1. Introduction
'A study into the sociological characteristics and motivations behind body art'
- to understand the addictions/motivations behind tattoo's
- to exam tribal body art in order to understand its relevance within the tribe
- to understand the symbolic messages of gang culture body art
For my project I will be looking at Body art. There are many different aspects of body art that I will be
looking at thoroughly. Addictions and motivations behind tattoos will be one of the aspects I have
decided to examine. There are a high percentage of regular people who have tattoos, whether they be
small or large, therefore it will be interesting to know and find out what their motivations for these
tattoos are and whether they have some type of addiction that attracts them to “getting inked”.
Tribal Body art is a very deep and expressive part of tribal culture. Therefore I will be looking into the
relevance of certain aspects of the body art that tribal cultures have, whether the art has a specific
meaning to the person that has it or represents a specific attribute in their culture. Tribal cultures are
very large and in some cases the body art that certain cultures have is very sacred to them.
In gang cultures tattoos are used too mainly remember an event in a person’s life. There are many
different kinds of tattoos that a well known to many different gangs and have symbolic messages behind
them that can have great meaning behind or just represent the name of their gang.
- To understand the addictions/motivations behind tattoo's
If you were approached by two people. One who wore a suit and looked highly intelligent and one who
had tattoos up his arms and on his neck, which one who you feel inclined to approach or make a business
related conversation with?

2. Would your opinion of a person change purely based on the fact that they have tattoos or don’t dress
smartly on a regular basis?
Tattoos have been around for 5000 and have grown even more popular over the recent years. 1 in 10
people now have one or more tattoos. There are many different types of tattoos from tribal and Chinese
tattoos to bull dogs and fairies. People will get tattoos for many different reasons, these reasons can
include; a highly important change in someone’s life, death of a loved one or other reasons that have
helped them to become who they are now. Other people will purely get a tattoo because they think it
looks nice and they want to decorate their body with art.
People often rely on physical appearance of another person to create their first impression of them. By
judging a person on their physical appearance such as; what they’re wearing, their hair, if they have body
modifications; can inevitably create false image of that person’s personality and the way they act. Would
you judge someone depending on the type or tattoos that they have?
There is a huge discrimination against tattoos in the work place. A long debate that has and probably will
always be carried on about how tattoos aren’t acceptable for a work place and the person that has them
do not look respectable or presentable enough. However when a celebrity chooses to get a tattoo the
only discussion is about whether it looks nice or it’s spelt correctly.
(Joseph Farah, 2006)“WASHINGTON – You run a fashionable restaurant with a dress code for employees
and customers that discourage pierced tongues and noses. You are a personnel director at an upscale
department store known for customer service and refuse to hire women with prominent tattoos. You
supervise a supermarket and require those with pierced body parts who handle food to remove the
piercings before reporting to work. According to legal experts in employment law, if you fit any of these
categories, you are setting yourself up for lawsuits from members of a new activist lobby representing
the ever-growing population of those into "body modification.
Tattoos and body modifications have become one of the most talked about topics in the 21st century,
this certain trend is being worked into television adverts by major corporations. There are even children’s
books that represent tattoos such as; “Mommy has a tattoo” and “Tattoo Colouring Book.” An interesting
story line is created in “Mommy has a tattoo” where a little body is frightened of a neighbour who
happens to be heavily tattooed. He then realises his mother has a tattoo also and realises not to be afraid
of his neighbour.

