Tattoos: The Road to Acceptance in Western Society The Road to Acceptance in Western Society An...
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Tattoos: The Road to Acceptance in Western Society An exploration of gender, misconceptions, and workplace acceptance Savannah Ramion Indiana State University Honors Thesis
Transcript of Tattoos: The Road to Acceptance in Western Society The Road to Acceptance in Western Society An...
Tattoos:TheRoadtoAcceptanceinWesternSocietyAnexplorationofgender,misconceptions,andworkplaceacceptanceSavannahRamionIndianaStateUniversityHonorsThesis
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Abstract
ThefollowingthesisistogainabetterunderstandingoftattooacceptanceinWestern
societybylookingatgenderintattoos,themisconceptionsandstereotypesthatsurroundthe
tattooingculture,aswellastheacceptanceoftattoosintheworkplaceandhowtattooed
peoplefeelabouttheirtattooafterreceivingone.TattooinginmodernWesternculture
appearedwithinmeninthearmedforces,particularlythenavy.Theanalysisofscholarlyessays
andjournalsviewedwithinthisthesisprovidemultipleexplanationsonacceptanceoftattoos
today.Gender,overall,isnotalargefactorwhenlookingattattooacceptance.Themainpoints
thatgenderbringupisthattattooedwomenareviewedmorenegativelythantattooedmen;
feminineandmasculinedesignedtattoosalsohaveaneffectonhowtattooedpeopleare
viewed:feminineormasculinetattooswilladdthecharacteristictothetattooedperson.Not
onlydothedesignsoftattooshaveaneffectonpeople,misconceptionsandstereotypesof
tattoosisalargereasonwhytattoosarenotbeingacceptedtoday.Itisstillbelievedthat
tattooedpeoplearerisktakers,promiscuous,heavydrinkers,andpartakeintheuseofillegal
drugs.Throughstudiesithasbeenfoundthattattooedpeopleandnon-tattooedpeoplearenot
muchdifferentthanhasbeenpreviouslyrecorded.Thefinalpointiswhenlookingattattoosin
theworkplace.Currentlyvisibletattoosarerarelywidelyacceptedwithintheworkplacedueto
thenegativeconnotationthatpeoplehavewithtattoos.
Keywords:tattoo,genderandtattoos,misconceptionsandstereotypesoftattoos,tattoo
acceptance,tattoosintheworkplace
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BackgroundInformation
Bodymodificationcomesinmultipleforms:piercings,scarification,andtattoos.All
processesaredifferent,bothinpracticeandculture.Culturalbodymodificationshavebeen
aroundforcenturiesandhavemadetheirwaytothemodernWesternculturewithinthepast
100years.Bodymodifications,specificallytattoos,havemadeanimpactonWesternsocietyin
variousways.TattoosspecificallyhavebeenscornedinWesternsocietybasedondifferent
standardsofreligionandmorals.ThescorningoftattoosinmodernWesterncultureisnot
uncommonandanypersonwhohasatattoowillbequestionedbythosewhodisagreewiththe
ideaofbodymodifications,specificallythosewhodisagreewithtattoos.
Tattoos,beingaroundforcenturies,canbefascinatingforpeoplewhereitisnotan
everydayaspectoflife.Archaeologistshavefoundthattattooinghasbeenfoundonmummies
datingbackto3000BConEgyptians(Williams,2014).Tattooedmummieshavebeenfound
acrosstheglobe,showingthattheideaoftattooingisnotsecludedtoonetypeofcultureina
specificpartoftheworld.Afewcountrieswheretattooshavebeenfoundarethefollowing:
India,China,Japan,Egypt,andIndonesia(Perzanowski,2013).Notallofthesetattoosare
permanent;Indiahastwodifferenttypesoftattooingprocesses:henna,anon-permanentform
oftattooingwithitsownreasonofpracticebehindit,andapermanentformoftattooing.
Thoughhennaisnowacommonformoftattooingbecauseitisnotpermanenttherearemore
cultures,inthepastandnow,willgowiththepermanentformoftattooingratherthanthe
non-permanentform.
Thereasonsthatpeoplegettattoosvary;innon-modernWesternculturestattoosare
importantinones’identity.InEgypttattooswerecommonlyfoundonwomen,usuallyshowing
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theirsocialstatus,oronpeoplewhowerebeingpunished.Beingtattooedasapunishmentis
notuncommon;inJapanmenweretattooed,asapunishment,forcommittingacrimeandis
nowcommonamongpeopleintheJapanesemafia.Otherculturesaretattooedforreligious
purposes,toshowsurvivalofwar,andtoshowsocialstatussuchasslavery.
Tattoos,today,arefoundonmanypeopleforvariousreasonsliketheywereinthepast.
Peoplewillgettattoosbecausethetattoomeanssomethingtothem,itisartisticallyappealing,
todecoratetheirbodywithsomethingpermanent,andmanymore.Withtheideaofgetting
something,suchasatattoo,permanentlyplacedonones'bodydoesnotcomewithoutitshate
inWesternsociety.Peoplewithtattoosarejudgedbyothersbecauseapersonhasatattooor
becauseofacertaintattoothattheyhave.Judgementcomesintheformofquestions,
comments,andbodylanguage.Judgementdoesnotsimplystopatwhetherornotapersonhas
atattoo;judgementgoesmuchdeeperthanthat.
