The topic of this blog is the sociology of tattoos, and its economic impact on the society. I grew up with the idea that tattoos were unclassy and bad, because they made someone look “unprofessional” or “uneducated”, or that they were criminals or gang members. These were the only reasons my mother and father gave me for why i should be so against them. Growing up in the central valley of California, I never saw a lot of people that i knew with tattoos, so I assumed the taboo my parents had implanted into my head was true. As I have grown, and as I have lived in a city as diverse as San Francisco, I have adapted to very different views than what I grew up with, tattoos being one of the major ones. Not only have I seen more people with them, but i’ve seen what you would call “professionals” or “high class” people with them as well. My experience in work places here versus back home regarding tattoos has been very different as well. Here, they are more accepting, whereas back home they are against it and advocate for you to cover it with clothing. In past decades, the number of people with tattoos has risen immensely, creating a major economic impact as well. More tattoos means not only more money for the artists, but more money for the tattoo removal industry as well. Tattoos originated as a form of expression to differentiate individuals, and I believe that this meaning has not changed. In fact, last semester I got my own tattoo. It is the Greek delta, meaning change. The corner is open, meaning “open to change”. This is in memory of when my father passed in 2012, and how my world changed instantly. To me, it is a constant reminder to stay strong and keep moving forward, and to adapt to the changes that life brings.