Body Modification

A detailed Summary of Body Modification

Body modification and adornment is a universal culture. All civilizations have attempted to change their body in order to fulfill their cultural construct of beauty, religious and/or social obligations. Body adornment and modification is a very broad subject, ranging from ceremonial body paint to the amputation of appendages. In modern society many people today are looking more like tribal warriors of many African cultures. In fact many of these modifications actually do come from many ancient cultures. So why is body modification just now coming to the attention of the modern world? It is my belief that a greater amount of young adults are finding that imitating traditions of primitive cultures is an excellent way to express themselves. However, the quest for non-conformity is not the only reason people change their appearance. Dissatisfaction with ones appearance and fascination with alteration is also reason for one to modify their body.

A piercing can be defined as any object, intentionally left in the body, for which there is no physiologically functional purpose, and must have be placed in an event which took a conscious decision. "Historically, piercing has had a long history in Europe, with references dating

Ear piercings are most widely practiced piercings among cultural groups in Africa, India, Indonesia, North and South America. In some third world countries ear piercings mark the life stages of an individual and to signify group affiliation. Ear cartilege piercings, especially popular among the Masai and Fulani, also emphasized beauty and wealth. Stretched earlobes are dominant among groups in Indonesia and South America. Stretched earlobes have increased in popularity among modern piercing enthusiasts. I noticed four men with stretched earlobes in about an hour time period on a recent trip to Philadelphia's South Street. I also observed over two-dozen shops on this one particular street in which piercings and tattoo services were offerd.

Primitive people used body paint, scarification, and/or tattooing for wars, different klans and family purposes. Polynesian tattooing, as it existed before the arrival of Europeans in the South Pacific, was the most artistic tattooing in the ancient world. Some believed that they would be sent to the spiritual world that belonged in and obtain a more profitable occupation in the spirit world. They also believed that with the tattooing they could more easily find family and tribal friends. Tattooing was introduced into our society approximately sixty years ago, and is now said to be one of the most popular ways in expressing one's self.

Henna, also known as mehndi, is the painting of the body using temporary ink (usually a dark orange color) made from the herb henna, widely used in the Middle East. It's origins date back to 1700 B.C. in the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures. The patterns

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Approximate Word count = 1104
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous