As increasingly diverse groups of people get tattoos, popular perceptions are often out of synch with the individual meanings behind them.
References
1.
MichaelAtkinson.Tattooed: The Sociogenesis of a Body Art (Toronto University Press, 2003). Analyzes the continuing social significance of body art by examining how tattoo enthusiasts deal with the stigma, choose how to display their tattoos, and construct group membership through tattoos.
2.
ChristineBraunberger. “Revolting Bodies: The Monster Beauty of Tattooed Women.” NWSA Journal12 (2000): 1–23. An historical overview of tattooed women, showing how they have challenged and redefined women's social roles and the norms of feminine beauty.
3.
MargoDeMello.Bodies of Inscription: A Cultural History of the Modern Tattoo Community (Duke University Press, 2000). Examines the meaning of tattoos for various groups, including bikers, gangs, baby boomers, and members of Generation X.
4.
MaryKosut. “Tattoo Narratives: The Intersection of the Body, Self-Identity and Society.” Visual Sociology15 (2000): 79–100. Discusses tattooing as a form of visual communication that speaks not only to the identity of the wearer but to the surrounding culture.
5.
MargotMifflin.Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoos. 2nd ed. (PowerHouse Books, 2001). Presents the history of women's tattoo art, including discussions of how women have used tattoos at different time periods as well as interviews with female tattoo artists and enthusiasts.
