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A thesis on aboriginal culture in australia
Aboriginal history culture
A thesis on aboriginal culture in australia
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Body modification is defined as any deliberate alteration to ones’ physical appearance. Most people think that only tattoos and piercings fall into this classification, but this is barely grazing the surface of the extents that body modification can lead to. Anything from a simple ear lobe piercing to breast implants, or tattoos and scarifications are all considered as some form of modification. In western cultures, modifications are made for aesthetics and self-expression, but every culture is different. Native American tribes find spiritual clarity or vision in body suspension, where the body is literally hung on hooks, and in Imperial China's practice of binding the feet of women to represent wealth and beauty. In this paper we will not only look into different piercings, but the history behind them and tattoos as well, also the different modifications that various cultures practice, and why. I will explore tribes such as the Mursi tribe in Ethiopia and the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh, India. By the end you will have learned about various cultures and traditions, and have a whole new perspective of the art of body modification. Tourists call them Giraffe necks, the women of the Kayan tribe wear rings, a long brass spiral, around their necks. The practice of wearing neck rings in Thai culture began in Burma with a few Kayan tribes. At first the Kayan tribe were located in what is now Myanmar, but due to military conflicts in the 60’s and 70’s they were forced to flee to Thailand. They lived on the Thai borders in refugee camps until they were placed in permanent homes by the Thai government. Women believed wearing these rings enhanced their beauty. Many sources reported that the women were used for tourism by the Thai gov... ... middle of paper ... ...ms are being excepted and are not as taboo. Now, many people choose scarifications over tattoos. Its origins were in the practice of the Australian Aborigines dating back to 60,000 B.C.. People have now found creative ways of expressing themselves, such as the “Lizard Man” and the “Stalking Cat.” Both men modified their bodies using silicon implants, tattoos, sharpening their teeth, plastic surgery, and various piercings, to resemble what they believed was their inner animal. Yes, most of society do view them as freaks, but they no longer receive the hate one person would receive for a basic navel piercing. Everywhere, there is a person with a tattoo or piercing, wether it be for religious, cultural, or aesthetical reasons. More forms of body modification are still being invented or thought of everyday, but it is the persons choice to what extent they will take it.
Tradition of humans permanently marking their bodies has consistently been utilized as a means of identification. Greeks used it as a form of punishment and branding of those considered as “others” which comprised of slaves and convicts- ideology that was then carried over into Roman culture as a tool of state control (Fisher, 2002). Indigenous tribes that lacked a written language applied tattoos as a system of visual communication. Both the Osage and Omaha tribes tattooed themselves based on success in warfare, bearing a skull on the back of their heads to signify victory in battle. Inuit men would mark on themselves how many whales they hunted, while ink on women conveyed marital status (Porcella, 2009). Despite a long-standing history in other cultures, it is emphasized that the Polynesian and Japanese cultures are largely responsible for the diffusion of tattoos into Western society.
Another way that body art is expressive in other countries are the use of henna tattoos in Indian weddings. Weddings are a wonderful and beautiful time for two families to come together in love and happiness. Typically when you think of a wedding in the US you think of the bride wearing the gorgeous white dress all dolled up walking down the aisle. That is not the case in different countries. As I stated above, Indian brides are decorated with henna tattoos on their hands and feet for their big day. The tattoos are symbolic because they represent the bride’s beauty, hey are also to give the bride good fortune.
We, as humans, face the most difficult challenges: conformity. We inadvertently aim to be what we see depicted in the environment around us. In many instances, we do so under extreme circumstances without regard to the consequences. Around the globe, different beauty practices of enduring violence and pain, mutilation and self-mutilation can be found in almost every culture. In the Chinese culture, binding one's feet are done in order to achieve a certain length. Foot binding has disappeared from modern-day China, but it was once accepted and a promoted practice among many Chinese women. The origin of such culture, beauty practice is somewhat a mystery; there are many theories as to why women began to bind their feet. The reasons why women began binding their feet are not the only field of importance, why it became popular for women to bind their feet, how and why it became accepted in the Chinese culture and the consequences due to these practices are considered as well. Foot binding was known as a cultural practice that represented femininity and eroticism through physical and mental violence. In this cultural practice, it is believed that foot binding speaks multiple languages; seduction, eroticism, virtue, discipline and sacrifice. Both mother and daughter mutilated their feet in hopes of fulfilling
In America the practice of body piercing is everywhere, especially among young people, who are getting several parts of their bodies pierced either as an affirmation of their personal individuality, as a means of sexual gratification or stimulation, a reclamation of their bodies from physical or emotional trauma, or for as a means of adornment. Whatever the reason, it's widespread. Body piercing is the piercing of the ears, nose, septum, cheeks, lip, tongue, nipples, navel, clitoris, labia, penis, and scrotum. Says California State University anthropologist James Myers, Ph.D. body piercing is "possibly as old as genus Homo." (Todd, Richard, p.1) Body piercing studios are popping up all over the country in a response to the growing demand for having a needle poked through your skin. Contrary to popular belief, body piercing is not being performed by freakish subculture deviants. In order to be a reputable piercer one has to take a rigorous course of education in the principals and methods of body piercing. This is a step toward the acceptance of body piercing in mainstream America, where it is still viewed with mistrust by many. Body piercing allows a person to express their individuality in a new way: by putting a needle through yourself, you mark your body as your own (Delaney, Jim, p.3). By exploring some of the motivations behind body piercing, onediscovers that it's not an unhealthy practice (unless performed in an unsterile environment or the piercing is not adequately cared for by the piercee- both of which are heavily discouraged by piercing advocates). Indeed, body piercing is a healthy way to express your individuality or improve your self image.
