Few things divide us like tattoos. Tell someone you research tattoos, as one of us (Steph) does, and their eyes will often wander, searching for inked designs on your body before compulsively sharing their views.
Steph’s research looks at the assumptions that people in the UK make about those with tattoos – their jobs, class, history and competence. For example, the notion of a vicar with a tattoo is still shocking to many people.
Despite the big rise in the popularity of tattoos – a YouGov poll in August 2022 found that more than 25% of Britons have them – some people (and researchers too) still associate them with deviant personalities. Equally, many may see them as mere fashion accessories with no significance beyond the aesthetic.
