Holly M.

Koperski
May 1, 2015
ANTH1200
How Do Body Modifications Impact the Self-Image, Relationships, and Careers of Individuals
Living in Rock Springs, Wyoming?
Introduction
Throughout the United States, body modification through tattooing, piercing and
stretching has increased in popularity over the last few decades. Individuals choose to have their
bodies modified for a number of reasons, including self-expression, symbolism and trendiness.
Within recent years, the practices of body modification have become more commonplace even in
the United States least populous state, Wyoming. Within Rock Springs, Wyoming, individuals
with piercings, tattoos and stretched ears can be seen in almost any public place. Numerous
tattoo and piercing parlors are located throughout the city, where clients of all ages go to have
their bodies modified by licensed and trained artists.
Possibly due to the prevalence of body modification within the community, individuals
within Rock Springs report a generally positive attitude from others towards their tattoos and
piercings. However, unmodified older individuals often have more negative views on the subject
than their younger counterparts, and are more likely to express their disapproval. This is partially
a result of the change in attitude towards body modifications which began in the 1960s and is
known as the tattoo renaissance. Whereas younger generations have grown up with tattoos
representing self-expression and artistic design, older individuals were exposed to tattoos as a
mark of low-class and criminal activity. In some cases, body modifications can affect the
professional or work life of individuals, but usually only if their body modifications are visible.
Individuals with body modifications may find it harder to get a job in certain industries if they
cannot be easily hidden during interviews or work. Many of the blue-collar jobs in Rock Springs

do not have policies against body modifications, so many individuals did not report having issues
finding work.
In Rock Springs, Wyoming, individuals choose to modify their bodies for many different
reasons and often felt increased self-confidence after becoming modified. Most have not faced
significant problems regarding work or relationships resulting from their modifications, with the
exception of some family members and professional jobs.
Methodology
I chose informants based on availability and self-response. All informants had one or
more body modifications and lived within the Rock Springs, Wyoming area. They ranged in age
from eighteen to sixty-four. Some informants were located at piercing and tattoo parlors within
Rock Springs, and were either artists or clients. I met with these informants informally at the
parlors and spent between twenty and forty-five minutes talking to each one. I let them determine
how much they wanted to share with me by asking open-ended questions, since individuals were
sometimes uncomfortable sharing too much information with a stranger.
Other informants were located online by posting on local Facebook groups about the
project. I spoke to these informants online, through Facebook messages and email. Message
quantity varied depending on the informant, from several messages to several dozen. It was
much easier for people to speak to me online, and their responses were more clear and easier to
understand and interpret.
In addition to interviews with informants, I also used participant observation to gather
data. I participated by getting a small piercing on my nose during fieldwork at a local piercing
and tattoo parlor.
The most significant obstacle to gathering data was finding willing informants. Some
clients at tattoo parlors declined to share their experiences or did not give detailed enough
interviews. However, through persistence and online interviews, I was able to eventually find
enough informants who were interested, willing and able to give information regarding their
2

body modifications. In order to keep their information confidential, I recorded information under
false names for each of my informants which I met in person. While conducting interviews
online, I also assigned a false name to informants after our conversations and saved the
information under that name. I will also not give the specific names of tattoo or piercing parlors
which I visited in order to protect the identity of the artists who are employed there as well as the
reputation of individual parlors.
Literature Review
Recent History of Body Modification in the U.S.
Beginning in the 1960s, the tattoo renaissance was the beginning of a significant shift in
the way tattoos were viewed in popular culture within the United States. Previously, tattoos were
a source of stigmatization and were associated with low-class populations. The rise in popularity
of both the hippie movement and Japanese-style tattoos helped to increase tattooings status and
form. Tattoos became more spiritual, both for artists and their clients (Rosenblatt, 1997). Some
cities in California began to issue licenses to tattoo artists, whose clientele ranged from rock stars
to soldiers (Govenar, 1981).
In the 1970s and 1980s, tattoo artists were more likely to have an education and to have
shops located in better areas. Judeo-Christian taboo became less important as more college
students and a variety of others began to receive tattoos (Govenar, 1981). By the 1990s, tattoos
and piercings were growing even more in popularity. Facial piercings became more
commonplace, especially in hip neighborhoods and college campuses (Rosenblatt, 1997). In
1999, approximately 7 million adults, including many well celebrities, had tattoos. Tattoos were
seen in ads and even on the popular Barbie doll. Although tattoos were portrayed positively
within the media, many people still had negative associations related to them. For some, tattoos
represented an attraction to a deviant lifestyle, while for others they represented a rite of passage
or celebration of their personality (Irwin, 2001).
Views on Modern Body Modification
3

