TATTOOS AS MARKERS OF IDENTITY: A CULTURAL EVOLUTION
TATTOOS AS MARKERS OF IDENTITY: A CULTURAL EVOLUTION

Summary/Abstract: Tattoos represent a complex social and cultural phenomenon that has evolved throughout history. In the context of body sociology, they are a distinct manifestation of the interaction between the individual and society. From their ritualistic and symbolic functions in tribal societies to their adoption in contemporary subcultures and later in popular culture, tattoos reflect multiple social, economic, cultural, and political dimensions of modernity. The human body, as a modifiable surface, becomes a space for expressing, signaling, and challenging social norms. Within the framework of body sociology theory, tattoos are not merely aesthetic or artistic expressions, but also means by which individuals assert their identity, social positioning, or affiliation with certain groups. Body sociology, a relatively recent branch of sociology, emphasizes the role of the human body within social interactions, in relation to social institutions and power structures. From Foucault's analysis of body control within disciplinary power to more contemporary theories on performativity and corporality, body sociology examines how the body becomes a battleground for expressing individual freedom or, conversely, for social control. Tattoos fit perfectly into this paradigm, as the act of tattooing the body can be seen both as a gesture of personal freedom and as a form of contesting the normative authorities that regulate the body in modern.

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