Got Tattoo?
Yes, there are obvious networks existing everywhere...business ties, social events, family reunions. But what are some less obvious examples of networks?
Tattoos present an individual with the opportunity to express himself through body art. Similar tattoos can convey similar values and beliefs, forming an underlying network of commonality. My sister Katrin has a total of four tattoos, varying in size and color. On her ankle she has an artistic stick figure about 4 inches high, on her arm she has an aboriginal design depicting a skeleton of a dragonfly in black and red hues, on her other arm she has a matisse painting of the human figure, and finally she has a tribal symbol on her forearm. No, she's not a member of a motorcycle gang, but she believes that her tattoos are beautiful works of art and she is proud of them. Often when we go out together, people will stop and ask her what her various tattoos mean. She is always happy to take her time and explain each one. This is a strange metaphor, but it is almost like when senior citizens stop one another and ask about photos of one anothers grandchildren.
Historically, tattoos have been used both negatively and positively to identify similar groups of people. Cults used tattoos to brand their members and to initiate them into their family. Minority groups were often tattooed to further divide them from the community in which they were immersed and discriminated within. These examples both support the idea that groups, who held the same beliefs whether religious or spiritual, were physically identified with tattoos, creating an isolated network of individuals.
Extending this idea to the animal kingdom and research, animals are often tattooed or "tagged" to create a network in which research can take place. Here, each individual can be linked to another animal and a conceptual map of individual interactions can be observed and recorded.
So what is the point of all this tagging and linking? To observe the patterns of interaction? Maybe. But it is my belief that humans are trying to understand the concepts of tagging and linking to create networks because they are fascinated with the idea of simplifying the world around them. By mapping out seemingly random encounters and decisions, humans believe they can unravel the world down to networks until they understand the very fabric of existence, or something very close.
Already, we have computer chips in pets so we can play lost and found when a pet goes astray. We hear of scientists and researchers presenting the idea of placing small computer chips in newborn babies for identification and tracking purposes in the future. Now I am not sure exactly how the data would be compiled and tracked, yet I have a mental image of a large computer displaying a map with small blinking dots, each representing a human being. People would be standing around this giant screen pointing to certain clusters wondering why and how this or that particular network formed. Since when did technology reduce us from being "numbers" to simply just "dots?" I am very interested in further educating myself concerning networks and how they affect society today and in the future.
Comments
Posted by: zach newman
Posted on: November 9, 2005 09:52 PM
nice post. i like the idea that tatoos identify people in certain groups. i think maybe humans tatoo and tag themselves for their own comfort and their own need to catagorize things. it seems like tattooing is something people do to reaffirm their own self image. if they have a tatoo that represents a group they want to be associated with, it gives a physical connection between themselves and the group.
Posted by: Tattoo blog
Posted on: February 5, 2007 11:13 PM
Tattooing is definitely a way to gain acceptance in a group environment. A tattoo once represented one's belonging to a sub-culture. However, with the current popularity it's becoming like the term "punk rock," which became rather mainstream. None the less, I love the history of tattoos and the traditional themes used in the artform.