Over the years, body modifications (in this case, tattoos and piercings) have become accepted and less taboo, particularly among Generation Z.
Seen as a way to decorate our bodies and express ourselves, tattoos and piercings don’t turn heads the way they once did.
While that acceptance is certainly welcomed, the stereotypical assumptions related to people with visible tattoos and piercings often remains, particularly amongst older generations and especially when it comes to seeking employment.
It's very obvious that the world is changing, and so should the outdated (and often harmful) standards of beauty that dictate what is acceptable and what isn't.
It should be noted that someone applying for a job with tattoos of hate and bigotry are the exception to the argument I will be making throughout this article; employers have the right to (and should) deny employment to someone with homophobic or racist imagery tattooed, for example.
Still, the negative stigmas attached to those with body modifications remain, despite the progression we’ve made as a society. Some stereotypes are that tattooed and pierced people are rebellious, incompetent, and have misplaced priorities.
Dr. Bianca Chigbu, an industrial relations and educational sociologist, in an interview with Skills Portal, says that as humans, we make small assumptions based on people's looks, but some take it too far and judge/assume that a person is unprofessional and unintelligent, just because they have ink and piercings on their body.
In a looming and stressful unemployment crisis, particularly amongst the youth, body modifications should not be the sole focus of a candidate’s qualities.
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate was 63,9% for those aged 15-24 and 42,1% for those aged 25-34 years.
Gen Z, born between the late 1990s and early 2000s, is the future; they will be (and are) the adults functioning in our society, in our places of work.
The old concept of a professional look and appearance could be replaced by something much more needed and flexible, including employees with tattoos and piercings.
It's almost rare in today’s day and age to meet someone without one or two (maybe more) extra holes in their ears, noses or belly buttons or without ink etched into their skin, big and/or small.
This current generation is changing the concept of work in the work environment, meaning that Gen Z can have many tattoos and body piercings and be highly competent in their jobs, says Dr. Chigbu.
“I have seen young medical doctors and nurses with tattoos do their jobs effectively, and these are critical jobs requiring higher qualifications, skills, and dedication. I have also seen young academic teachers, lawyers, and business managers with body modifications,” explains Dr. Chigbu.
While regretful body modifications are just as common as the body modifications themselves, the fact that many of the workplace’s future employers and/or employees are sporting extra jewellery and a drawing on their body should not dictate and determine whether they can or are deserving enough to earn money for their survival.
Studies show that while both men and women are aware of the importance of appearance for social functioning, women are judged more by their looks than men in various spheres of life, says sociologist Dr. Julita Czernecka from the University of Lodz.
Gender discrimination and inequality in the workplace is already a pre-existing problem, and a woman (who is more often judged for her outward appearance) having tattoos or piercings can limit her employment status, simply because of stereotypes that are associated with body modifications.
But, sporting a tattoo or a piercing is not and should not be relevant to what a potential employee can bring to the job, much like how someone's gender shouldn't be a deciding factor for employment. Dr. Chigbu says that “a rational, flexible, and successful employer knows the importance of diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace.”
Of course there are professions where jewellery and tattoos prohibit an employee from safely and effectively doing their jobs, but the point is that the body modifications present on someone’s body do not define who they are or speak to their character entirely.
The focus should be on whether the candidate has the job requirements to successfully fulfil the position.
Body modifications can also be skin-deep representations of an individual’s cultural and personal beliefs.
The main reasons why people decide to get tattoos on their body include cultural reasons, expressing individuality, to indicate membership of a particular group or way of life, make a statement, establish a permanent reminder of an event, and make the body more pleasing to the eye (aside from simply being an act of rebellion).
In our very own country, looking back on South Africa’s rich history, some tribal people like the Khoisan have used the art of tattooing as a rite of passage for their young boys. Other indigenous tribes in Southern Africa focused more on other forms of body modifications, such as the stretching of various body parts like the ears, lips and necks, rather than tattooing.
In New Zealand, Maori tattoos were brought from Eastern Polynesia. The name given to the art form by Maori’s (particularly facial tattoos) is ‘moko’ and the process of making them is called ‘ta moko.’ By the 1860s, women began to wear the ‘moko’ just below their chins.
As it turns out, the lower-back tattoo didn't originate with Britney Spears. "Iceman, from 3200 B.C., had tattoos on his back, perhaps for medical reasons," said John Rush, author of Spiritual Tattoo: A Cultural History of Tattooing, Piercing, Scarification, Branding, and Implants.
"Mummified leaders found in burials in Central Asia, from 500 B.C., reveal lower-back tattoos. It's not a general signal of availability, sexual promiscuity, or compromised morals," he elaborates.
However, not every tattoo or piercing needs to have cultural or religious significance to be justified; sometimes they’re simply just a fun accessory.
“The Generation Z workers love to express themselves in many ways regardless of culture and religion. For instance, to some extent, the IT sector has a good number of Gen Z, which is predicted to be one of those sectors to run the future of work.
Personally, from a labour perspective, when I see a prospective graduate or hire with one or more tattoos and body piercings, I see a creative, flexible, and open-minded person, a go-getter and a problem solver – and I am thinking of many ways they can bring those innate abilities to the workplace. I believe that employers should lower their standards when it comes to recruitment and pay more attention to the candidate's skills,” said Dr Chigbu.
When judging the character, and receptiveness of individuals with tattoos and piercings, it is important to resist the temptation to rely on stereotypes or reflexive assumptions. There is a person behind the tattooed and pierced persona.
It is possible to say that even without tattoos and body piercings, people can behave inappropriately and in socially unacceptable ways, but tattoos and body piercings do not portray a life CV.
Bianca Chigbu, PhD is an industrial relations and educational sociologist. She is currently a senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of Fort Hare. She engages in research on sustainable pedagogy, skills and training, labour relations, just – transitions, and sustainable socio-economic change.