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ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Wearing Your Life as a Sleeve: Examining tattooing as a form of postmodern identity expression

Cesare, Nina Lyn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1308253420

Abstract Details

2011, Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, Sociology.
Perceptions of tattooing have changed dramatically since the 1960s. While “getting inked” was once regarded as a deviant activity, characteristic of marginalized and sanctioned groups, instances of permanent bodily decoration are becoming increasingly frequent among individuals who fail to fit traditional stereotypes. Coinciding with this trend is the emergence of a postmodern society in which near constant communication and immersion in multifarious social groups has eroded the capacity to develop stable conceptions of self. This paper argues that the tattooing we now see among non-traditional groups constitutes a form of legitimate identity expression. As individuals are forced to place him or herself in a greater number of social groups and alter their persona in accordance with each, they strive to reclaim self-ownership by etching their bodies with symbolic representations of personally significant experiences, interests and beliefs. This practice is most seen among young individuals with high levels of social and economic capital, as they feel the pressure of postmodern identity dispersion most of all. This study attempts to support these notions by empirically analyzing data from a survey distributed to students at Ohio University and the surrounding community. Results are discussed in the study’s final section.
Christine Mattley, PhD (Advisor)
88 p.
Social Psychology; Sociology
Identity; self presentation; embodied sociology; postmodern; tattoo

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Cesare, N. L. (2011). Wearing Your Life as a Sleeve: Examining tattooing as a form of postmodern identity expression [Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1308253420

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Cesare, Nina. Wearing Your Life as a Sleeve: Examining tattooing as a form of postmodern identity expression. 2011. Ohio University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1308253420.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Cesare, Nina. "Wearing Your Life as a Sleeve: Examining tattooing as a form of postmodern identity expression." Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1308253420

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ouhonors1308253420
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© 2011, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University Honors Tutorial College and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12