This project explores whether tattoos possess, according to those who sport them, the characteristics of a document and, if yes, to what extent. Eighty-eight tattoos, which were described in eighteen in-depth interviews with tattooed adults, are used as units of analysis and analysed following a conceptual framework that focuses on the complementarity of the material, mental and social aspects of documents. The analysis of the mental (or informational) aspect of tattoos indicates that participants distinctly distinguish between tattoos carrying a meaning from those that are purely aesthetic, and that the two types of tattoos can easily cohabit on the same person. The analysis of the social (or communicational) aspect of tattoos is divided into two sub-aspects: the choice of localization on the body and the choice of visual elements. Both, among the participants, were considered thoughtfully and, united, they often become a well-considered communication strategy. Results indicate that, while all tattoos carry material and social aspects, only those that carry a meaning for the individual sporting them appear to possess a clear mental aspect that would make them documents.
Diese Seite ist durch reCAPTCHA geschützt und es gelten die Google Datenschutzbestimmungen und Nutzungsbedingungen.
