Body Modification

. . .

The English Christian realized that we come into the world nude and that the first man was nude, yet because of sin, humanity is to be clothed.

African peoples practice other radical forms of adornment in addition to cicatrization. Although piercings, tattoos, and other body manipulations remain far outside the mainstream of accepted Western values, these practices are growing in popularity among persons variously rebelling against the mainstream culture, asserting membership in subcultural "tribes," ornamenting their body in a personally significant way, seeking spiritual experience, or some combination of these motivations. To a Westerner, a lip plate appears as a disfigurement, but in the African view, such a body manipulation represents a human triumph over the natural. Permanent body alteration is often a feature of the passage to puberty. The only discernible differences in dress between the sexes were slight variations in neckline, length, and headdress (Newton, 1980, p. Women whiten their skin and offset their bland coloring with black lipstick. This reference to fire, or oven, comes from a Polynesian legend in which a chief undergoing the moko builds three stone ovens: one for himself, one for the priest, and one for the gods. People today take part in body piercing, tattoos, and other forms of ornamentation seeking a new aesthetic for personal expression. Punkers adopt these styles even though it results in social ostracization and relegates them to low-paying jobs or chronic unemployment. Mandan, Cheyenne, and Sioux punctured themselves with knives and spear in ceremonies that Michel The’voz (1984) has bluntly characterized as torture. Roman soldiers who encountered Briton warriors adopted tattooing themselves, and spread the practice wherever Roman legions were sent.

Common topics in this essay:
South Pacific, , Indians Women, Chad Sudan, Michelle Helms, Sioux Indians, British America, Michel Thevoz, Wide Web, America Steward, body ornamentation, forms body, body piercing, thevoz 1984, forms body ornamentation, lip plates, body manipulation, punk movement, western society, body piercing tattoos, hambly 1925, body manipulations, body ornamentation manipulation, tattooing forms body, forms body adornment,

Approximate Word count = 4607
Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page double spaced)

Already a member? Click here