Asapersonwhohastattoositisbettertounderstandthetypesofjudgementthat
comesfromthosewhodonothavetattoos.Peoplewithtattooswillfacejudgementfrom
peoplewithtattoosaswell;questionsgenerallyaskedarewhysomeonegotatattoo,what
doesthetattoomean,whydidsomeonegetthetattooinaplacevisibletoothers,andmore.
Judgementdoesnotstopataskingquestions;judgementallcomesinformsofvariouspassing
commentssuchashowatattooedpersonwillregrettheirtattoointhefuture,atattooed
personwillnotbeabletogetajobwiththeirtattoos,atattooedpersonwastedtheirmoneyon
atattoo,and,again,more.Withjudgementoftattooscomesacceptanceoftattoos,even
acceptancefromthosewhodonothaveatattoo.TodaytattoosarecommonamongWestern
societyasadecorationonones'body;itisunderstoodthatthetattooispermanentand
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removalofthetattoowillbedifficult.Whilepeoplewillregrettattoostheyreceivedearlyonin
life,adultswillbetattooedwellintotheir50'sandnotregretgettingtattooed.Regardlessof
regretornotforatattoo,judgementwillnotstopfrompasserby’swhosimplygetaglimpseof
avisibletattoo.
Eventhoughsomepeoplewillregretthetattoothattheygotwhentheywereyoung
thereisstilltheproblemwithtattooedpeople:othersarenotwillingtoaccepttattoos.Tattoos
intheUnitedStatesofAmericastartedwithmeninthemilitary,mainlythosewhowereinthe
Navy.Nowpeopleofallagesaregettingtattooed;thelegalagetogettattooedwithout
parentalorguardianconsentintheUnitedStatesofAmericais18-year-old.Beingtattooed
takesmoney,patience,andanartist.Acceptanceoftattoosinvolvestwomainvariables:
religionandmorals.Anyonewithtattooshasreceivedcriticismfromsomeonewhobelieves
thattattoosarenotmoralandarebreakingrulesoftheirreligion.InTheBible,Leviticus19:18
states"Donotcutyourbodiesforthedeadorputtattoomarksonyourselves.IamtheLord."
ThisbibleverseisonethatcausesproblemswithintheChristiancommunitywhentalkingto
thosewithtattoos.PeoplewhotakeTheBibleforfacevaluewilltellsomeonewithtattoothat
whattheyhaveisasinagainstGod.Tattoosarestillbeingscrutinizedbypeoplewhohave
strongbeliefsagainstthemsuchasChristian'swhobelievethattattoosaresins.
ResearchQuestions
ThoughtattoosarecommonlyfoundwithintheUnitedStatesofAmericaandWestern
society,acceptanceoftattoosonpeopleisquestionable.ThereforeIproposetolookinto
acceptanceoftattooswithinWesternsocietytoseeifithasbeenevolvingforbetterorworse.
Variousquestionsmustbeaskedinordertoanswertheargument.Onepointtonoteontattoo
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acceptanceareviewspeoplehaveonthemwhenthetattoosareonpeopleofadifferent
gender.Genderhasadistinctimpressiononpeople:stereotypicallywomenaredaintyand
fragilewhilemenarestrongandaggressive.Genderisacommonthemeamongjudgement;
lookingintothedifferentgendersoftattooedpeoplewillhelpexpandonacceptanceoftattoos:
isitmoreacceptedofmentogettattoosorwomen?Thisdistinctionwillbemystartingpoint
fortheacceptanceoftattoos.
Asecondpointthatisworthnotingarewhatthemisconceptionsandstereotypesof
tattoosandhowtheyaffectpeoplewhohavetattoos.Therearemanymisconceptionsofthe
processofgettingtattoosaswellasstereotypesputonpeoplewhohavetattoos.These
misconceptionsandstereotypesareahindertotattooartistsandthosewithtattoos.By
exploringthemisconceptionsandstereotypesoftattoosIwillbeabletoexpandonthe
hypocrisyandjudgementthatarereceivedbytattooedpeople.WiththisexplorationIwillbe
abletostateastowhetherornotacceptanceisgrowingforthosewithtattoos.
ThefinalpointthatIwillexploreisiftattoosaremoreacceptedtodaythantheyhave
beeninthepast.Withthechangingtimespeoplearebecomingmoreliberalandviewingtopics
differently.NowthattattoosarebecomingmorecommoninWesternsocietypeopleareforced
tothinkabouttattoosmore.Withtheideaofbeingforcedtothinkabouttattoosmorethanthe
pastitwillbebeneficialtolookatthepastandcompareittotoday.IanticipatethatIwillrun
intoproblemswithtoday'sjudgementontattoossuchastattoosintheworkplaceandtattoos
withincertainagegroupswillbeahelpingfactortodeterminewhetherornottattoosarebeing
acceptedmorethantheyhavebeeninthepast.
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Tattooshavebeenaroundforcenturiesandwereoriginallyusedforculturalreasons.
