Tattoo Culture

Tattoo Culture

With the general understanding of culture that we were taught and showed by examples from the lecturers. We had to research on a culture that is or has been there for long time and has become what we can call, mainstream. My choice of culture for this tasks was tattoos. Reasons as to why I had chosen this culture will be shown in the research and information I had found.

TATTOOS

Tattoos had started a while back with its simple definition as a change made by having ink into the skin of human being which are permanent.

These markings started a while ago with the traditional people called the Ainu from Japan. These people had similarities with the people from Australasians who had made these markings on their face calling them facial tattoos. These facial tattoos had also spread later on as years passed by to other countries and continents around the world. These markings signified different meanings in their culture to symbolize something without having to be verbally told what it would mean. Such an example would be the image below. 

Fig. 1

With reference to (Wikipedia,2013), "Tattooing among females of the Katia people of Papua New Guinea traditionally began at age five and was added to each year, with the V-shaped tattoo on the chest indicating that she had reached marriageable age, 1912."  With understanding, could see that the V itself would give out a special meaning to people to indicate something. Hence tattoos back then were used to symbolize an idea or meaning with the people around. Others would just showcase the design of something in this example below:

Fig. 2

Tattoos In Line With Piercing

Piercings are normal all through the planet and are seen on mummies no less than 5,000 years of age. 

Ear piercing is maybe the most well-known, seen on each mainland and worn by both men and ladies. Lip piercings are likewise widespread. Nonetheless, the Dagon tribe Of Mali, and the Nubba of Ethiopia were the main ones that utilized rings. This had religious imagery of the planet's creation. 

Piercing of the tongue was seen in the Americas. Attracting blood along these lines was thought to help in correspondence with the divine beings. The nose has been pierced for over 4,000 years. To start with in the Middle East and afterward in India. It was generally seen in ladies. In the Middle East it symbolized the abundance of the crew. In India it helped cut the agony of labour. In the 1960s, nose puncturing came to be mainstream with hipsters. 

Septum piercing has likewise been around for many years and was generally utilized as a part of warrior societies to give the face a furious look. Navel puncturing is just seen in cutting edge history, beginning in the twentieth century after the concoction of the swimsuit. The root of areola puncturing is unverifiable yet it is realized that areola rings were sold in Persian stores in the nineteenth century.

In reference to (Levins, 2013), the culture of the tattoos from back then to nowadays has really evolved. Tattoos have become more of a necessity with the use that they people want to have them for. Some of these examples are shown below:

·         Memories - some people get tattoos to remember memories that they shared or had earlier in their life’s like names of lost ones etc.

·         Art - artists who normally get these are those that appreciate the art of the ink being placed on a body. They are inform of different designs that showcase what they are interested in.

·         Fashion - because everyone else out there is getting one, it’s become a trend in a way for people to get tattoos nowadays so that they 'fit in' with the people out there.

·         Depression - people who are depressed normally tend to get tattoos so that they relieve their stress over getting the ink machine pierce them 1000 times in a second. That pain they feel is what helps them relieve their depression and the thought of wanting a new tattoo over that is one way they are willing to do anything for that.

·         Social/Peer pressure - this goes in line with the depression and the fashion reason to get a tattoo. If one is surrounded with people who tend to have tattoos from time to time, one is to get the pressure to 'fit in' and also get a tattoo so that they look/seem 'cool' in their group friends. These normally tend to also have regrets later in life and seeing no reason to why they had got their tattoos earlier.

In one article this was stated about the people that get tattoos

"Other trends have emerged. Most people do not get just one. In the military, a person’s name is the most common. Men get their first tattoo earlier than women. Tattooed women are seen as less attractive but more promiscuous. In a whimsical French experiment, women with temporary tattoos on their lower back — often mocked as the “tramp stamp” — were dispatched to a beach where they read a book while lying on their fronts. Results suggested men found them no more or less attractive, but approached them more often and more quickly, while estimating their chances of sex on the first date to be higher, based on the tattoo."(Brean, 2013)

Seeing that would show that certain people, mostly women would get tattoos and then see no importance and also the tattoos would portray a certain type of moral and the way that they behave or get judged by the type of tattoo they have, location of the tattoo etc.

Fig. 3

In the image above, we see the 'lower back' tattoos which have been a trend for women, girls, and ladies out there. This trend has brought different cultures to be misunderstood. Some think that this type of tattoo is related or as the article stated, tramp stamp and show no morals from the female that has it. (Bogart, 2013).

