Table of Contents

Contents Acknowledgments vii Introduction: Becoming Covered 1 1. Sailors, Criminals, and Prostitutes: The History of a Lingering Tattoo Stigma 21 2. "I Want to Be Covered": Heavily Tattooed Women Challenge the Dominant Beauty Culture 35 3. "I Mom": Family Responses toward Tattooed Women 65 4. "Covering" Work: Dress Code Policies, Tattoos, and the Law 89 5. "Is the Tattoo Guy Here?": Women Tattoo Artists' Experience Working in a Male-Dominated Profession 122 6. Tattoos Are Not for Touching: Public Space, Stigma, and Social Sanctions 151 Conclusion: Toward a Tattoo Etiquette 177 Notes 183 Index 199 About the Author 207

About the Author

Beverly Yuen Thompson is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Siena College in Loudonville, NY.

Reviews

"Covered in Inkprovides a detailed and gendered look at the lives of heavily tattooed women and how their choices to cover their bodies in ink represents both group belonging, yet a life that is still on the periphery of society, especially so for women who are expected to be pretty and sexy, not covered in large 'unfeminine' tattoos."
*Metapsychology*

"Covered in Ink is an excellent addition to the growing body of serious literature on tattooing. Based on extensive ethnographic research and personal experience, the author focuses on issues of central interest including beauty, presentation of self, gender roles, deviance, public interaction, and discrimination. The book is written in an engaging style and offers a uniquely interesting feminist take on an increasingly popular mode of body alteration."
*Clinton Sanders,author of Customizing the Body: The Art and Culture of Tattooing*

"In this book, Beverly Yuen Thompson serves up a sophisticated sociology of the skin. From street interactions and family perceptions to legal constraints and workplace dynamics, she shows how the world of tattooing interweaves time and again with issues of gender and the body. As vivid as its subject matter, this book is itself a batch of beautiful ink."
*Jeff Ferrell,author of Empire of Scrounge: Inside the Urban Underground of Dumpster Diving, Trash Picking, an*

"Thompson brings up a number of insightful points regarding self-expression, femininity, and the way in which heavily tattooed women navigate a society that is gradually becoming more accepting."
*Utne Reader*