Foundonmummies,ithasbeennotedthattattoosdatebacktotheancientEgyptians.Noting
thepastandculturalaspectsoftattoosthenmovesforwardtowhypeopleinWesternsocieties
aretattooedtoday.BodymodificationispopularamongthoseinWesternsocietieswhowishto
decoratetheirbodiespermanently.Peoplewithtattoosrunintopeoplewhojudgethemfor
theirtattoosbasedonreligionandmorals.Havinganunderstandingofjudgementontattooed
peoplebyhavingtattoosmyselfisthereasonfortheexplorationoftattooevolution.Themain
pointofexplorationfortheevolutionoftattooacceptanceinWesternsocietywillbethrough
thereadinganddecipheringofjournals,articles,andbooksthathavebeenpublishedwithinthe
past30years.Itisimportanttofindrecentarticlesratherthanarticleswrittenmorethan30
yearsagobecausethemainfocuswillbeontoday'sacceptanceoftattoos.Ifdatabeingfound
thatwascollectedpasttheyear1980willbefutileinthepurposeofcurrenttattooacceptance.
Introductorysection
Thehistoryoftattooingshowsthattattoosexistfordifferentreasons:humiliation,
punishment,anddecorationofthebody.Theprocessoftattooinghasexistedforovertwo
thousandyears;scholarsbelievethattattooingstartedwiththeEgyptians.Notonlywere
mummifiedEgyptiansfoundwithtattoos,otherlatercultureswerealsodiscoveredtohave
tattoossuchasVikings,Romans,Britons,Japanese,andPacificIslanderswerealsoknownand
foundtohavetattoos(Williams,2014).Withtheknowledgethattattooinghasbeenpracticed
throughouthistory,tattoos,today,arestraddlingthelineofacceptance.Acceptanceoftattoos
hasbeenheavilyarguedamongstscholarsandhasbeentestedbypsychologists.Notablepoints
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fromvariousarticlesspeakoftattoosonmalesandfemales,misconceptionsandstereotypes
againstpeoplewhoaretattooed,aswellaswhetherornottattoosarebeingacceptedtoday.
Variousquestionshavebeenansweredthroughtestsbyscholarswithinthepastfifteen
years.Genderisaheavilystudiedsubjectwithtattooedpeople;malesandfemalesareviewed
differentlydependingonwhattypeoftattoosthepersonhasaswellasplacementofthe
tattoos.Beyondgender,tattoosarevieweddifferentlyonpeopleofvariousprofessionssuchas
surgeons,mechanics,andsalespeople.Notonlyaretattooedworkersjudgedfortheirtattoos,
theyalsohavefalsestereotypesforceduponthembypeoplewhoviewtattoosnegatively.The
stereotypesandmisconceptionsoftattooedpeopleweighsheavilyontattooedpeopleandhas
beenlookedatandtestedindepth.Themainstereotypeofatattooedpersonisthattheyare
recklessandimpulsivewhencomparedtonon-tattooedpeople.Evenwiththestereotypesand
misconceptionsoftattooedpeople,judgementofworkerswithtattoos,andthedifferences
betweendifferentgenderedtattooedpeopleitisimportanttoknowwhetherornottattoosare
beingacceptedwithinWesternculture.Tattooshavebeenpracticedindifferentcultures;
Westernershaveadoptedandadaptedtattooingwithtechnique,practice,andreasonsfor
gettingtattoos.
ResearchAnalysis
TattoosandGenders
Genderplaysalargeroleintattooacceptanceandmarginalizationmorethanpeople,
bothtattooedandnon-tattooed,realize.Variousobjectsandsubjectsinlifeareconsideredto
bemasculineandfemininebasedonstereotypesthatmalesandfemaleshave;stereotypeson
malesarethattheyarestrong,theheadofhousehold,logical,andlesssensitivetoother’s
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feelingswhereasfemalestereotypesarethatfemalesaredelicate,dependent,emotional,and
easilyinfluencedbythosearoundthem.Thesestereotypesformalesandfemalestransferover
totattooedindividualsbasedontheirgender.
Astudydonein2012basedontherolesofgendernormsandtattooswasdoneinorder
toshowthedifferencebetweentattooedmalesandfemalesinaworkplace.Itwas
hypothesizedthatmalesalespeoplewithmasculinetattooswouldbeconsideredmore
masculinethanmaleswithfemininetattoosandthatfemalesalespeoplewithmasculine
tattooswouldbeconsideredmoremasculinethanfemaleswithfemininetattoos(Arndt&
Glassman,2012).Duringthestudypeoplewereaskedtogroupupdifferenttattoodesignsinto
feminineandmasculine.Tattoodesignsthatwereconsideredfeminineinthestudyaresuns,
dolphins,andcolorfultattoosandweredescribedascute,modern,andhappy.Tattoodesigns
thatwereconsideredmasculinewereblackCelticdesigns,barbedwire,andsnakes.The
masculinedesignsweredescribedasaggressive,tribal,andbad(Arndt&Glassman,2012).The
studyconductedalsohypothesizedthatmalesalespeoplewithmasculinetattoosandfemale
salespeoplewithfemininetattooswouldbewell-receivedthanmalesalespeoplewithfeminine
tattoosandfemalesalespeoplewithmasculinetattoos.Bothhypotheseswerefoundtobetrue
(Arndt&Glassman,2012);thedifferentdesignsoftattoosfoundontattooedsalespeoplemake
adifferencetohowtattooedandnon-tattooedpeopleperceivethem.Tattooedsalespeople
arenotviewedasnegativelybytattooedpeopleversusnon-tattooedpeopleandfeminine
tattoosareseentobepositivewhencomparedtomasculinetattoos(Arndt&Glassman,2012).