Young Americans now view the tattoo mostly as a form of self-expression rather than
deviance, partially due to their popularity with public figures. Although having tattoos is now
widely accepted, having fully-visible tattoos (such as those located on the neck, face or hands) is
often still a source of stigmatization. In addition, the media continues to have a negative outlook
on tattoos on regular individuals. Some place the estimate of Americans with tattoos between 1020% (John Roberts, 2012). However, other estimates place the numbers much higher, ranging
from 12-30% depending on age group. In addition, nearly 25% of millennials report having a
piercing other than their earlobes compared to 9% of Gen-Xers and 1% of baby boomers
(Pyrillis, 2010).
Policy in the workplace on body modifications varies greatly from company to company.
While some chose to allow them, others prohibit any body modifications being visible other than
earlobe piercings. Many corporations choose to leave this decision to supervisors, some allow
employees to choose, and others decline to comment on their policies. The Alliance of Tattooed
or Pierced Professionals, ATOPP, is an organization formed by Justin Johnson which aims to help
professionals with body modifications find employment with companies who do not have a
negative view on them (Pyrillis, 2010). Studies show that those with visible tattoos are often
hired at lower rates, and although college students are aware of this, nearly half still consider
getting tattooed. However, they are aware that placement can have negative effects on their
career and plan on considering this when choosing tattoo placement (Foltz, 2014).
By understanding the history of body modification within the United States, it is easier to
understand the disparity of opinions on the subject. For those growing up in earlier decades,
tattoos in popular culture had a more negative connotation than for those growing up in the
1980s or later. This explains why many people report business who are owned by older people as

more likely to be wary of hiring those with tattoos, and why younger people seem less occupied
with how employers will view their body modifications.
Research
Motivation
After learning about how body modifications may be a form of self-expression, a
celebration of personality or a mark of a rite of passage, I decided to ask my informants what the
motivation was behind their body modifications. Responses differed greatly from individual to
individual and were usually accompanied by a personal story. Trent, a twenty-year old, said his
first tattoo was from his favorite video game, Bioshock. The story and artwork had stuck with
him for years and had influenced the way he thought about the world, so he decided to tattoo an
image from Bioshock onto his arm. For Trent, his first tattoo was a way of sharing one of his
favorite games as well as a way to showcase a particular art style. Kathy, a thirty-seven year old
tattoo artist, said she got many of her body modifications for different reasons. Some, such as her
lip piercing and a small tattoo on her cheekbone, were mainly for aesthetic purposes. Kathy has
many tattoos, and said some were in memory of family members who had died or for her
children, while others represented things she liked, such as outer space. Other informants
mentioned they had gotten their body modifications to mark their friendship or relationship with
another person, to celebrate their graduation from high school, college or the military, or simply
because they wanted tattoos or piercings for an aesthetic reason.
Self-Image
When asked about how their body modifications affected their self-image, the majority of
informants reported a positive impact. Kathy, the tattoo artist, said when she started covering her
body in tattoos it made her feel more confident and more like herself. Similarly, many other
informants reported feeling confident while showing their tattoos. Even when their tattoos were
in places that could be easily hidden, such as the ankle or back, informants reported feeling a
greater sense of self-confidence, particularly right after getting their body modifications.
5

