Covered in Ink: Tattoos, Women and the Politics of the Body

Description

A small dolphin on the ankle, a black line on the lower back, a flower on the hip, or a child’s name on the shoulder blade—among the women who make up the twenty percent of all adults in the USA who have tattoos, these are by far the most popular choices. Tattoos like these are cute, small, and can be easily hidden, and they fit right in with society’s preconceived notions about what is ‘gender appropriate’ for women. But what about women who are heavily tattooed? Or women who visibly wear imagery, like skulls, that can be perceived as masculine or ugly when inked on their skin? Drawing on autoethnography, and extensive interviews with heavily tattooed women, Covered in Ink provides insight into the increasingly visible subculture of women with tattoos. Author Beverly Thompson visits tattoos parlors, talking to female tattoo artists and the women they ink, and she attends tattoo conventions and Miss Tattoo pageants where heavily tattooed women congregate to share their mutual love for the art form. Along the way, she brings to life women’s love of ink, their very personal choices of tattoo art, and the meaning tattooing has come to carry in their lives, as well as their struggles with gender norms, employment discrimination, and family rejection. Thompson finds that, despite the stigma and social opposition heavily tattooed women face, many feel empowered by their tattoos and strongly believe they are creating a space for self-expression that also presents a positive body image. A riveting and unique study, Covered in Ink provides important insight into the often unseen world of women and tattooing. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Introduction: Becoming Covered......Page 10 1. Sailors, Criminals, and Prostitutes: The History of a Lingering Tattoo Stigma......Page 30 2. “I Want to Be Covered”: Heavily Tattooed Women Challenge the Dominant Beauty Culture......Page 44 3. “I ♥ Mom”: Family Responses toward Tattooed Women......Page 74 4. “Covering” Work: Dress Code Policies, Tattoos, and the Law......Page 98 5. “Is the Tattoo Guy Here?”: Women Tattoo Artists’ Experience Working in a Male-Dominated Profession......Page 131 6. Tattoos Are Not for Touching: Public Space, Stigma, and Social Sanctions......Page 160 Conclusion: Toward a Tattoo Etiquette......Page 186 Notes......Page 192 B......Page 208 F......Page 209 J......Page 210 N......Page 211 S......Page 212 T......Page 213 Z......Page 214 About the Author......Page 216