Fig. 4

The above image shows skulls and what is called, a 'half sleeve' tattoo which normally below or up to the elbow. With such a tattoo, one would be judged that he is of evil actions, not religious etc. But for him, it may mean something towards that. 

So with these tattoos out there, it brings about misunderstandings because what one will think is okay and fine to get but when they people out there see it, it will be judgmental and this has been a 'problem' for certain people to adjust to the whole tattoo thing.

Religion on the Tattoo

Most religions are reluctant or do not the people out there to have tattoos. Mostly because this is called to be a 'sin. This is because we were blessed with clean bodies that God gave us and we are 'damaging' it by putting all this ink and piercing to it that not even he had. So the image we portray by having a tattoo is viewed differently in certain religions. Some, like Muslims are totally not keen to having tattoos. For this, the use, what is called henna which is also used by Indians and others to present this imprint for certain occasions e.g., weddings where the groom will have to find his name in a henna tattoo.

With reference to (Fairchild, 2013), the contradiction of tattoos and religions also continues from a verse from the Bible from the book of Leviticus 19:28, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord."

With such a clear statement, one may still go to the tattoo shop and still get inked regardless of such a bold statement. Different people do different things and you may wonder as to why one would still get tattoos.

But if you are considering the question, "To tattoo or not to?" I think the more serious questions to ask yourself are: What are my motives for wanting a tattoo? Am I seeking to glorify God or draw attention to myself? Will my tattoo be a source of contention for my loved ones? Will getting a tattoo cause me to disobey my parents? Will my tattoo cause someone who is weak in the faith to stumble?

Affecting Culture of Today

In reference to an article, ((Www.Dw.De), 2013), this is the information found about the trending culture of tattoos:

'In Western society, tattoos have never been more popular. In fact, social researchers say that Generation Y – that includes people that have been born from the mid-1980s until the 2000s - are the first generation in which tattoos have become mainstream. One US survey found that 40 percent of people in this age group had a tattoo. The situation in Germany is quite similar. Part of the trend may well be explained by the mainstream presence of many tattooed celebrities, like Johnny Depp, Pink, Rihanna and David Beckham. But, people involved in the tattoo industry say there is more to it.'

With that understanding, we could see that the mainstream of these tattoos have affected the influences of people around the world. The people that us youths look up to as 'role models' or 'idols' have caused an influence to the people out there to get tattoos seeing that, they have one, and it would be also okay for us to get one. These reasons are now probably the cause of the tattoo being more mainstream nowadays just because everyone got one, it is keen to be with 'them' and also get one. Popular idols have given us an image to follow by what they do, and that would be what they do to their body. Hence them being trendsetter to a new beginning which we were 'blind' to because back then, no one 'cool' was getting them. 

Tattoos in Fashion

It is clearly seen that tattoos have become a trend and is so mainstream with the fashion world growing. With people getting hot tattoos and wanting to show them, the fashion industry has gone to a level with incorporating this new trend with their fashion designs.

Here we see a trial fashion design that is designed by famous sports brand Nike. Nike made this design through the art of tribal tattoos which have become a trend around people. So clearly has helped boost their age of people to go into their stores and get something they like. Hence them using what’s mainstream to make good business for their company. (Brean, 2013)

Tattoos have also hindered us people out there to get inked with our favourite fashion label designs e.g., Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Lacoste etc. Why because we feel like we can and we like it? These are some of the reasons one would give when asked 'Why did you get this tattoo'. The fashion industry has caused the tattoo industry to raise because, the more the people are attracted to something and wanting it to be a way of life, getting a tattoo of it will be one to make it a permanent statement. The main purpose of it.

Tattoos being a 'label' itself made on one’s body. This has made getting a tattoo a new fashion because it makes everyone want to have someone on them like everyone else. Hence the same way we love to buy the coolest of fashionable labels, the same way people would get into the tattoo pa-lour and get a tattoo and walk out with the same happy face as the fashion label shopper because the accomplishment of getting something new and hippy is defined. (Brean, 2013)

With all the understanding given, clear to see that the tattoo culture has given different visual communication that we see around. The way it was back then and the way it is now is very different and the time of development by the use of tattoos has hindered that too. Tribal markings, soldier markings were used then for a strong purpose, but now we have the people running for their money finishing off angel wings on their backs which to them may show their 'holy side' or because they want to feel their back with something 'cool'. Tattoos, the new fashion and design on our bodies.