3. Addiction is something that is highly associated with tattoos. Many people claim to be or are actually in
fact addicted to getting tattoos. There are a vast number of different reasons why someone could be
addicted to having tattoos and more or less these reasons may apply to most of the people that have
multiple tattoos on their body or are covered from head to toe. These explanations or reasons for being
addicted to tattoos can be either physiological or social depending on the person.
Physiological
http://www.newlookhouston.com/blog/2010/06/28/15-reasons-someone-could-become-addicted-to-
tattoos/
Adrenaline, Endorphins or pain substitution/self-mutilation are all factors of a physiological nature that
can influence a tattoo addiction. As tattoos can be painful the body responds by releasing adrenaline
which most people tend to enjoy the adrenaline rush that they get from a tattoo therefore making it one
of the most likely culprits in causing tattoo addiction. Endorphins are released when pain is caused so the
pain can be relieved; they are also associated with creating a natural “high” like exercise and orgasms.
The chemical reaction between these created an increased drive and even creates the addiction that
some people have to getting tattoos.
Often tattooing is referred to as a pain substitution, much like when someone chooses to cut themselves
or cause themselves pain in order to find a sense of control or an emotional or mental stress relief.
Tattooing can be like a release of these things for some people through the pain of the tattoo needle,
therefore resulting in someone becoming addicted to that feeling of pain which would lead them to
constantly get more and more tattoos.
Furthermore some people choose to have tattoos as a “cry for attention”. Tattoos can and are often
compared with different types of creative expression such as; piercings or brightly coloured hair.
However with tattoos being permanent they are often placed in a different category. A person that has a
visible tattoo can often say that because of that tattoo someone has spoken to them or stared therefore
giving that person a feeling that they are the center of attention which some people often crave. The
need for connection or even slight acknowledgement can create an addiction to tattoos for that person.

4. A massive factor relating to why people have tattoos and are addicted to them is because of self-
expression. Similar to the reason why a person would dye their hair or get a certain piercing to express
the person that they are. However tattooing is a more powerful and sometimes understandable way of
expressing yourself. Having a tattoo that represents something or someone or has a specific meaning
behind it which is relevant to the person can be seen as a way of expressing themselves or helping them
overcome an event in their life or a passing of a loved one through artwork. It is not uncommon for
someone to has a tattoo that has a specific meaning behind it and is one of the major factors as to why it
is an addiction.
In addition, tattoos can just be a simple form of artwork. Someone could be highly interested in artwork
and would want to create a piece of artwork on their body so that they can appreciate it for the rest of
their lives. . If painters and sculptors can exhibit signs of addiction to their art, it stands to reason tattoo
artists, and tattoo aficionados could also feel a pull that resembles addiction when it comes to getting
tattoos.
Social
In a social sense tattoos are widely known for different aspect of someone’s social life. Such as;
Organisational Obligations. A person may have a tattoo to represent a certain group/organization that
they are a part of to show membership to that specific group. These Tattoos are normally related in gang
groups in prison or biker groups. Because of the situations these kinds of people are in, the want to be in
a gang or be accepted is very high therefore causing an addiction to tattoos.
While the tattooed have formed a sub-culture of their own, tattoos have been important parts of many
cultures since ancient times. Many cultures practice the art of tattooing for both spiritual and ritualistic
reasons. These kinds of tattoos can also be used to specify someone into a certain religious, political or
social group. Even in western culture many individuals choose to get tattoos which identify their heritage
with flags, family crests or other iconic imagery. In UK culture often “Football thugs” as they are referred
to by most people will get tattoos such as an England flag, to represent what football team they support.
Also many “football thugs” will have a bull dog tattooed somewhere on their body. The bull dog is a
symbol of pride for Britian people, it shows bravery and represents the hardships that British went
through during WW2. The flag of Scotland, called the Saltire, also known as Saint Andrew’s Cross, is
continuously used as a tattoo by the Scotts.The Thistle is another popular Scottish tattoo often adopted

