Tattoos!

Posted by Katrien Vander Straeten Mar 16, 2007

A couple of weeks ago I witnessed a fascinating and alarming exchange between a mother and her teeenaged daughter.

I was at a coffee shop, indulging in some cafe au lait and a long entry in my journal while my daughter slept in the stroller, when my ear picked a discordant note out of the hubbub.

The daughter, I discovered, was trying to gain her mom's approval for a tattoo. The conversation was a true example of talking at cross purposes. The mother would not hear of it, the daughter was clearly taken aback by such reticence, had obviously not prepared her case in advance, and proceeded in giving all the kinds of reasons that parents don't want to hear - the main one being: "all my friends have one!"

It ended with both mommy dearest and darling daughter leaving the coffeeshop stonefaced and silent.

It made me wonder: what is tattooing all about, what is its history? What were and are the functions of tattoos? And: what is tattoo culture today? What can tattoos on modern-day bodies mean?

Read these articles to find out:

• The History of Tattooing: A summary of the past of tattoos shows its many functions
• Tattoos: Reasons, Responsibilities: The message on the body: personal and political
• Tattoo Advise for Parents and Teenagers: Good and bad reasons for getting that tattoo
• Tattoo tips, resources, and facts