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‘Covered’ Gender Resistance and Identity Narratives through Tattooing. A documentary video project. Beverly Yuen Thompson, Ph.D. Women’s Studies Program Texas Woman’s University . bevyuen@gmail.com.
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‘Covered’Gender Resistance and Identity Narratives through Tattooing A documentary video project Beverly Yuen Thompson, Ph.D. Women’s Studies Program Texas Woman’s University bevyuen@gmail.com
Tattooing Once Was a Male Domain…(stereotypically considered prevalent in male subcultures such as military/sailors, prisons/gangs, outlaws/bikers, blue collar workers)
Male-tattoo culture represents women as… magazines Shop girl Piercer Girlfriendswives Books
The ‘Chick Spot’ Tattoo:Women’s place in tattooing is gender normative: wives of tattooists and collectors of gender-appropriate tattoos (small, cute, hidden)
Feminist/ visual/ ethnographer Methods:(n= 60)
Placement Size “heavily tattooed” womencrossing the line… Design
Different Interesting Contemporary heavily tattooed womenexpressing themselves Challenging norms Subcultural humor Beautify Self-expression Spiritual Life milestones Unusual hobbies relationships Identities artwork
Normative femininity is abandoned, along with the straightjacket of conformity to impossible ideals. This opens a space to re-create their own terms of beauty, identity, and empowerment. They can establish their own guidelines, outside of mainstream media pressures and thus retain higher self-esteem than those oriented towards achieving normative “beauty.” Redefining Beauty Outside of the Box
Family reactions Mom cried Acceptance
Employment discrimination: legal and socially acceptable “Covering” for work or school
“I Wanna Be Covered…” Conform to society True to self