Bodily Modification: Tattoos, Body Piercings, Scarification, and Three Dimensional Body Art

             Tattooing, piercing, scarification, and three dimensional body art have long been a cultural tradition, a rite of passage, symbolizing one's place in the world, who one is. Today there is no difference. Like our ancestors, bodily modification is again becoming a cultural occurrence. Rather than signifying one's tribe, religion, or status within a tribe, tattooing, piercing, and other forms of bodily modification are becoming symbols of the subculture one belongs to. For more than a century, American military personnel have tattooed themselves with symbols signifying their allegiance to their comrades and/or their group. (McDowell) The people of the Gothic movement pierce in order to show their individuality, or a portion of their personality. (Alsentzer) Both are similar practices for the same purpose, that of fitting in with their very different groups.
             In ancient Celtic culture people were tattooed with the symbol that signified a person's place within the society. (Celtic Nation) Likewise, modern society also uses bodily modification to achieve or display status. Members of certain subcultures, some known asGoth? orPunk,? have resorted to tattoo piercing scarification three-dimensional body art as a way of separating themselves from the larger group. These subcultures, by nature, find popular culture unappealing and so find means of differentiating themselves from the masses. This alternative and simple method has become quite popular resultantly. Bodily modification has also become a means of expression and communication for those of homosexual groups, indicating their sexuality and interests. (Winterson, Written on the Body) Tattoos, body piercings, scarification, and three dimensional body art have served both of these purposes, detachment and communication, though detachment is the much more common of the two. In this sense, bodily modification is very definitely an attempt at individuality.
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Bodily Modification: Tattoos, Body Piercings, Scarification, and Three Dimensional Body Art. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 06:32, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/102511.html