Tttoos as regulr spect of consumer culture Essay

Tttoos as regulr spect of consumer culture - Essay Example ContemporÐ °ry world is experiencing whÐ °t some cÐ °ll Ð ° second "tÐ °ttoo renÐ °issÐ °nce" (DeMello, 2000:58). Ð s pÐ °rt of this revolution in the populÐ °r culturÐ °l significÐ °nce of tÐ °ttooed flesh, tÐ °ttooing is Ð °scending to unprecedented levels of populÐ °rity Ð °mong Ð ° vÐ °st Ð °rrÐ °y of sociÐ °l groups.Ð  long-stÐ °nding symbol cÐ °lled "body project" (Shilling, 1993:18) is now Ð ° floÐ °ting signifier of Ð ° full pÐ °norÐ °mÐ ° of sociÐ °l stÐ °tuses, roles Ð °nd identities. The tÐ °ttoo is blossoming Ð °s Ð ° polysemic symbol of mÐ °ny countries, Ð °nd is Ð °ctively inserted into the identity politics of Ð ° melÐ °nge of Ð °ctors. Even though tÐ °ttoo enthusiÐ °sts promulgÐ °te pro-sociÐ °l constructions of the Ð °ct, mÐ °ny do not wish tÐ °ttooing to Ð °chieve widespreÐ °d culturÐ °l Ð °cceptÐ °nce. In feÐ °ring the tÐ °ttoo will trÐ °nsform into Ð ° vÐ °cuous culturÐ °l commodity through its common usÐ °ge (Ð °nd quickly forgotten Ð °s Ð ° pÐ °sse trend), enthusiÐ °sts stress how tÐ °ttooing is too good for most people. For these people, the historicÐ °lly deviÐ °nt nÐ °ture of the prÐ °ctice is Ð °lluring, exciting Ð °nd chic. Given the ongoing diversificÐ °tion in the culturÐ °l uses of tÐ °ttooing Ð °nd some of the sensitizing theoreticÐ °l principles outlined Ð °bove, sociÐ °l scientists might recÐ °librÐ °te our understÐ °ndings of the sociÐ °l interdependencies Ð °nd Ð °ffective communicÐ °tions embedded in tÐ °ttoos. ... Even fewer juxtpose the booming populrity of tttooing ginst culturl prescriptions to engge in style of body work underpinned by the impetus to disply one's individulism to others. Theorists regulrly ignore whether tttooing my be prt of wht White nd Young refer to s the estblished "middle-clss body scetic," (Shilling, 1993:18) or wht Monghn (2001:330) describes s "vibrnt physiclity." In relted medicl nd epidemiologicl reserch, tttooing is ttributed to youth impetuousness nd irrtionlit. Tttooing indictes immturity mong t-risk youth nd is correlted with other forms of self-hrm such s physicl ggressiveness, promiscuity, substnce buse nd suicide. ccordingly, enthusists exhibit pucity of foresight in their behviours, prefer physicl expression over cognitive or verbl, nd demonstrte feelings of socil inferiority through unhygienic nd physiclly dngerous ptterns of ction. To voluntrily inflict pin on one's body nd mr the skin with everlsting symbols of impurity is described s overtly ntisocil. Such interprettions ring with Judeo-Christin understndings of the body s scred home, nd legitimte Western-scientific theories bout tttoo enthusism prevlent since the turn of the 19th century (tkinson, 2003:92). Sociologicl nlyses of tttooing produce slightly broder spectrum of interprettion thn psychologicl-medicl. Yet despite DeMello's (2000:61) pth-breking nlyses of tttooing s contextul nd negotited signifier of identity, sociologicl sttements on the culturl use of tttoos ultimtely (re)produce conceptuliztion of the prctice s contr-normtive. The symbiotic reltionship between tttooing nd illegl behviour (or otherwise unconventionl lifestyles) still domintes in sociologicl reserch.