relentlessly as a child, I grew to be a bit hardened by the confusion why people didn’t like me. I realized that I was not a typical person that I was not “normal” and accepted being an outcast. Other outcasts came into my life; many of those people had tattoos. Some were not good people and perpetuated the stereotype. But, there were also many great people like myself who harmed no one and were just rejected by society’s conventions. I chose to get tattooed first because I loved the artistic expression they offered. The idea that at just a glance I stood out next to people who didn’t have tattoos, oddly enough it was not about attention as much as a message I wanted people to see. I felt was like I was a walking canvas, one that would not only represent the tattoo artist but, the message that other freaks are not alone! An added bonus was the reaction that visible tattoos got from people I wanted nothing to do with. It made it easy to protecting myself from the people who made me so sad for so long. Which also inspired me to get my elbows tattooed; I could never sell out and blend in. Instead, I became an ambassador of sorts, making it part of my life’s journey to change the view people have of tattooed people. I am sophisticated, strong, beautiful, and am driven by my values of being a good person. Those are not the opinions some people might think of when they see me. But, my goal is that will be all they see once they get to know me. 

Tattoos mean many things to many people, societies, and times in history. They have been a symbol of pride, membership, coming of age, tradition, family ties… The list of meanings is really endless. Tattoos are not only have social meaning but a personal meaning also. Even if your family’s or societies traditions or customs are to be tattooed in some way, it is still a personal choice of pride for whoever is branded with that symbol or to join into that ritual/ceremony to be a part of that group. The meaning has changed over time, I think that tattoos were first there to tell one person from another and one family from another. Today, tattoos are symbolic of so much more…A moment never wanted to be forgotten, love or devotion, memorializing a love one, or just a onetime penny sized symbol of your inner rebel wanting to come out. Today tattoos are used in more and more conventional ways and worn by more and more conventional people.