Notonlyarefemininetattoosviewedmorepositivelyincomparisontomasculine
tattoos,buttattoosdesignsarecenteredaroundatraditionalviewonfemininitywith
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butterflies,birds,andothersoftorpersonalobjects(Dickson,Dukes,Smith,&Strapko2015).
Withfemalesobtainingtattoosthatareconsideredtraditionallyfemininefemalesareheavily
judgedfortheirtattoosregardlessofstyleordesign.Tattoosarealreadyviewednegativelyby
groupsduetotheideathatpunksgroups,rebels,anddeviantswerethetypeofpeopleto
receivetattoosinthepast(Swami&Furnham,2007).AstudyperformedbySwamiand
Furnhamin2007investigateswhotattooedwomenareratedincomparisontonon-tattooed
women.Itwashypothesizedthattattooedwomenwouldberatedtobelessattractive,more
sexuallypromiscuous,andconsumelargeramountsofalcoholwhencomparedtowomenwho
arenottattooed.Theparticipantswere160undergraduatestudentswhowereshown8
differentimagesofdrawn,tattooedandnon-tattooedwomen(Swami&Furnham,2007).
Theresultsofthisstudyshowthatparticipantsviewedtattooedwomennegativelyin
comparisontonon-tattooedwomen.Tattooedwomenwereperceivedaslessphysically
attractive,sexuallypromiscuous,andmorelikelytoconsumelargeramountsofalcoholwhen
comparedtonon-tattooedwomen(Swami&Furnham,2007).Thisstudydepictsthe
marginalizationthattattooedwomenfaceinsociety;tattoosareassociatednegativelyin
Westernculturewiththethoughtthattattooedpeoplearemorelikelytopartakeinrebellious
behavior,haveahighusageofdrugsandalcohol,aswellasmakeimpulsivedecisions(Swami,
Tran,Kuhlmann,Gaughan,&Voracek,2016).
Athirdpointtobringuponthetopicofgendersandtattoosisthereasonforgetting
tattoos.TattooshopownerJustinaKervelnotedthatmenwillgettattoostochangehow
societyviewsthemwhereaswomengettattoosinordertochangethewaytheyview
themselves(Keinlen,2005).TeresaJohnson,anothertattooshopownerstates“’Alotof
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womendoitasatypeofreclaimingtheirbodiesandmarkingofcertainincidents,’”(Keinlen,
2005,p.25).Anothertrendforwomenwithtattoosisthattheyarenotafraidtogetlarger
tattoosversusasmall,daintytattoothatisexpectedofwomenyetwomenstillattempttohide
theirtattoos.Notonlyaresizedifferentforwomen,placementisalsoasizewhenlookingat
genders.Malestendtogettattoosontheirarmsorothervisibleplaceswhereaswomenget
tattoosontheirtorso,back,orhips(Keinlen,2005).
Regardlessofgendertattooedpeoplearejudgedsimplybecausetheyhavetattoos.
Gender,though,playsanimportantroleintattooacceptance.Ithasbeenseenthattattooscan
beconsideredmasculineorfemininedependingonthedesign;thedesignofatattoocanaffect
howatattooedpersonisviewed.Maleswithfemininetattoosareviewedtobemorefeminine
andfemaleswithmasculinetattoosareviewedtobemoremasculine.Thistypeofthinkingis
hinderingtheacceptanceoftattoosasisthejudgementofvisibletattoosonfemales,thesize
oftattoosonpeople,andthewaytattooedwomenareperceived.Gender,though,isnotthe
onlywaytattooedpeoplearediscriminatedagainst;thedifferentmisconceptionsand
stereotypesoftattoosarealsohinderingtattooacceptance.
MisconceptionsandStereotypes
Thewaythattattooshavebeenviewedinthepast80yearsarehinderingthe
acceptanceoftattoosinsocietytoday.Misconceptionsandstereotypesoftattooshaveexisted
sincetheirintroductionintoWesternculture.Understandingthemisconceptionsand
stereotypesthatsurroundtattooswillfurtherexplaintheiracceptance.Tattoostereotypes
havebeenconsistentthroughouttheirhistoryinWesternsociety;throughvariousstudies
tattoostereotypeshavebeenconfirmedandinvestigatedinordertoputanendtothem.
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Mostinformationrevolvingaroundtattoostereotypesreportthattattooedpeople
partakeinriskybehaviorsandriskydecision-making(Neluis,Armstrong,Young,Roberts,Hogan,
&Rinard,2014).Theriskybehaviorassociatedwithtattoosishighamongsttattooed
adolescents;tattooedadolescentsareassociatedwithhighdrugandalcoholuse,riskysexual
activities,aswellasillegalorviolentbehavior(Swamietal.,2016).Notonlyaretattooed
adolescentsassociatedwithillegalandriskyactivities,collegestudentsarealsoassociatedwith
thosebehaviorsaswellaspossiblehistoryofcriminalarrest(Swamietal.,2016).Thisparticular
studywastoinvestigatewhetherornottattooedindividualsweremoreimpulsiveorwillingto
takemorerisksincomparisontonon-tattooedindividuals;thisstudyhypothesizedthat
tattooedindividualswouldtakemorerisksthannon-tattooedindividualsandthatthetattooed
individualswouldbecomemorepronetoboredomandahigherlevelofimpulsiveness(Swami
etal.,2016).Theresultsofthestudyshowthattattooedadultswereslightlymorelikelytotake
risksinsomevariablessuchasethical,financial,healthandsafety,recreational,andsocialrisks.
