I currently work in a tattoo shop, and I have been in the industry in a similar role as a front desk person for over two years. Although I was raised in an environment where my parents and family members promoted acceptance of people from different backgrounds who looked different than me or spoke different than me, as I aged into adulthood I soon realized not everyone was raised in that environment. Not to mention, depending on which part of the world someone lives in or which part of the country, their culture can promote prejudice of certain groups or stereotypes specific groups of people.
Back to the tattoo shop and how heavily tattooed individuals are relevant to this week’s lesson: after working around individuals who are heavily tattooed–having face, neck, hand, and/or full-body tattoos, I have heard accounts of and have experienced accounts of people having a prejudice toward them. An example of this includes discussing amongst a group about how they (an individual) would never get tattooed there (highly visible areas) because they’re too professional for that, or they don’t want to “ruin their life”.
Sexist remarks are also present in these accounts of prejudice. The lesson from this week mentions hostile sexism which is described as: “Negative expressions, or behaviors that reflect negative attitudes toward women” (Gruman, 2016). I would say that the remarks I have heard, and what others I know have experienced have been prejudice remarks of hostile sexism Mostly including phrases surrounding women needing to remain modest, pure, and feminine, and tattoos or “too many tattoos” on a woman doesn’t fit this criteria.
In a previous class I did an extensive study on the prejudices people have against heavily tattooed individuals and I found that most people of the younger generation don’t take as much issue with tattoos as the older generation, but I also found that different religous, ethnic, and political backgrounds related to a person’s view of heavily tattooed individuals as well. These results were found using surveys. After reading Chapter 14 this week I was reminded of that study, and I feel as though I am both a product of a diverse upbringing and culture, as well as the “contact hypothesis” playing a role in my positive exposure to heavily tattooed individuals after working with them and around them everyday for over two years.
Applied Social Psychology : Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems, edited by Jamie A. Gruman, et al., SAGE Publications, 2016. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/pensu/detail.action?docID=5945490.
This entry was beyond anything I had thought of for this lesson. I myself, have a lot of tattoos. I work in a school district. The staff and district itself have no rules on whether or not the tattoos have to be covered. I like for them to show because the kids love to see them. I get no issues from them; it is when I have to meet the parents that prejudice and discrimination come out. Sometimes even other staff members view me differently after seeing the tattoos I have.
One of the issues that I have noticed being in an educational field as a woman with tattoos is the idea that I am a woman with tattoos. Not because I am in the education field but because I am a woman. I really like that you emphasized that idea as well. As the textbook states “Negative expressions, or behaviors that reflect negative attitudes toward women” (Gruman, 2016) and how you mentioned that this memory came to mind. I recently got engaged and had a tattoo appointment not too long after that. I remember going to work the next day after receiving the tattoo (it was visible because it is on my forearm) and one of my male coworkers stated ‘He put a ring on it and yet you had to disrespect him by putting that thing on your body’. I was completely baffled. I have had the luck of never really experiencing any discrimination or comments like that before in my life. It is interesting to read how tattoo shops handle these things and sadly how the discrimination continues not only to the people who have tattoos but those who give them.
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology :
Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications.
I really enjoyed your blog post and think that it was a great topic to bring up. I believe that people are prejudiced toward people who have tattoos. I think this was interesting to discuss because it shows how people can be prejudiced toward people based on anything, not just race or background. It is obvious that people are because when you go into a job interview you are told beforehand to cover any tattoos you have. It is seen as “unprofessional” and effect others from getting jobs. I cannot understand this because how can a design on your body define your work ethic and who you are as a person. People get tattoos in places so it’s not seen by other people because they are scared of being judged. This alone just shows the judgment people get from getting a tattoo. If you are getting one why would you have to hide it? It is interesting that you brought up “Negative expressions, or behaviors that reflect negative attitudes toward women” (Gruman, 2016). You were able to connect what was said in the textbook to what really occurs in your tattoo shop! Another thing that I would like to point out is how religion plays a role in this as well. In the jewish religion people are told that if you get a tattoo, you are not able to be buried in the jewish cemetary. This is important for many people and it is so confusing as to why you would not be able to because of a tattoo. I found out later in life that this is not true however and it is a myth. I believe that tattoos are great ways of expressing oneself and no one should be judged or looked at differently if they have one. It is art.
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2017). Applied social psychology :
Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications.
I think this prejudice is highly visible in people today, even some jobs are unable to be achieved if one has a certain tattoo or a tattoo in a specific spot. I think you are right in that older people seem to have a harder time letting go of this prejudice than the younger generations do. Furthermore, your mention of different cultures and religions viewpoint regarding tattoos is one of the reasons people with tattoos are possibly discriminated against. Personally coming from an Arab and Muslim background, we are taught that we should not get tattoos or partaking in other activities (plastic surgery) that may alter God’s creation. I think this is fine as a teaching but where it goes south is that people pick and choose what they consider to be an alteration and find ways to explain their actions. For example, it is very typical for Arab women and girls to undergo plastic surgery and this practice has become very popular even though it is still against Muslim guidelines. As mentioned in our textbook, “Given the fact that culture is such a multifaceted construct and affects the diversity of values and behaviors in so many ways, it can be difficult to grasp without creating subdivisions within the construct” (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2016). The problem here is that people within the Arab culture choose elements of society that benefit them and denounce other elements that they have no personal use for. Today, a lot of young muslims do indeed get tattoos, my sister included, however it is still considered as “haram” or forbidden and as a result, a lot of people in our community and family have looked down upon her even though they may partake in other forbidden activities.
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology :
Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications.