Tattoos in men & women : a qualitative study

Abstract

The ancient art of body modification and engraving better known as the art of tattooing has been in practise for many decades. Their appearance varies geographically, however tattoos all hold a specific significance according to the culture they originated in. Tattoos in Western societies are nowadays considered as a form of art to enhance and beautify the body. Erving Goffman (1959) interpreted tattooing as a means of social communication. He claimed that the symbols and the coding used are an interpretation of the self. This art is usually most popular with teenagers and the young. Young people tend to acquire tattoos when they are slowly gaining their independence and they are a means of paving their way towards adulthood. Tattooing is practised by various groups and different social classes are into tattoos. It offers people control over their own body and some have used it to challenge their limitations and to help them explore other ways to define themselves. Whatever the reason behind the group or individual, even though it sometimes means that the individual, is labelled as 'mentally ill' or 'deviant', its popularity never ceased and the amount of parlours giving a professional service is on the increase in Malta. Over all this study confirms that in Malta this art is highly popular with many people. Men and women alike, seem to seek a parlour to at least get tattooed only once in their lives. In this study a qualitative methodology was used. The participants were people between 35 and 40 who came from varied social backgrounds. The two genders were represented as the respondents were three males and three females. The most significant finding was that males used tattoos to demonstrate affinity to a group while the tattoos on the female participants tended to be used as decorative art.