I have found a study suggesting that women are twice as likely to regret having a tattoo five years on than men. The women admitted they caused them embarrassment and felt the need to cover them up. I think this research does address a sexism problem regarding tattoos and body piercing which has existed in the past and has an impact on modern views. Although I do feel that the gap between what is socially acceptable for men and women to do has closed significantly I still believe that issues such as tattoos are still approached by some with a sexist attitude.http://clinical-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_tattoos_say_about_who_you_are://
Hi Nicola,
ReplyDeleteI have to say I agree with you here. I have mixed reactions from people about my own tattoos and I'm having most of them removed off my arms. I don't like to show them so keep them covered. I used to have dreadlocked hair and alternative clothing, but now that I am more of a girly-girl and have blonde hair they seem out of place. The sad part is I probably wouldn't be having them removed if it wasn't so strongly enforced in the media that girly-girls don't have tattoos.
Generally girls look baffled as to why I ever had them done and men tend to either really love them or really hate them. People say I'd never imagined you'd have tattoos which just shows that people hold stereotypes for them (although they have a point beacuse I did have a gothic image at the time of getting them done).
I do believe though that if I was a boy my tattoos would be met with indifference and without judgement which reinforces your point that tattoos are still approached with a sexist attitude.