Notonlythat,tattooedpeoplewerefoundtohavegreatermotorimpulsivity;asawholeitwas
foundthatthereisnotalargedifferencebetweentattooedandnon-tattooedadultslikeitwas
previouslythought(Swamietal.,2016).
Morestereotypesfoundwithtattooedpeoplearebasedoffoftattooedteenagers.
Tattooedteenagersfindtattoosasawaytoexpressthemselveswhileadultshavefoundtattoos
asignofdeviantbehavior(Blair,2007).Astudyfoundthattattooswerelinkedwithteenagers
whohadeatingdisorders,practicedunsafesex,violence,suicide,andhadalowself-esteemas
wellasschoolfailure(Blair,2007).Adifferentstudyfoundthattattooedteenagersreported
havinggradesintheAandBrangestatingthatgradesandtattooshadnothingtodowitheach
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other.Itisbelievedthatthereisastigmaonteenagerswithtattoosbecauseofthequick,short-
termdecisionmakingthatteenagersareknownformaking(Blair,2007).Collegestudentsare
alsojudgedfortheirtattoos;collegestudentsfindtattoosmorepositivethantheirolder
counterpartsandarenotconcernedtobeconsideredarisktakerforhavingtattoos(Dicksonet
al.,2015).Moststudiesfocusonthenegativeviewonbodyart,theirpermanence,health
concerns,anddisapprovalbyfamilyandpeers(Dicksonetal.,2015).
Astudydonein2009showedresearchersthatpeoplewithandwithouttattoosare
vieweddifferently.Becauseofthatstudy,itwashypothesizedbyArndtandGlassmanthat
peoplewithtattooswouldacceptotherswithtattoosmorethanthosewithouttattoos(2012).
Thestudyconcludedthattattooedparticipantstrustedtattooedpeoplemorethanparticipants
withouttattoos;notonlydotattooedpeopletrustothertattooedpeoplemorethannon-
tattooedpeople,tattooedpeoplearealsomorewillingtoworkwithtattooedpeoplethannon-
tattooedpeopleare(Arndt&Glassman,2012).Thereasoningforthisisbecausenon-tattooed
peoplemakeaquick,stereotypicaljudgementbasedonbeingin,orout,ofaspecificgroupof
people,inthiscasetattooedpeopleandnon-tattooedpeople(Arndt&Glassman,2012).A
harshjudgementmadeonpeoplewithtattooscanbealongthelinesof,“’You’reanicegirl.It’s
toobadthatyouhavesomanytattoos,’”(Keinlen,2005,pg.25).Itisoftenthatnon-tattooed
peoplewillmakejudgementssuchasthatonthosewithtattoos,thathavingtattoosofanykind
makessomeonea“bad”person.Duringthe1970sand1980stattooingwasviewedasasignof
rebellionandalsobecamepopularduetopunkandrockmusic(Keinlen,2005).
Amorerecentlookintothereasonswhypeoplegettattooswassectionedoffintoeight
differentcategories:bigfivepersonalityfactors(opennesstoexperience,conscientiousness,
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extraversion,agreeableness,andneuroticism),needforuniqueness,distinctiveappearance
investment,sensationseeking,attitudetowardauthority,sociosexualorientationand
participantdemographicssuchasgender,age,andethnicity(Swami,2012).Swami’sresults
foundthatpeoplewhoreceivedtheirfirsttattooshowedmuchlowerscoresonthebigfice
dimensionofconscientiousnessandmuchhigherscoresonextraversion,sensationseeking,
needforuniqueness,distinctiveappearanceinvestment,andsociosexualorientation(2012).
Whilethereweredifferencesbetweentattooedandnon-tattooedpeople,thenotablefindings
werethelackofdifferencesbetweenthetwogroupswhenlookingatattitudestowards
authority(Swami,2012).Inthepastitwasheavilybelievedthattattooedpeoplehada
rebellioussideincomparisontonon-tattooedpeoplesuchasaffiliationwithagangaswellas
schooltruancies.Thedifferencenotedwiththisparticularstudyisthatbehaviorwasstudied
basedonpsychologicaldifferencesratherthanself-reportedbehaviors(Swami,2012).
Thesefindingsmakeanimpactontheacceptanceoftattoos;stereotypesareoneofthe
mainproblemswhenitcomestoacceptanceoftattoosinWesternsociety.Tattoosarestill
viewedasarebelliousactandareconsiderednegativebythosewhodonothavetattoos.With
therebelstatushangingontothetattooindustryitisdifficulttoanalyzetheperceptionof
tattoosasawhole,studiesdonearetypicallysmallgroupsofpeoplerangingfrom200–500
participants.Itisnotablethatthestereotypeofriskybehaviorisclosinginwhencomparing
tattooedandnon-tattooedpeople,withtheonlynotabledifferencebeingthattattooedpeople
aremoreimpulsivewhenbehindthewheel.Itisalsonotablewiththeunderstandingofhow
non-tattooedpeoplearewilling,ornot,toworkwithtattooedpeople.Non-tattooedpeopleare
lesslikelytotrustsomeonewithtattoosasopposedtoatattooedpersontrustinganother
Ramion 15
personwithtattoos.Itisimportanttounderstand,though,thattattoosarenotasharshly
judgedbasedontheirstereotypestodayastheyhavebeeninthepast.Withinthepast10years
tattooswerelinkedwithunsafesex,drugusage,heavydrinking,andotherriskybehaviors.Now
theriskybehaviorstigmaisbeingclosedbetweentattooedandnon-tattooedpeople.
