Body Modification in America

Body modification in American Culture
In recent years tattooing and body piercing have become increasingly prevalent in popular culture. These forms of body modification are no longer tools used by criminals and gang member, showing their role in society. These practices are used by many of teenagers and young adults in our society today. In fact many of these practices have been a positive trend in American culture, giving adolescents a way of expressing themselves
Studies have revealed a positive correlation between risky behaviors (such as the use of drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol) and participation in body modification. There is a shortage of available research, however, investigating the relationship between body modification and behaviors of high-risk such as driving while intoxicated and unsafe sexual practices. The current study attempted to bridge this gap in the literature by examining body modification participation and involvement in very high-risk behaviors common to a college student population. Two hypotheses were examined. First, it was hypothesized that a positive relationship between participation in body modification and very high-risk activities would be found. Secondly, it was hypothesized that self-esteem would mediate the relationship between body modification and very high-risk behaviors. The Cognitive Appraisal of Risky Events--Revised (Fromme, D'Amico, & Katz, 1999; Katz, Fromme, & D'Amico, 2000) and The Coopersmith Inventory (Coopersmith, 1981) were administered to 117 undergraduate students at a small midwestern university. Only the first hypothesis was supported. Results suggested different levels of high-risk behavior.
There are many reasons for individuals to acquire body modifications. One possible reason for body modifications is to gain attention through displays of extravagance such as those that are found in people with histrionic disorder (Durand & Barlow, 2000). A study by Burger & Finkel (2002) investigated reasons why people adorn their bodies with tattoos and body piercing. They also researched unmodified participants' perceptions of body art. When the researchers polled participant group as to their perceptions of body modifications, they found that many people associate tattoos and body piercing with risky behaviors and view them as symbols of drug abuse and violence (Burger & Finkel, 2002). They found that a main motivation for people to modify their bodies is to increase self-esteem. The people polled found body art as beautiful and felt more beautiful when they acquired it. A study conducted at Denison University by Lyons and Snyder (1996) described the reasons why college men and women had tattoos and body piercing. The main reason cited by the men with body modifications for getting tattooed or pierced was to identify themselves with a certain group. Women, however, rated their tattoos and piercing to make themselves more individualized or sexually appealing. Other popular reasons for displaying body modifications are to carry on cultural traditions and to increase self-esteem (Burger & Finkel, 2002).
Giddens (1991) emphasized the increasingly close connection between the body and self-identity as evidenced by the growing trend toward relating to the body as a "project." Many moderately and heavily tattooed and pierced persons described these markings as "acts of self-creation" and noted an increased sense of self-confidence after having pierced or tattooed their bodies. According to Sweetman, it was as though the desire to mark the body supposedly emanated from some inner sense of self, rather than the opposite desire to create a particular image in order to be liked. Similarly, Featherstone (1999) indicated that many in his sample described their tattoos and piercing as a means of carrying visible signs of identity.
Interestingly, some disagree with the interpretation that body piercing and tattoos serve to increase feelings of positive self-worth and body image. For example, in one of a number of limited qualitative studies, Kuniansky (1997) explored self-esteem among high school students who had pierced and tattooed themselves and those who had not. Her analysis concluded that such forms of body modification are not associated with positive self-esteem.
Many American teenagers view body piercing and tattooing as a form of self expression, a way to be independent and to increase self-worth. Adolescence is a time when body modification becomes particularly appealing as adolescents struggle for identity and control over their changing bodies. The practices of tattooing and body piercing have become a positive trend in American culture.