5. by many Scottish gold club maker. These both show a symbol of national pride and toughness. The thistle
is also known to be many Scottish teams logo.
This inclination to pay homage to one’s culturally history, heritage or ancestry could feed an already
addictive inclination toward tattoos. The addiction to tattoos through heritage and culture is caused by
the pressure in needing to be accepted in their culture or to show many different forms of emotions to
prove themselves to their culture of just represent their culture due to pride.
- to understand the symbolic messages of gang culture body art
Tattoos are huge part of gang culture. There are many different tattoos that are well known that
represent certain events in a person in a gangs life. Tattoos in gang culture represent a commitment that
stays with the body even after life. Gang members are committed to the gang for life and shared tattoos
are a way of unifying members of a gang.
In many prisons around the world white inmates who are normally outnumbered and don’t tend to be
gang-organised in the prison population find it extremely important to show racial status to declare their
place in the prison. White inmates will often have tattoos of swastikas or crosses signifying membership
to one of many white supremacist groups in the prison.
An article by (Jean Casarez,2009) talks about a white inmate by the name of Joseph Bearden faced the
death penalty for repeatedly stabbing a man in 2007. Bearden has two dagger tattoos above and
underneath his left eye, a small tear drop under his right eye and on his neck another tattoo that is a
copra snake poised and ready to strike.
Before entering prison Bearden did not have these tattoos,
throughout his time in prison he was beaten so severely that he had to be admitted to hospital because
of his injuries. Bearden later got the tattoos that he now has to help him survive jail life and to be
accepted. During jury selection for his trial, potential jurors were asked individually whether the tattoos
that Bearden had would influence their decision on his guilt.

6. Almost every single prison tattoos are done by artist convicts using homemade tattoos guns. These
tattoos and done quickly and secretly to avoid the risk of being caught which would result in a ‘major
case’. Prisoners can and may lose their privileges, be moved to a restricted wing or denied parole if
convicted for this. In prison the handiwork of a tattoo artist is the most respected skill amongst inmates.
Marks obtained in prison have significance on the streets amongst gangs. It is almost impossible to go
into a tattoo parlour without finding designs that emerged from the long, continuously evolving history of
the Texas lock-up. Rasheed, a Muslim serving 20 years in Huntsville’s Wyn unit, was a 15-year-old
Houston Crip gang member when he killed two people in a drug deal. Now 21, he reads The Koran, prays
facing Mecca and fasts during the month of Ramadan. But still displayed prominently on his chest is the
barrel of a gun and the word “kill” tattooed directly above it.
Convicts of all races seem to have teardrops tattooed directly below their eyes, giving people the
impression that they are permanently crying. This tattoo takes on different meaning depending on the
place and time when the tattoo was actually acquired. Originally each tear drop that a person had on
their face would represent a murder committed. Throughout the years this has changed and now a
teardrop can represent each of the family or gang members who died while that certain prisoner has
been locked up. Due to the location of the tattoo, it is a commitment showing how prison has almost
literally scarred the inmate. In a world where not caring about consequences is respected, tattoos declare
themselves fearless. For that reason inside the confines of the prison most hardened gang members,
rather than hide their markings, display them fearlessly.
Mexican Gang Culture
Mexican gangs are one of the large groups of gangs that have tattoos that are related to the certain gang
that a person may be involved in. Originally the Mexican mafia prison gang banned the practice of
religion as a way to show membership to the group. Mexico is generally a country deeply fixated with
catholic tradition; this has made it impossible to undermine the influence of religion all together, even
when relating to violent criminal gang members. This is why Mexican gang members tend to be found
with tattoos of hand clasped together in prayer, this tattoo generally represents a powerful image of a
plea for forgiveness from God for the wrong the gang member has done.
Many Mexican gang tattoos often have significant phrases personal to that particular gang member.
These include phrases like Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life” and Perdoname Mi Madre (Forgive Me, Mother)
which show how they are aware of their gangster life and how it is unacceptable to their family members

