Conceptualization of the Memorial Tattoo in Scholarly Literature

Abstract

The intent of this study is to examine the "self-help tattoo," specifically the sub-genre of the self-help tattoo, known as the memorial tattoo in scholarly literature. Over the past few decades, tattoos became increasingly popular within the United States' middle-and upper-class communities. The widespread use and increasing acceptance of such body art in Western society have invited researchers in many scholarly fields to interpret the memorial tattoo's meaning. This study finds that the memorial tattoo is conceptualized differently across scholarly fields and there isn't an overarching theoretical framework that all scholars follow.