Tattoo Acceptance in Academia: Perspectives from Asia Pacific University
Abstract
This research investigates the changing perceptions of tattoos at the Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU), emphasizing their role as a form of body art and self-identity. Situated within Malaysia's diverse cultural landscape, APU provides a unique setting to examine how students and faculty view tattoos. Through qualitative ethnographic methods and semi-structured interviews, insights from various participants were collected, highlighting differences across generations and professions. The results reveal a significant generational shift, with younger individuals promoting greater acceptance of tattoos as personal and creative forms of expression. In contrast, older academics frequently regard tattoos as unprofessional. Nevertheless, there is a rising acceptance among all age groups within APU’s inclusive environment. The study concludes that tattoos are increasingly acknowledged as expressions of art and identity in academia, underscoring the necessity for policies that respect body art as a facet of cultural expression. This research illustrates the evolving nature of academic standards and highlights the importance of diversity in visual identity within higher education.
Downloads
References
Atkinson, M. (2003). Tattooed: The sociogenesis of a body art. University of Toronto Press.
Atkinson, M. (2004). Tattooing and civilizing processes: Body modification as self-control. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 41(2), 125–146. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-618X.2004.tb00725.x
Bell, S. (1999). Tattooed: A participant observer's exploration of meaning. Journal of American Culture, 22(2), 53–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1542-734X.1999.2202_53.x
Bengtsson, M. (2016). How to plan and perform a qualitative study using content analysis. NursingPlus Open, 2, 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.npls.2016.01.001
Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism: Perspective and method. University of California Press.
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of Theory and Research for the Sociology of Education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
DeMello, M. (2000). Bodies of inscription: A cultural history of the modern tattoo community. Duke University Press.
Doss, E. (2010). Memorial mania: Public feeling in America. University of Chicago Press.
Ferguson-Rayport, S. M., Griffith, R. M., & Straus, E. W. (1955). Tattooing among adolescents: A clinical study. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 25(4), 613–626. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-0025.1955.tb04989.x
Fox, K. (2013). Watching the English: The hidden rules of English behaviour (2nd ed.). Hodder & Stoughton.
Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Prentice-Hall.
Irwin, K. (2001). Legitimating the first tattoo: Moral passage through informal interaction. Symbolic Interaction, 24(1), 49–73. https://doi.org/10.1525/si.2001.24.1.49
Kosut, M. (2006). Tattoo narratives: The intersection of the body, self-identity and society. Visual Sociology, 21(1), 79–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/14725860600613272
Maffesoli, M. (1996). The time of the tribes: The decline of individualism in mass society. Sage.
Mifflin, M. (1997). Bodies of subversion: A secret history of women and tattoo. Juno Books.
Othman, Z., Nor, N. M., & Sulaiman, S. (2020). Cultural taboos and perception of tattooing in Malay-Muslim society. Journal of Islamic Culture and Society, 5(2), 88–98.
Pitts-Taylor, V. (2003). In the flesh: The cultural politics of body modification. Palgrave Macmillan.
Rooke, A., & Clark, J. (2008). DIY academic identity: Tattooed academics and the resistance of the body. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 11(2), 145–161. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367877908089266
Sanders, C. R. (2008). Customizing the body: The art and culture of tattooing (Rev. ed.). Temple University Press.
Stirn, A., Hinz, A., & Brähler, E. (2006). Prevalence of tattooing and body piercing in Germany and perception of health-related consequences. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 60(5), 531–534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.09.002
Swami, V., & Furnham, A. (2007). Unattractive, promiscuous and heavy drinkers: Perceptions of women with tattoos. Body Image, 4(4), 343–352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2007.06.005
Sweetman, P. (1999). Anchoring the (postmodern) self? Body modification, fashion and identity. Body & Society, 5(2–3), 51–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357034X99005002004
Thomas, J. (1993). Doing critical ethnography. Qualitative Research Methods Series (Vol. 26). Sage Publications.
Velliquette, A. M., Murray, J. B., & Creyer, E. H. (1998). The tattoo renaissance: An ethnographic account of symbolic consumer behavior. Advances in Consumer Research, 25, 461–467.
Wohlrab, S., Fink, B., Kappeler, P. M., & Brewer, G. (2009). Modifying the body: Motivations for getting tattooed and pierced. Body Image, 6(2), 87–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2008.12.001
