A common
body practice in today’s world is that of piercings and tattoos.
In prior decades, having a tattoo or a piercing was unheard of.
Nowadays, more often than not, people have a tattoo, a piercing (other that the ear lobes), or both.
A big trend among the world’s younger population is gauging one’s ear lobes.
Having tried it myself I can say its is not always the most comfortable feeling. In fact, it often hurts when you’re gauging up a size.
I eventually stopped the process because my parents hated it, and, since I was still living under their roof at the time, I decided to comply.
More specifically my mom thought of it as body mutilation, rather than a form of personal expression.
After reading the small excerpt from
Language and Symbolic Power by Pierre Bourdieu, I found myself looking at the practice of gauging differently.
As Bourdieu quotes “…people's adherence to an institution is directly proportional to the severity and painfulness of the rites of initiation.”
When I look back at why I started to gauge my ears in the first place I immediately realize it was because of the people I was surrounding myself with.
Many of them had gauges…some huge, some small…or other piercings.
I found myself liking the style enough to try it myself.
I guess one could say I was adhering to the culture around me.
Another
body practice is the art of tattoos.
Though I myself do not have a tattoo, I know many people who do…some of which are happy with their choices and others who couldn’t be more regretful.
A woman with a tattoo on her lower back may be labeled as someone she’s not only because of the title “tramp stamp” that grown in popularity over the recent years.
Is everyone who gets a cross tattooed on their body necessarily religious, or are they just following a popular trend? Does a tattoo of barbed wire around your bicep show your strength and toughness? Do you really believe getting a significant other’s name tattooed on your body will keep them from leaving? All of these questions and more relate to
body practices of following a popular trend or fad.
A common body practice in today’s world is that of piercings and tattoos. In prior decades, having a tattoo or a piercing was unheard of. Nowadays, more often than not, people have a tattoo, a piercing (other that the ear lobes), or both. A big trend among the world’s younger population is gauging one’s ear lobes. Having tried it myself I can say its is not always the most comfortable feeling. In fact, it often hurts when you’re gauging up a size. I eventually stopped the process because my parents hated it, and, since I was still living under their roof at the time, I decided to comply. More specifically my mom thought of it as body mutilation, rather than a form of personal expression. After reading the small excerpt from Language and Symbolic Power by Pierre Bourdieu, I found myself looking at the practice of gauging differently. As Bourdieu quotes “…people's adherence to an institution is directly proportional to the severity and painfulness of the rites of initiation.” When I look back at why I started to gauge my ears in the first place I immediately realize it was because of the people I was surrounding myself with. Many of them had gauges…some huge, some small…or other piercings. I found myself liking the style enough to try it myself. I guess one could say I was adhering to the culture around me. Another body practice is the art of tattoos. Though I myself do not have a tattoo, I know many people who do…some of which are happy with their choices and others who couldn’t be more regretful. A woman with a tattoo on her lower back may be labeled as someone she’s not only because of the title “tramp stamp” that grown in popularity over the recent years. Is everyone who gets a cross tattooed on their body necessarily religious, or are they just following a popular trend? Does a tattoo of barbed wire around your bicep show your strength and toughness? Do you really believe getting a significant other’s name tattooed on your body will keep them from leaving? All of these questions and more relate to body practices of following a popular trend or fad.
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