Relationships
Some informants, such as Lilian, a twenty-five year old mother, felt that her body
modifications helped break the ice in social situations. When people at social events saw the
colorful feather tattoo on her arm, they often approached her to express their interest and
admiration. Especially from informants under the age of thirty, reports of positive social
interactions with their peers regarding their body modifications.
When asked about their familys response to their body modifications, informants had
mixed responses. Depending on the age of the informant when they first started to get body
modifications, as well as the religious background of the family, responses ranged from
supportive to very negative. Informants with conservative, traditional or religious families often
reported the most negative response. Tattoos were often viewed as worse than piercings, since
they are not as easily reversible. Younger informants mentioned waiting until they moved out of
their parents homes before getting a tattoo, in order to avoid harsher repercussions. Some were
even keeping their current modifications a secret from their families. Kendra, an eighteen-yearold who is still in high school, said she was worried that if her very conservative parents found
out about her naval piercing that they would make her remove it or kick her out.
Careers
Most informants reported little trouble with their body modifications in regards to
employment. Some informants worked in fields which did not care about tattoos being visible,
such as mining, the oil fields, and some fast food restaurants. However, some of these same
employers were less accepting of piercings due to perceived sanitation and reputation concerns,
especially within food service jobs. Those who were currently or had previously been employed
at fast food restaurants within Rock Springs often reported being asked to remove their facial
piercings or to wear a clear retainer rather than metal jewelry. This suggests that the reason for
these policies is not simply food safety, but also fear of being associated negatively by the

businesses in question. The few informants I spoke to who were employed in professional or
white-collar fields reported covering tattoos with longer shirts and pants, or simply choosing to
get body modifications in less visible areas in order to prevent problems. Although a few
informants suspected their tattoos may have been a reason for not getting a particular job, most
felt that the employers in Rock Springs were fairly lenient when it came to body modification
and employment. This is in contrast to research done in other parts of the U.S., which has found
that those with visible tattoos are less likely to be hired. I think this could be due to a disparity in
the types of industries surveyed, since Rock Springs has many blue-collar jobs.
Participant-Observation
In addition to speaking with informants, I also utilized participant observation in order to
take a closer look at the process of body modification. I received a small nose piercing from a
piercing and tattoo parlor in Rock Springs. The shop was sanitary and the piercer was licensed,
although I still felt a sense of apprehension regarding the process. Like many students my age, I
had considered getting a piercing for several years but was undecided until committing to it for
this research. Although the piercing hurt a bit, it was much less than what I had anticipated. I
quickly learned about the self-confidence boost resulting from the modification, as I was eager to
show off my new jewelry to friends and family. My family and friends were supportive of the
piercing, and I am enjoying being modified so far. I have yet to experience any negative
feedback from the community or from peers.
Conclusion
I found that most of the informants I spoke to were proud to display their body
modifications. Whether it was a tattoo or a piercing, informants felt more self-confident through
modifying their bodies and used the medium to express their hobbies, creativity, life events and
style. Most informants reported more positive interactions with others than negative ones, with
the exception being some family members who were disapproving. Peers were generally

accepting of the modifications, as were most employers. Some employers asked informants to
cover up or remove their modifications during work, but many did not.
I think that doing this study in Rock Springs, Wyoming gave it an interesting spin, and
that the results would be different in other communities. It would be interesting to compare the
results of this ethnographical study with a similar one done in an urban area with more
professional jobs, a liberal college city, an area with an older population, or a smaller town. The
culture of the place of study would impact how individuals view body modifications in personal
relationships and in the workplace.

References

Foltz, K. (2014). The Millennial's Perception of Tattoos: Self Expression or Business Faux Pas?
College Student Journal, 48(4), 589-602. Retrieved April 2015
Govenar, A. (1981). Culture in Transition: The Recent Growth of Tattooing in America.
Anthropos, 76(1/2), 216-219. Retrieved April 2015
Irwin, K. (2001). Legitimating the First Tattoo: Moral Passage through Informal Interaction.
Symbolic Interaction, 24(1), 49-73. Retrieved April 2015
John Roberts, D. (2012). Secret Ink: Tattoo's Place in Contemporary American Culture. Journal
of American Culture, 35(2), 153-165. Retrieved April 2015
Pyrillis, R. (2010). BODY OF WORK. Workforce Management, 89(11), 20-28. Retrieved April
2015
Rosenblatt, D. (1997). The Antisocial Skin: Structure, Resistance, and "Modern Primitive"
Adornment in the United States. Cultural Anthropology, 12(3), 287-334. Retrieved April
2015