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From ‘tramp stamps’ to traditional sleeves: A feminist autobiographical account of tattoos
n this article I use a feminist autobiographical approach to present my ‘tattoo narrative’ as a gendered, embodied account in which I map out key moments in my life over two decades through the images inscribed on my skin. Specifically, I examine how my bodily modifications have magnified the social responses to my body as a woman. For example, as a teenager, I acquired a naval piercing and trendy ‘feminine’, discretely located tattoos to satisfy a heterosexual male gaze. In contrast, as a woman in my late thirties, my tattoos satisfy a different purpose. They are larger, bolder, and more ‘masculine’ in line with the evolution of my feminist politics. However, as an academic, the social responses to my tattoos are more complex. In class defined social spaces such as the university where I work, my tattoos cause trouble because they challenge gendered and classed norms for femininity. I conclude by calling for women to engage in autobiographical writing about bodily modification as a critical feminist political act.
History
Publication title
Australian Feminist StudiesVolume
33Issue
97Pagination
362-383ISSN
0816-4649Department/School
School of Social SciencesPublisher
Carfax PublishingPlace of publication
Rankine Rd, Basingstoke, England, Hants, Rg24 8PrRights statement
© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis GroupRepository Status
- Restricted