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Taboo Tattoos

Andrew Truesdale
9/2/06

Taboo Tattoos

Topic

Tattoos were once considered to be part of the lower class and the deviant, now many American adults in all social categories are receiving these permanent works of art.   Today, people still have clashing opinions about the presence of tattoos in everyday life and in the work force.

Literature Review
When researching this topic of tattoos, the researcher will find three very distinct and very different opinions.   The first areas of research are people that love these colorful, permanent works of art.   This is an underground infatuation of tattoos and piercing, and a small group of professionals that have one to three personal tattoos.   This group proudly shows off their personal forms of art work.
The second opinion dealing with this research is the neutral group.   This group consist of average Americans and experts that are members of many different organizations, the American Psychology Association, the Foundation for National Art Appreciation, and the Association for Free Labor to name a few, that have a neutral opinion about having tattoos and even try to explain why this taboo of tattooing is becoming such a hit in the American culture.
The third opinion is much like the first, but rather being passionately for these works of art these are passionately against tattoos and will stop at nothing to get tattoos removed from our work places, schools, and military.   This group consists of many different religious organizations and different conformist parties in the American government.

Hypothesis
Once considered taboo, the art of tattooing is vastly becoming an American norm.
How can tattoos still be considered taboo when so many Americans have them?   When trying to answer this seemingly reasonable question, other questions that first need an answer come to mind.   What is considered taboo?   With today's changing norms, its hard to put a stiff title of taboo on any one subject.   Other questions...