black and white image of a tattooed young man and woman standing together wearing sunglasses

Hairdos, Piercings and Tattoos

What Class?

Hairdos, Piercings and Tattoos:
Body and Identity

Who Teaches It?

Professor Ned Searles,
Anthropology

Why is tattooing celebrated in some contexts (among the Maori of New Zealand) but not in others? Why do certain groups practice circumcision while others do not? And how can gender feel so fluid for some people but so fixed for others? These are among the questions we delve into throughout this foundation seminar.

As a foundation seminar, this course is designed to help students master the art of engaged learning as well as different genres of writing, from reflections on their own experiences to in-depth research essays.

“Beliefs about what people can and can’t do with their bodies is not only culturally specific but also mediated by many taken-for-granted assumptions about what it means to be gendered.”

One of the main objectives of the course is to examine the many meanings associated with a range of body-modification practices — tattoos, piercings, circumcision, sex reassignment surgery — as well as different perspectives on the body and sexuality. The goal is to explore how beliefs about what people can and can’t do with their bodies is not only culturally specific but also mediated by many taken-for-granted assumptions about what it means to be gendered. Drawing on Western and non-Western theories and case studies, this class examines how body-modification practices and beliefs reveal diverse values and identities within and across different cultural contexts. These explorations result in lively discussions, many of which are student-led.

The goal is for students to think more deeply about the connections between their bodies and their selves as well as to consider how these connections are experienced and expressed by people in other parts of the world. The intent is to cultivate a learning environment in which all students feel comfortable sharing ideas and are open to the benefits of receiving constructive criticism from classmates.

— Ned Searles

Photo: Eugene Partyzan/Shutterstock

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