Acceptance
Thefinalpointthatisimperativetothisworkiswhetherornottattoosarebeing
acceptedtodayoriftheyarestillmarginalizedinWesternsociety.Tattoosaredeeplyrootedin
historyforvariousreasons;archaeologistshavefoundmummiesofnobilitythatwereadorned
withtattoos.Evenwiththerichpastoftattoos,theyarebeingviewednegativelyinmany
aspects.Aproblemwithacceptanceoftattoosiscommonlyfoundwithintheworkplace.Ithas
beenarguedbytattooedpeoplewhetherornottheyareallowedtohavetattoosandthatthey
areprotectedunderthefirstamendmentoftheconstitution(Porter,2012).Argumentshave
brokenoutbetweenemployeesandemployersastowhetherornotworkersareallowedto
havevisibletattoos.Varioustestsandstudieshavebeenconductedinordertounderstandhow
tattoosaffectpeoplewithinaworkenvironment.
“Thedaysofbeingdisqualifiedfromajob,socialorreligiousgroupforhavingatattoo
arealsoathingofthepast,”(Williams,2014,pg.25).Thisstatementisnotnecessarilytrue
whenlookingatthejobaspectofhavingtattoos.Onenotablestudyfocusedontattooswithina
workenvironmentwherethetattooswouldbevisible.Thestudydepicted8menandwomen
withatribaltattooontheirneck,aswellas8menandwomenwithouttattoos,andshoweda
groupof262willingrespondentstodeterminewhetherornottheywouldbewillingtowork
withthetattooedindividuals.Therespondentswereaskediftheywouldwillinglyallowavisibly
Ramion 16
tattooeddoctorperformsurgeryonthemaswellasallowavisiblytattooedmechanictowork
ontheirvehicle(Baumann,Timming,&Gollan,2016).Theresultsofthestudyfoundthat
mechanics,bothwithandwithouttattoos,wereviewedmorepositivelythansurgeons,butthe
tattooedworkers,regardlessofprofession,wereratedlowerthanthenon-tattooedworkers
(Baumannetal.,2016).
Asecondstudywithtattoosintheworkplacedealtwiththewaybothtattooedandnon-
tattooedpeopleperceivesalespeople.Overalltheratingstatedthatnon-tattooedpeopledid
notwanttoworkwithsalespeoplewhohadvisibletattoosbecauseofthenegative
connotationsthattattooshaveinsocietytoday(Arndt&Glassman,2012).Thetattooswerea
turnofftonon-tattooedpeopleworkingwithtattooedsalespeoplebasedontheirgenderand
theytypeoftattootheyhad(amasculinetattooorfemininetattoo).ArndtandGlassman’s
researchshowedastigmawherevisibletattooscouldchangeaperson’sperspectiveona
worker.Inonecaseafemalewithamasculinetattoowasaskedifshewasalesbianbecauseof
hertattoo(2012).Tattoosintheworkplacearedifficulttodealwithbasedonthenegative
connotationthattattooshave;tattoosareforpunks,notworkers.
AthirdimportantstudyontattoosacceptanceintheworkplacewasdonebyWilliams,
Thomas,andChristensenaboutsocialworkers(2014).Socialworkisintendedtopromote
culturalcompetenceanddiversity,yettattooswithinthesocialworkprofessiononsocial
workersareviewednegatively.Ithasbeensuggestedthathavinganunconventional
appearanceoftattoos,piercings,andbrightlycoloredhairmayturnoffclients,colleagues,and
administration(Williams,Thomas,&Christensen,2014).Whilehavingtattoosmaybeviewed
negativelybyaclient,socialworkershavebeguntocomplainthattheiremployersaremaking
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themcoveruptattoosandremovepiercings;somesocialworkersbelievethatforcing
employeestocoveruptattoosisanoutdatedpolicythatdoesnotcoincidewithsocialwork’s
corevalues(Williametal.,2014).Williams,Thomas,andChristensenstatedontheissueon
socialworkersandtattoos,
Theissueofvisibletattoosandpiercingsbeingrestrictedintheprofessionalworkplace,
includingsocialworksettings,isnotgoingtogoaway…Socialwork,likemany
professions,isfacing,orshoulddirectlyface,thisissue.Giventhatsocialworkis
expresslycommittedtoreducingprejudice,marginalization,andoppression,weareina
positiontoleadinadvocatingformoreflexibleworkplaceexpectationsandpolicies
regardingprofessionalappearance.Indeed,ifhumandiversitytrulyisanimportant
professionalvalue,thenitistimetomodelthisvalueacrosssocialworkcontextsand
demonstratebetterconsistencyinpracticingwhatwepreach.(Williamsetal.,2014,pg.
374).
Itisconsideredunethical,asaprofessional,tojudgeatattooedpersonbecausetheyhave
tattoos;inretrospectitisalsounethical,asaclient,toviewaprofessionalinaculturallydiverse
positivepositiontojudgetheprofessionalforhavingtattoos(Williamsetal.,2014).
Astudydoneoncollegestudentsabouttattoosintheworkplacewasconductedin
2014(Foltz,2014).FoltzobjectiveofthestudywastodeterminewhetherornotMillennial
collegeundergraduatesunderstoodtheimplicationsofobtainingajobwhilehavingvisible
tattoos.Theundergraduateswereaskedtoanswer“yes”and“no”questionsthatpertainedto
theattitudeandperceptionsparticipantsfeltabouttattoosandhowthey(tattoos)would
impacttheirchanceofemploymentaswellasanswersomeopenendedquestionstoexpress
Ramion 18
participants’reasoningforobtaining,ornotobtaining,atattoo(Foltz,2014).Overall
respondentsstatedthattheywouldthinkaboutplacementbeforegettingatattooinregardsto
futureemployment;notonlythatbut85%oftherespondentsagreedthatitwouldbedifficult
forsomeonewithvisibletattoostoobtainajobaftergraduatingfromuniversity(Foltz,2014).
Whenaskedahypotheticalquestionabouthiringsomeonewithtattoos,“…61.2%of
respondentsindicatedifanapplicanthadvisibletattoos,theirdecisiononwhethertohirethe
applicantwouldbenegativelyimpacted,”(Foltz,2014,pg.596).Whenaskedwhyrespondents
felttattooedpeoplewouldhaveproblemsfindingajobaftergraduatingfromauniversityas
wellashavinganegativeimpactonhiringatattooedperson,respondentsstatedthatitis
becausetheybelievetattoosarenotprofessionalandemployersshouldhavetherightto
dictatewhetherornotatattooisvisibleforemployment(Foltz,2014).Theundergraduate
participantshadahighunderstandingoftheimplicationsofhavingvisibletattooswhenlooking
foremploymenteventhoughofthe21%ofparticipantswhohavetattoos,95.2%ofthe
tattooedparticipantsstatedthattheirtattooswouldnotbevisibletofutureemployers(Foltz,
2014).
Tattooacceptancedoesnotendattheworkplace,acceptancealsoisimportantwhen
lookingatanindividualwithatattoo.TattooshavebecomepopularinWesterncultureinthe
1990smoresothananyotherrecenttimeperiod(Swami,2011).Forthisparticularstudy
peoplegettingtheirfirsttattoosatdownandfilledoutaquestionnaire,theywerethenlater
contactedwithinthreeweeksandfilledoutanotherquestionnaire.Theparticipantswereasked
aseriousofquestionsbasedonhowtheyfeltabouttheirphysicalappearance,theirneedfor
uniqueness,theirsocialanxiety,aswellastofilloutRosenberg’sself-esteemscale,statewhy
Ramion 19
theyweregettingatattoo,statetheirsatisfactionwiththeirtattoo,andtostatewhatthe
likelihoodofgettinganothertattoointhefuturewouldbe(Swami,2011).Theresultsfor
gettingthetattoowerehighlyratedthatthereceiverwantedtoexpressthemselves,lookgood,
ortobeunique.Overalltherewerelargedifferencesbetweenmalesandfemaleswhenitcame
totheirphysicalappearancethreeweeksaftergettingtheirfirsttattoo.Menhaddecreased
theirsocial,physicalanxietywhereaswomen’ssocial,physicalanxietyincreased.Evenwiththis
finding,itwasalsonotedthatwomenappreciatedtheirbodymoreeventhoughtheirsocial,
physicalanxietyincreased(Swami,2011).
TattooshavebecomeapartofpopularcultureinWesternsociety.Oneaspectoftattoo
acceptanceisthewaythatpeoplewithtattoosfeelaboutthemselvesandotherwithtattoos.
Aftergettingatattooone’sexpectationsoftheirtattoomayhavechangedthewaytheynow
viewthemselveswhetheritbenegativeorpositive.Tattoosintheworkplacearealso
somethingofconcernwhenlookingattattooacceptance.Overalltattoosintheworkplaceare
notacceptabletonon-tattooedpeople.Ithasbeenseenthattattooedmechanicsandsurgeons
areratedlowerthantheirnon-tattooedcounterparts.Whiletattooingisincreasinglybecoming
popularintoday’ssocietythereisstillastigmaonthem.Tattoosarenotbeingfullyacceptedin
theworkplaceknowingthatpeopleareapprehensivewhenworkingwithsomeonewhohas
visibletattoos.Itisbelievedthatitiseasiertoobtainajobwhenonehasvisibletattoos,but
thatisstillnotthecase.Thenegativeconnotationandriskybehaviorstereotypethattattoos
haveonthemmakeemployersleeryabouthiringpeoplewhohavevisibletattoos.Visible
tattoosarestillseenasasignofrebellionaswellasasignofimpulsivebehavior.Hiringa
Ramion 20
tattooedbasedonthesestereotypeswillhindertattooedpeopleuntilthenegativethought
surroundingtattoosdiminishes.
Conclusion
IntroductorySection
ThisthesisismeanttoshowpeoplethattattooacceptanceisevolvinginWestern
society.ByanalyzingvariousscholarlyarticlesandstudiesIhopetoshedlightonthehypocrisy
ofthenegativeviewsontattoosbasedongender,misconceptionsandstereotypes,and
acceptanceintheworkplace.Theanalysisoftheresourcesfoundbarelyscratchthesurfaceof
whatisknownontattooacceptanceinWesternsociety;manyofthestudieslookedat
consistedofsmallrespondentsingeneralizedlocationsofEurope,Canada,andtheUnited
StatesofAmerica.Personallyhavingtattoos,bothvisibleandnot,isthedrivingforceofthis
thesis.Betterunderstandingacceptancewithinthepastfifteen-yearsaswellaswithinthepast
yearhasgivenmeabetterunderstandingofwhatpeoplethinkofthosewithtattoosbasedon
whathasbeenperceivedbythem(tattoos)sincetheycameintoexistencewithinWestern
society.
