The Deviant Behavior of Tattoos

The term deviance is defined as the fact or state of departing from usual or accepted standards especially social behavior. There many things our society deems deviant that aren’t necessarily bad. In my paper I will be addressing why body modification, specifically tattoos, are considered deviant behavior in today’s society.

During the 1920’s through the 1950’s tattoo parlors were slowly starting to pop up in cities, mostly in alleyways and districts characterized by poverty and crime. Frequented by carnival workers, servicemen, criminals, social outcasts, and pseudo-tough guys, the tattoo parlor became a social club where individuals existing on the fringe of society would meet and swap stories of adventure, grandiosity, and bravado (Atkinson, 2003, p.36). In the period directly following the Second World War, tattooing took a step backward toward social disrepute. As social groups brandished tattoos to advertise their collective discontent with society, the practice became popular among members of the social underbelly (Atkinson, 2003, p.38). This era of the 1950 to 1970 is referred to as the rebel era. During this time people used tattoos as a sign of social protest and rebellion. They demonstrated their political disdain and contempt for their cultural surroundings through body art. The 1970’s to the 1990’s is considered the New Age Era, society was changing and so were its ideas. For instance, as a product of cultural consciousness-raising generated by racially, sexually, and gender-based political movements, the body became a popular billboard for ‘doing’ identity politics (Atkinson, 2003, p. 42). During this time tattooing moved from mostly the blue collar and criminals to include all types of people. Women especially start...

... middle of paper ...

... where they were used as a mode of communication between spies (Mantell, 2009).

Works Cited

Atkinson, M. (2003). Tattooed The Sociogenesis of a Body Art. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press Incorporated.

Mantell, M. (n.d.). The Psychology of Tattoos. San Diego Magazine Dr San Diego. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/August-2009/The-Psychology-of-Tattoos/

Sociological Theory // I Heart Sociology. (2011, October 29). Sociological Theory I Heart Sociology. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from http://soctheory.iheartsociology.com/2011/10/29/the-stigma-attached-to-having-tattoos-being-labeled-as-deviant/

Strohecker, D. (2012, January 19). Cyborgology. Cyborgology RSS. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from http://thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2012/01/19/generational-change-in-the-social-acceptability-of-tattoos/