7. and loved ones. There words or phrases are usually tattooed in Old English style letters. Some Mexican
gang members also tattoo the web of the hands with drawings relating to a special role within the gang.
Sometimes these symbols are burned into the hand. Most Mexican gangs prefer the colours of the
Mexican flag as their gang’s colours. The colours of the Mexican flag are green, white and red. That is the
reason why these colours predominate in the tattoos of Mexican gang members.
Russian Gang Culture
Russian gang members have tattoos for a much deeper reason than most. Russian mafia usually uses
tattoos as a way to display the truth to one another. By looking at a tattooed person in the Russian mafia
people are able to pretentiously work out the details of that certain person’s criminal career such as; if
they have lied, stolen, betrayed, been in prison or even murdered. Russian mafia tattoos represent what
rank or position they are in their gang and where their loyalties lay, sometimes even their sexual
preference.
Since these tattoos represent the truth, if anyone is caught with fake tattoos or a tattoo that lies about
who they are, severe consequences may be put forward. If certain things are changed about a person in
the Russian mafia such as their loyalties then they are made to burn off their old tattoo and replace them
with new ones that represent their ‘new truths’.
A tattoo of a rose on the chest is normally given to a new gang member to start of their career. Higher
rank members of the gang always employ a tattoo artist for every tattoo that needs doing. Whereas in
prisons the gang member will make their own inks and guns using material available to them, this means
that their tattoos are usually one colour. However tattoos given to the Russian mafia are mostly situated
on the torso, therefore being covered by clothes.
Symbolism and specific meaning of many of the tattoos in the Russian mafia are generally not clear for
anyone outside the gang culture; however a few of them can be explained. A few that can be explained
are stars found of the chest; these signify a ‘career criminal’. Also a cathedral with five domes can
symbolize five years in imprisonment.

8. Members of the gang that disrespect or go against the gang can and most likely will be forcibly tattooed.
This mostly will occur in prison; these tattoos will often consist of derogatory words or indecent images.
UK Gang Culture
- to exam tribal body art in order to understand its relevance within the tribe
Tribal body art is highly popular and compulsory in many different types of tribes. Different pieces of body art
have different meanings, whether they be spiritual or status related. It can also be used to express beauty of
the wearer.
African body art is used to express an certain individual’s status amongst their tribe, spiritual beliefs or ethnic
group. There are many different ways of creating body art such as;
1. Scarification
2. Body painting
3. Beadwork
4. Jewellery
5. Mutilation
Each of these methods of creating body art changes the wearer in an object that is shaped and created by
colour, textures, patterns and movement.
During dangerous times or events is a person’s life body art is used as a protective symbol to help them move
on to adulthood through childhood.
Scarification is used to show something about the wearer. Scarification can be anything from cutting to
burning and whipping, which for most people would be considered painful, but for the wearers of these they
are a way of showing a certain attribute they have or a stage in their life that they are progressing to. In the
Nigeian tribe, Ga’anda, pubescent girls are made to be scarred on their shoulders, backs and stomachs with
delicate and individual designs to show the transition into womanhood. For the Sudanese tribe of Shilluk, they
use scarred dots usually across the forehead to give and display details about that certain person’s heritage.
Body painting is probably one of the most common methods used to create body art, also one of the least
painful methods. Body painting s most formally used to represent sexual maturity. The colours of the tribe are
frequently used in body painting to represent it, however can be also used to give a specific message about the
wearer. The Nuba males in Sudan, unlike other tribes who usually only use body painting in times of worship
or mourning, paint and decorate almost their entire body to indicate their stage in life.
Beadwork is a highly popular form of body art that Africans are more or less famous for. The uses of colourful
beads are used in many different ways by Africans such as; on their body and in their hair, also these beads are
used on clothing. There are a number of reasons why colourful beads are used and what they represent.
Beadwork will mainly represent certain aspects of the wearer such as; gender, power within the tribe, how
many children the wearer has and more.
Jewellery is used as a way to create beauty. Mainly tribe jewellery is made from leather, hair, grasses, beads,
bones, shells and seeds. When jewellery was made from a more valuable material such as coral the wearer
would see it as more valuable.

9. Mutilation is the most creative way that tribes people use to express themselves are certain things in their
lives. Mutilation can include earlobe and lip plugs, neck rings. Any other similar method of changing the body’s
appearance by stretching is considered Mutilation. By doing these types of things tribes people are able to
have the result of having a strange physical feature that more than likely becomes a part of them are they may
not be able to change the effects of Mutilation.