SummaryofFindings
Tattooshaveevolvedsincetheirexistence;Egyptiansadornedthemselveswithtattoos
ifconsideredpartofnobilityandtheRomansweretattooediftheywereprisonersorslaves.
Tattooingisnotalwayspermanent;thereisanotherformoftemporarytattooingknownas
hennawhichhasbecomepopularwithinWesternsocietybecauseitisnotpermanentversus
tattooingdoneinashop.WiththerichhistoryoftattooingIbelievethatitisimportanttoknow
whatthesocialstanceontattoosis:aretattoosacceptableorno?
Ramion 21
Thefirstpointthatwasinvestigateddealtwithgendersandtattoos.Whatwasfoundis
thatpeoplehaveaspecificperceptionoftattoosonmalesandfemales.Theperceptionsdeal
withthewaymalesandfemalesareseeninsocietytoday:malesarethestrong,independent
genderwhereasfemalesarethedainty,dependentgender.Withthesestereotypesinmind,it
isseenwithingroupsthatmenwithfemininetattoosareviewedtobemorefemininewhereas
menwithmasculinetattoosareviewedtobemoremasculine;thesamegoeswithwomen,
womenwithfemininetattoosareviewedtobemorefemininewhereaswomenwithmasculine
tattoosareviewedtobemoremasculine.Thediscriminationwithgendersandtattoosdoesnot
stopthere;womenaregenerallyviewedtobepromiscuous,heavydrinkers,aswellasdrug
usersbecauseoftheirtattoosregardlessofdesign.Themain,finaldifferencebetweengenders
isthereasonwhytattoosaregotten.Women,typicallyspeaking,gettattoosthatare
sentimentaltothemormarkaturningpointintheirlifewhereasmengettattoosbecausethey
wantoneorlikethedesign.
Anotherimportantaspecttolookatwhentryingtounderstandtattooacceptanceis
knowingthemisconceptionsandstereotypesthatsurroundtattoos.Tattooedpeopleare
thoughttobeheavyrisktakers,especiallyamongstadolescents,whopartakeintheusageof
illegalsubstances,areheavydrinkers,partakeinunprotectedsex,andhaveaproblemwith
authority.Ithasbeenfoundthattherearenotlargedifferencesbetweentattooedandnon-
tattooedpeopleliketherewasinthepast.Alargeportionofstereotypesandmisconceptions
oftattoosstemfromtheagegroupthathavetattoos:teenagersandyoung,undergraduate
students.Someofthestereotypesthatsurroundteenagersarethattheydopoorlyinschool
andmakepoorlifedecisionsbecauseitisbelievedthatteenagersmakeshort,brashdecisions
Ramion 22
withtheirlives.Overallthereisstillahighlynegativeconnotationconnectedtotattoosbynon-
tattooedpeopleregardlessofdesign.
ThefinalpointmadeistoknowwhetherornottattoosarebeingacceptedinWestern
culturetoday.Themainaspectoftattooacceptanceiswithinemployment.Ithasbeenfound
thatemployersarelesslikelytowanttohireapersonwithvisibletattoos.Notonlyare
employerslesslikelytohireaqualifiedpersonforapositionbasedonvisibletattoos,ithas
beenconcludedthatnon-tattooedpeoplearelesslikelytoworkwithsomeonewhohasvisible
tattoosorthenon-tattooedpersonislesslikelytotrustsomeonewhohastattoos.Ontheother
handithasbeennotedthatapersonwithtattoosisgoingtotrustaworkerwithtattoos.Trust
withvisibletattoosalsocomeswithprofession:peoplearemorelikelytotrustatattooed
mechanicversusatattooedsurgeon,butthenon-tattooedmechanicandsurgeonwerestill
ratedhigherthanthetattooedmechanic.Notonlyisacceptanceintheworkplacelookedatby
customers,itisalsoimportantwhenlookingatspecificprofessions.Socialworkersare
beginningtoarguethatvisibletattoosshouldbeallowedbecausetheirprofessionispositiveon
diversity.
ClosingSection
Theessaysandarticlesthathavebeeninvestigatedareasmallportionofwhatistobe
foundontattooacceptance.Atthispointitdoesnotappearthatgenderisahugefactorwhen
lookingattattooacceptance,butthemisconceptions,stereotypes,andviewsoftattoosinthe
workplacecomposealargeportionofwhathasbeenstudiedwithtattooacceptance.Itis
importanttoknowthatacceptanceoftattoosinWesternsocietyistakingaturnforthebetter,
butitisaslowslopetotattooacceptance.Thenegativeviewsontattooshavenotchanged
Ramion 23
withinthepastfifteenyears.AfterlookingintotattooacceptanceIbelievethatitisimportant
tofurtherinvestigatetheperceptionsoftattoosintheworkplaceandtobetterunderstandand
overcomethenegativeperceptionsthattattooshaveonWesternsociety.
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Ramion 24
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Ramion 25
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