Becoming a Tattooist

SOSC 1850 Written Assignment

Name:  Peiyao,GUO

ID:     20091005

                      Becoming a Tattooist

   This essay intends to demonstrate the two critical stages that people go through of becoming a member of the tattooing subculture. It is likewise concerned with the critical role that social interactions have played in the course. The study shows that an individual will be able to engage in the tattooing behavior only when he is placed in a favorable neighboring environment about tattoos, learns to enjoy the painful process, and learns to accept the permanent appearance of tattooing symbols in the later stage.

   An individual has the opportunity to obtain his early understandings about tattoos under favorable circumstances. In the approaching stage, positive perceptions about tattoos are acquired from friends or relatives who are tattooists or tattoo artists. Through the direct contacts with them, the individual learns about how the tattoo process works and understands basic safety precautions and aftercare steps. However, given the uncomfortable experiences that the beginner needs to sit through hours of carving work. He will not become determined until he learns to redefine and enjoy the pains. As Jason, a twenty-year old boy who had tattoos done on his leg, said, “At first, I was afraid because it hurt. But my friends taught me how to see it differently. ‘Pain as release and suffering as expressing’ they told me. Then I start to and think about it differently…. and I believe I start getting better.” It turns out that in interactions with his more experienced friends Jason became able to find the meaning of the pains, and eventually considered it as a process of self-improvement. It shows that after the first trial, no person would have more tattoos without learning how to deal with the yielding pains during the first time. The more experienced practicers may also accompany beginners in order to reassure the uncomfortable symptoms are normal and help relieve the nervousness.  

    Another necessary step, after getting inked, is that the novice learns to accept tattoos’ permanent appearance. “It is not that I got a horrible tattoo,” Jason explained, “instead I do think it looks great. I just don’t know how to accept this part of my body. I looked back on pictures of myself before I got the tattoo, and I wished I could look like that again.” It is only when the individual becomes able to accept and appreciate that he would retain it. Otherwise he can choose to remove tattoos by the layser operation. It shows that positive comments received from people around will support and encourage the individuals. In contrast, disagreeing opinions will have discouraging effects. For example, tattooists are more likely to clear their visible ink if it’s forbidden in the workplace, even it’s perceived as a desirable picture. More importantly, group affiliations encourage the subjects to keep the symbols because of the social impacts it brings.