I knew there was a reason I liked being a sociology major. Today, my professor assigned us a project for the upcoming month. We have to create a research paper on tattoos. Our job is to analyze the reasons people get tattoos, which types of tattoos tend to connect with most people, and if people end up regretting their tattoos.

I was thinking about interviewing some of my friends who have tattoos. One of my friends has several scorpion tattoos and another one has a couple of Jesus tattoos; so, I could discuss the religious aspect of tattoos.

This could be a really interesting study. I’m curious to hear people’s reasoning behind why they get ankle tattoos or back tattoos. Is there a particular reason they get them in a certain place? What’s the inspiration behind their designs?

It’ll also be interesting to see if anyone admits to having tattoo regret. I’ve read some studies showing that up to 50% of all individuals regret getting their tattoos. I wonder if any of my subjects fall in that category.

Beyond interviewing my tattooed friends, I also need to find some great books on the subject. Do any of you have recommendations for books or articles that would be helpful?

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