Body Modification: Tribal and fashion

Body modification has been around since the beginning of time, for one of the longest times dating back years ago and even prevalent today is body modification in African Tribes. Seen as socially acceptable in African culture as a way to enhance beauty by giving status in tribes, it is also a right of passage from boyhood to manhood in children.

Body Modification: Tribal and fashion
Review Arieanna Garcia

Yet in today's modern society seen in America and in the UK, body modification is a practice done by the different, strange, awkward, and out there kind of people. Where a nose ring might get you a husband in Africa, it could cost you a job in America.

(on her way to a job interview? maybe?)

So where does the line of socially unacceptable cross that of culturally respectable?

Growing up, you may have brushed through the pages of a National Geographic. What was something that stuck out to most? The pictures of tribes people, naked in the bush adorned with jewelry in all sorts of places?

Delving into the social standard practices of body modification in Africa, you will see many with the following; scarification, piercings, stretched piercings, and teeth filing and even in extreme cases mutilation.

(Maasai man with pierced ears)

Ritual scarification is used in many tribes in Africa, done by burning, cutting, or making a slight incision to create a prominent scar. Done in patterns, it's used to identify members of certain tribal families. It is also done for social and culture acceptance. Not only done in the men of the tribes, but also to women and children as a coming of age rite of passage. In women it's seen as something beautiful, marks showing they are suitable mothers and wives.

(Sudanese immigrant with body modification)

Body piercing is not only something done in American culture, but for hundreds of years by African tribes. Jewelry can be worn in almost any part of the body including the lip, ears, nose, and eyebrow. Nose piercing, which is very common not only in Middle Eastern parts of the world but also in Berber and Beja tribes of Africa, the wife is given the ring at their wedding, the size of the ring denotes wealth and is good security for the wife if she is to get divorced.

However, I want to know among the African American population, is body modification seen or done as somewhat of a ritual or a rite of passage? It's almost seen as somewhat of an oddity to see a person of color with a piercing. If trying to get a piercing to be different wasn't hard enough, adding in the color factor can really make you stand out.

Check me out with my piercings...

Tags: Africa, Afro-punk, piercing, ritual, tribal

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Comment by hanumansboi on April 15, 2010 at 9:06am: I started getting piercings in 1994 I was 15 and living in rural North Carolina. No one understood it then, but I knew it was a right of passage. Although I'm in my 30s now and I don't have 13 piercings in my face, I still hold onto a few that mean the most to me

Comment by Maat on April 15, 2010 at 1:44am: First let me say, I dig the article and love how folks are pushing the envelopes of acceptability (in the West) with their body modifications. I can say personally, having my head tatted was definitely a declaration that I have turned my back on the way of living deemed acceptable by the mainstream... I've been a DIYer for a few years and the body art just completely "burns the sails" so to speak-meaning that there is no turning back for me. I will navigate this mess of a society on my own terms--so maybe it is a rite of passage in the sense that I have begun (visibly) to make my stand... that said, the dudes with the tattooed tear teardrops need to get an identity...

Comment by weallfail on April 14, 2010 at 11:34pm: The problem is that many people consider people with piercings and tattoos inept to do that judge. Not only to they carry their prejudices about these people from their generation, they pick up new ones along the way. I am not sure that in America we get tattoos as a rite of passage, for ritual purposes, or to mark ourselves as suitable marriage. That is certainly not the case (perhaps it is in the families with strong cultural heritage, but they are few and far between). It is more for freedom of expression, done on a whim or a dare, and to beautify. It is sad that these body modifications carry a stigmatism with it and a completely inaccurate one at that.
The only time I would advocate for removal of piercings is when it somehow impedes work or is somehow health risk, but I don't know of any specific cases. But other than that people shouldn't look passed the body modifications and focus on the person's work.

Comment by Mamadoc on April 14, 2010 at 11:03pm: My mom freaked the first time I pierced my upper ear. When I was in college, I got my navel pierced & later my clit, clitoral hood, a triangle, and a nipple. For me, perhaps it was a rite of passage of some sorts. With the navel, I just woke up and wanted it one day. Had never seen one except for in magazines. I was living in SF and sick walking down Haight St when I decided I wanted the next. Those that followed were a rite of passage because they scared me & I figured the only way to get over the fear was to just do it. The nipple came about because a friend had gotten new jewelry for his prince albert & told me that he'd give the old jewelry to me if I got it somewhere it could be worn.

10yrs down the line, I tend to see youth with body modifications and pre-judge (yes, a bad thing - just being honest) that they are just trying to be different and at times fit in. Perhaps they're just like me when I began and just wanted to do it. I guess the reasons are as varied as the individual.

As for society's standards, I've always been different in my own way so when I made the decision to go with the full sleeve tattoo, I knew I was going to have hurdles. I work in corporate America and so far my work has surpassed any prejudice about the body art. I usually find the the older people see beyond the outer appearance much quicker than the younger. Maybe that's wisdom.

Comment by Lunakiss on April 14, 2010 at 10:58pm: A rite of passage of self. I really don't understand what the problem among people in our society about body piercings and tats. Great article.