Nowadays in Western cultures, body modification such as tattoos and piercings have become the 'norm' and not considered bad. However, body modification is also used by religions and groups to identify members. Branding was used as a means of controlling slaves.
Body modification has gone on since ancient times and in all cultures and countries, so why is it considered by some as bad? Some people suggest that modifying the body's natural form is an attack on God. Sub-groups such as criminals use body modification and their deviant behaviour has become linked with criminal behaviour. Also, there are the obvious considerations; why would someone inflict pain upon themselves and at the same time run the risk of getting an infection from modifying the body.
During the lecture today, we saw many images of body modification, but for me, the bad ones were the heads of tribesmen who had had tattoos etched into their faces. It was horrifying to
learn that people were kidnapped, forcibly tattooed, killed and then mutilated to be sold to Westerners. I used to quite like tattoos but after discovering where many of the designs come from, I have been out off. I don't like the idea of copying a pattern that means so much to someone and yet is just decoration for another.
The ways in which some cultures use/d body modification is immoral because often it involves a lck of choice. The breaking and binding of female Chinese babies' feet is in my opinion child abuse. African tribal men would put metal rings around the necks of their women in order to control their sexuality. If the rings were removed, the neck would often snap immediately.
I think some body modification can be attractive, but I think copying the cultural designs of tribal groups is derogatory and wrong. Body modification that is forced upon people is repressive, cruel and against a human's basic rights.
Body modification has gone on since ancient times and in all cultures and countries, so why is it considered by some as bad? Some people suggest that modifying the body's natural form is an attack on God. Sub-groups such as criminals use body modification and their deviant behaviour has become linked with criminal behaviour. Also, there are the obvious considerations; why would someone inflict pain upon themselves and at the same time run the risk of getting an infection from modifying the body.
During the lecture today, we saw many images of body modification, but for me, the bad ones were the heads of tribesmen who had had tattoos etched into their faces. It was horrifying to
learn that people were kidnapped, forcibly tattooed, killed and then mutilated to be sold to Westerners. I used to quite like tattoos but after discovering where many of the designs come from, I have been out off. I don't like the idea of copying a pattern that means so much to someone and yet is just decoration for another.The ways in which some cultures use/d body modification is immoral because often it involves a lck of choice. The breaking and binding of female Chinese babies' feet is in my opinion child abuse. African tribal men would put metal rings around the necks of their women in order to control their sexuality. If the rings were removed, the neck would often snap immediately.
I think some body modification can be attractive, but I think copying the cultural designs of tribal groups is derogatory and wrong. Body modification that is forced upon people is repressive, cruel and against a human's basic rights.
For more about the original meanings of maori tattoos, see:
http://history-nz.org/maori3.html
For an interesting point of view a religious person on the matter go to:
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