Body Modification
Body modification is a universal custom. It is a vague term that can label many different things. Body modification can mean tattooing, piercing, or sometimes modification or mutilation to body parts. Depending on where you live, you may believe body modification is a holy and sacred practice, or a weird and abnormal practice. It is used in many different cultures to express different things. For example, the Ta Moko tattoo practiced in the native australian tribe, the Maori, is a rite of passage for men and women, where female circumcision is a cultural "norm" for the Masai tribe in Kenya. In the United States and Canada, body modification is generally done for a particular image or for personal reasons. Although some of these modifications are extreme, they are the traditions found in these cultures.
Maori
The Maori are an indigenous tribe found in Australia. They practice the body modification of Ta Moko tattooing. This custom is extremely important to the Maori culture. The Ta Moko signifies adulthood and independence. Ta Moko was like a history of a person's achievements and represented their status in their tribe (Australian Museum). It is applied to women and men but specific designs and areas of the body were designated to both genders. The men would be seen with full face Mokos, the left side of the face related to the father's history and the right side to the mother's history (Australian Museum). The women would have some on the lower lip or chin and shoulders and occasionally when someone they were close to died, they would put small markings for those people on their bodies (Australian Museum). The Ta Moko tattoos have become a popular tribal design which has been appropriated in places like the United States. These tattoos are so meaningful to the Maori but the traditions are being lost due to the forced urbanisation of the Maori (Paul, Meredith- Te Ara).
Masai
The Masai are an indigenous group located in Kenya. They practice a more controversial form of body modification. Female circumcision is performed on the women of the tribes for many reasons. A reason this is practiced is to be considered an adult woman. Once they are circumcised, they are able to be married (BBC Health). Another reason is to ensure the woman is faithful to their husband, especially in some cases where after circumcision, the labia is sewn until her wedding night (BBC Health). Often if a girl is not circumcised, she is considered "unclean" and is not able to be married (BBC Health). She would then be shunned from the entire community.
From an etic perspective, we see many things wrong with this practice. For one thing, it is extremely dangerous for the women to be circumcised in the area they are. The tools used are not being sanitized and often the area is packed with mud and dirty water after. There are so many health risks seen but this is a tradition for the Masai culture and is how they have always lived.
From an etic perspective, we see many things wrong with this practice. For one thing, it is extremely dangerous for the women to be circumcised in the area they are. The tools used are not being sanitized and often the area is packed with mud and dirty water after. There are so many health risks seen but this is a tradition for the Masai culture and is how they have always lived.
United States and Canada
The USA and Canada take part in multiple different body modifications, the most common being piercings and tattoos. The difference between tribes like the Maori or the Masai and USA or Canada is that the majority of modifications done in the United States or Canada are done for an image. Self image and personality are now shown through body art (tattooing) and piercings. Tattoos are usually done to display a memory or to remember a loved one, or simply because they "look cool". Piercings are becoming more common as well. The most common piercings are the ear lobes, followed by the nose, lip and other facial piercings. "Plugs" or "ear stretching" has also become popular in western culture. Stretching is a form of body modification in which a healed piercing is slowly expanded to accommodate larger jewelry (How To Stretch your Ears). Many people refer to the process using the term "gauging", although the technically correct term for the act is "stretching" (How To Stretch Your Ears).
Although some of these modifications are done for sentimental or personal reasons, the majority are non-religious and are targeting a desired self-image.
Although some of these modifications are done for sentimental or personal reasons, the majority are non-religious and are targeting a desired self-image.
Sources
“The Meaning of Ta Moko – Maori Tattooing”. Australian Museum. Aug. 8, 2012.
Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/The-Meaning-of-Ta-Moko-Maori-Tattooing
This website seemed very credible as it was an Australian Museum website. There was a lot of useful information on the general meanings of the Moko tattoos and along with information I already held on the topic, it allowed me to support my thoughts. The website was also updated recently, in 2012, which made it more credible than an older, expired webpage.
Paul, Meredith. “Urban Maori”. Te Ara- The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Sep. 24,
2011. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/urban-maori
This website was credible because it is a government website which provided information on the history and future of Maori people. There were lists of sources provided for support and further reading as well as referenced quotes to add to the website's credibility. It had lots of useful information on where the Maori people are now as well as insight into their cultural practices.
“Female Genital Mutilation”. BBC Health. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/female_genital_mutilation.shtml
This website was reasonably credible as it is a BBC news wesbite and is very well known. It provided generalities and well known information on female circumcision but showed some bias as they referred to the modification as "mutilation". Although this is a common bias as there are not many who practice the extreme modification of female circumcision, I still recognized it as a western culture bias. As for well known information, the website was credible enough to use those facts.
Baldauf, Scott. "In Kenya, a refuge from female circumcision". CS Monitor. March 13, 2008. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2008/0313/p07s04-woaf.html
This website was used more for gathering extra information/ further reading to satisfy curiosity. It was definitely biased in a religious way but also told the story of a refuge girl who was circumcised. There were quotes and detailed information to gain more knowledge on a real life case. Again, this was a good website for extra information but I did not use this as a source for my written portion.
"What is Stretching?". How To Stretch Your Ears. 2012. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.howtostretchyourears.com/
This website is credible on the topic of ear stretching because it is a well known practice in the United States and Canada. It provided detailed information on what ear stretching is as well as how to carry out the procedure safely and effectively. Of the websites I found on this topic, this was the most credible I came up with.
Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://australianmuseum.net.au/The-Meaning-of-Ta-Moko-Maori-Tattooing
This website seemed very credible as it was an Australian Museum website. There was a lot of useful information on the general meanings of the Moko tattoos and along with information I already held on the topic, it allowed me to support my thoughts. The website was also updated recently, in 2012, which made it more credible than an older, expired webpage.
Paul, Meredith. “Urban Maori”. Te Ara- The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Sep. 24,
2011. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/urban-maori
This website was credible because it is a government website which provided information on the history and future of Maori people. There were lists of sources provided for support and further reading as well as referenced quotes to add to the website's credibility. It had lots of useful information on where the Maori people are now as well as insight into their cultural practices.
“Female Genital Mutilation”. BBC Health. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/female_genital_mutilation.shtml
This website was reasonably credible as it is a BBC news wesbite and is very well known. It provided generalities and well known information on female circumcision but showed some bias as they referred to the modification as "mutilation". Although this is a common bias as there are not many who practice the extreme modification of female circumcision, I still recognized it as a western culture bias. As for well known information, the website was credible enough to use those facts.
Baldauf, Scott. "In Kenya, a refuge from female circumcision". CS Monitor. March 13, 2008. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2008/0313/p07s04-woaf.html
This website was used more for gathering extra information/ further reading to satisfy curiosity. It was definitely biased in a religious way but also told the story of a refuge girl who was circumcised. There were quotes and detailed information to gain more knowledge on a real life case. Again, this was a good website for extra information but I did not use this as a source for my written portion.
"What is Stretching?". How To Stretch Your Ears. 2012. Retrieved Jan. 11, 2013.
http://www.howtostretchyourears.com/
This website is credible on the topic of ear stretching because it is a well known practice in the United States and Canada. It provided detailed information on what ear stretching is as well as how to carry out the procedure safely and effectively. Of the websites I found on this topic, this was the most credible I came up with.