The adorned feminine body: a qualitative exploration of media representations of tattooed women in the UK

Charlotte Dann, Jane Callaghan, Lisa Fellin

Research output: Contribution to ConferencePoster

Abstract

In this study, we explore how women with tattoos are portrayed in digital media. With a focus on the construction of femininities, we present a media analysis of digital articles and associated imagery published between September 2013 and February 2014 where women with tattoos are discussed and portrayed. A comprehensive search was conducted, with twenty five articles identified. The poster will focus on five of those articles, which are analysed through the means of Foucauldian Discourse Analysis. Our analysis explores how women with tattoos are constructed, analysing textual and visual representations in the digital media, to consider its implications for our understanding of femininities and embodiment in contemporary neoliberal British culture. The findings of the study contribute to our understanding of women with tattoos, by considering the 'fashion' aspect of body art, and the notion that there is a right and wrong way to be tattooed. There is also a clear difference between tasteful, discreet tattoos, and tattoos that are considered inappropriate. Think links to ideas of self-expression through decoration of the skin.

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