@article{2018:fortier:inked_in_t,
title = {Inked in Time and Space: Exploring the Documentality of Tattoos},
year = {2018},
note = {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.},
journal = {KO KNOWLEDGE ORGANIZATION},
pages = {292--296},
author = {Fortier, Alexandre and Ménard, Elaine},
volume = {45},
number = {4}
}