Someone with body modifications does not care if others do not have body modifications; however it seems that people without body modifications care a lot more about the people that do. According to the article “The Modern Primitives” by John Leo, Leo confirms my statement by saying that body modifications are a sign of a crisis. In reality, these are people's chosen lifestyles that have absolutely no effect on his everyday life. Within his commentary, Leo discusses the many different forms of body modification such as piercing, tattoos, corsetry, branding, scarring, and S&M. A nose piercing might be on the more “innocent” side of body modification, but scarring by a knife would be on the “more extreme” side, showing the various stages of adversity.
It isn 't uncommon to see people walking around with tattoos permanently stained on their body. It is also uncommon to know that they usually have a meaning. From Chinese symbols to images devoted to the flying spaghetti monster, people love to keep these tattoos to remind them of a message or a special someone. According to the World Book Advanced Dictionary, a tattoo is "to mark (the skin) with designs or patterns by pricking a line of holes and putting in colors. ' ' And the meaning of an individual 's tattoo can vary depending on where you are. In this essay, I will discuss contrasting elements in prison and in tribal tattoos. This will be done by doing a cross sectional study of their history, meaning and methods. Are prison and tribal tattoos similar or different?
Looking back at how people perceived tattoos then and how many "normal" people have them today shows a lot about how the world has changed, specifically in mainstream society. These days one can thrown a rock and hit a tattoo shop, but why the change of heart? Why are tattoos so popular now? Holly Tuesday, a writer for "Skin & Ink" tattoo magazine and heavily tattooed person said "We all, myself included, like to think that we stand out from the crowd.
For a long time now body art and decoration has been a custom in many cultural groups. Through research we have learned about the different types of body art and ornamentation such as permanent and nonpermanent tattooing, scarification, and piercings. These forms of body art and ornamentation are done for a variety of reasons, ranging from identification purposes to religious rituals. “Skin, as a visible way of defining individual identity and cultural difference, is not only a highly elaborated preoccupation in many cultures; it is also the subject of wide-ranging and evolving scholarly discourse in the humanities and social sciences” (Schildkrout, 2004). The process of ornamentation and body art is usually a painful experience, but it is a way to signify a person’s self-discovery and their place in society. In this paper, I will explore the different aspects of body art and ornamentation in two different cultures; the Maori people of New Zealand and the Yoruba’s of West Africa and explain the cultural importance of their art.
How do you choose to describe yourself? Actions? Words? Or a little to a large image that permanently printed on your skin, does that say much about you? It could be. For someone whose secretive or gone through many rough present and past can be an “escape” Other than drugs, body modifications can be their way of speaking out and reaching for help from others. And last, but not least, what makes us different from other living things out there? A form of art or other modifications such as piercing, hair coloring, clothing, etc. Tattoo is a representation of a freedom of expression in which is a basic human rights according to Thomas Jefferson and those are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.
There are various aspects through which people identify themselves. People are always sending some sort of message out at all times. These messages are means of communications about the individual to his or her peers and to society. Styles of dress, language, music, and dance are some of the ways that describes one’s own unique symbols, values, and meanings. One other signifier of identity is body piercing. Body piercing is a form of body modification, in which you puncture a hole in a part of your body and insert some kind of jewelry in the wound to keep it from closing. Body piercing has been a way for people to express themselves for many centuries. For some, it may be a fad, religious ritual, aesthetic or just to be “in”. Below I would explain, the diversity among the way people used body piercing in the ancient era and now in the 21st century.
The world has changed tremendously throughout the years. Through the personal and cultural expression of tattooing oneself most wonder why people today get tattoos. Furthermore, those who think tattoos are just for looks will have to realize that tattoos are a part of ones life. Therefore one might say, “ Tattooing is used in a way to mark important events or people in their lives in a permanent way.”(Milcetich) people today should look in the meaning and value of a tattoo “As a statement carved in ones body” (Milcetich). Along with that meaning in ones body, people’s attitudes towards tattoos have begun to change what one thinks about tattoos.
Body modification by definition is deliberating altering the human body. Most people at one point has altered his or her body at one point whether is to dye his or her hair or to get piercings or getting a tattoo. Since there are many different types of body modifications, most people do not think about extreme body modifications such as piercing in the genitals, splitting the genitals, horn implants, body suspensions, and many more. Body modifications can be deviant and they do lead people to perceive those individuals as criminals, and body modifications can effect on a person’s life.
In today’s society, over one hundred years since the days of the tattooed women in circus side shows, women who choose to tattoo themselves still meet resistance and adverse reactions. “It has been estima...
In Southeast Asia, Animism and Buddhism have led to a unique tattoo culture where tattoos have practical, magical, protective and power enhancing properties. Animism is the world view that non-human entities (animals, plants, and inanimate objects or phenomena) possess a spiritual essence. This is the indigenous belief system of the people who inhabit Burma, Thailand, Southwest China, and Laos. The imagery and ritual of tattoo culture in Southeast Asia takes its roots in a mixture of indigenous practices as well as Theraveda Buddhism. A few of the numerous names given to the tattoos of this region are shan tattoos, yantra tattoo, katha tattoos, or sak yant. These words imply different tattoo sects of Southeast Asia, but in this paper they will be used interchangeably because they all tattoos used as method for accessing power though Buddhism.
All throughout history humans have been trying to make themselves look different from one another. Some will do this by what they wear or how they style their hair; however others will try to change their bodies completely. There are many ways to modify your body, some are more painful than others, but all are shocking when they are seen. Some will mark your body to tell a story, others will stretch your body, and the most extreme will shrink your body.