Tattooed: The Sociogenesis of a Body Art

Susan McKnight is an administrator of the Courts Technology Integrated Justice Project at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.

In this thoroughly researched and well-documented study, Michael
Atkinson presents a sociological approach to tattooing, exploring its
social importance and surprisingly rich cultural history. It is an
approach that relies heavily on the work of Norbert Elias and his
exposition of “civilising processes.” This is figurational
sociology, which follows trends or behaviours over time and explores how
the shifts affect relationships between people and society in general.
Atkinson, who teaches sociology at McMaster University, applies this
theory to the art of tattooing by discussing academic and commercial
writings on tattooing, by looking at various representations of the art,
and by talking to tattoo enthusiasts of all ages and from all walks of
life.

Although the book is lucidly written, it is geared toward readers who
have some knowledge of sociological terminology and an understanding of
basic sociological precepts. The list of references is impressive,
opening up avenues for personal research. The colour photographs are
tasteful and illustrate such tattoo techniques as the Japanese
“shirt.”