Is a Tattoo a Sign of Impiety?

Barkman, Adam

doi:10.1002/9781118252789.ch17

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Historically, the tattooed person has often been subjected to localised societal narratives, and in Western Europe, these have often related to tattoos representing a sign of mental illness, social deviancy (Miller, 2021) or impiety (Barkman, 2012). Despite the increasing prevalence of tattoos, especially within Western society, in the past decade (Wohlrab et al, 2007), there is evidence to suggest that there remains significant stigma associated with tattoos (Broussard and Harton, 2018;Ruffle and Wilson, 2018;Seiter and Hatch, 2005;Timming et al, 2017) and the level of stigma appears to be compounded when intersecting with gender (Baumann et al, 2016) and cultural background (Toyin Ajibade et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tattoos as symbols – an exploration of the relationship between tattoos and mental health

McCandlish

Pearson

2023

JMHTEP

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Purpose There has been significant growth in the number of people getting tattoos over recent decades. While there might be a myriad of reasons for getting a tattoo, there remains a deficit of knowledge in relation to the potential relationship between tattoos and mental health. This paper aims to explore this potential relationship, from the perspective of those with tattoos, and considers the relevance of this potential relationship for those working in mental health services. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected through an online qualitative survey which asked participants to share their experiences in relation to their tattoos and mental health. The survey was shared through social media and distributed to tattoo shops within the UK. In total, 17 participants completed the survey; the survey data was then transferred to Nvivo and subjected to thematic analysis. Findings Three themes emerged from the data. First, tattoos as an expression of relationship with self; second, tattoos as an expression of relationship with others, and third, tattoos as a symbol of change. The three domains provide an insight into the complex relationship between identity and tattoos and suggest that tattoos may hold significant importance in supporting people to make meaning following trauma and to communicate elements of themselves to the world around them. Originality/value The findings provide an insight into the significance of tattoos which transcends the traditional discourses of tattoos as a marker of risk or deviance. Tattoos may be significant in the process of meaning making and narrating a sense of self and identity.

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