Stigma Experiences of Post-Secondary Women with Piercings and Tattoos
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University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2013-01-18 Why Would You Get THAT Done?! Stigma Experiences of Post-Secondary Women with Piercings and Tattoos Martin, Cayla Martin, C. (2013). Why Would You Get THAT Done?! Stigma Experiences of Post-Secondary Women with Piercings and Tattoos (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28708 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/431 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Why Would You Get THAT Done?!: Stigma Experiences of Post-Secondary Women with Piercings and Tattoos by Cayla R. Martin A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DIVISION OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY CALGARY, ALBERTA January, 2013 © Cayla R. Martin 2013 UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES The undersigned certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis entitled "Why Would You Get THAT Done?!: Stigma Experiences of Post-Secondary Women with Piercings and Tattoos" submitted by Cayla R. Martin in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science. Supervisor, Dr. Sharon Cairns Division of Applied Psychology Dr. Kevin Alderson Educational Psychology Dr. Colleen Kawalilak Educational Research Date ii Abstract Research in the area of piercings and tattoos has indicated the existence of commonly held stereotypes and assumptions (stigmas) concerning these body practices. These stigmas have been shown to impact the hireability of those with body modifications; women more so than men. In order to better understand the experiences of women with piercings and tattoos who are going into the professional workforce I interviewed 8 post- secondary women. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used utilizing van Manen’s 6 activities for inquiry. Supplementary research using the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment Revised scale was conducted to see how relationships with family and friends influence or result in stigma experiences. Eight main themes were created through interpretation of the findings. It was discovered that, despite the mainstream obtainment of body modification (BoM), post-secondary women are still experiencing and/or anticipating workplace stigma. Implications of these findings for career counselling are discussed. iii Acknowledgements There are so many people in my life that, without whom, I would not have made it to this point. Thanks first goes to my amazing supervisor, Dr. Sharon Cairns, who supported a thesis topic that, while dear to my heart, was new to hers. Her support and guidance helped me through more than one mini freak-out; allowing me to put the process into perspective. I am also extremely grateful to all of the women who participated in this study; who were open to sharing their experiences and who put their trust in me to get their message into the public. Further, I would like to thank all of those on my thesis committee who showed curious interest into the topic and who provided further insights and posed important questions. I’d also like to thank everyone in my cohort. I have been truly blessed by the support and encouragement of such an amazing and talented group of people; people who quickly moved from classmates to friends. I would also like to express my thanks to the friends in my life who cheered me on and helped me believe in myself and my abilities; those who encouraged me to pursue a Masters degree, who listened to my struggles and who helped celebrate my accomplishments. Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank my Mom, my Dad, and my Brother. Their constant support, encouragement, love and patience are what have made this (very) long educational journey possible. iv Table of Contents APPROVAL PAGE ....................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. IV TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... V CHAPTER ONE: WHY WOULD YOU GET THAT DONE? AN INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC AND AN OVERVIEW OF THE CHAPTERS ...............................1 Selecting a Topic .............................................................................................................1 Defining the Concepts .....................................................................................................2 My Story ..........................................................................................................................2 Tattoos. .......................................................................................................................4 Experienced stigma: Workplace. ................................................................................5 Removal of piercings. .................................................................................................6 Experienced stigma: Family and friends. ...................................................................7 Relationships/attachment. ...........................................................................................9 Moving into a professional career. .............................................................................9 Approaching the Topic ..................................................................................................10 Objective. ..................................................................................................................10 Research questions. ..................................................................................................10 Significance of the Study ...............................................................................................11 Summary of Chapters ....................................................................................................12 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ...........................................................................14 Stigma ............................................................................................................................17 Stigma and BoM ............................................................................................................19 Stigma, BoM, and Women ............................................................................................20 Stigma, BoM, and Workplace ........................................................................................24 Stigma, BoM, the Workplace, and Women ...................................................................26 Stigma, BoM, and Relationships with Family and Friends ...........................................27 Attachment .....................................................................................................................28 Attachment and BoM .....................................................................................................31 Summary: Connecting the Dots .....................................................................................32 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN .................................................35 Research Paradigm ........................................................................................................35 Philosophical Framework ..............................................................................................35 Edmond Husserl’s phenomenology. .........................................................................36 Hermeneutic phenomenology as a philosophy. ........................................................37 v van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenology as a methodology. ................................39 Participant Recruitment .................................................................................................43 Interviews/Data Collection ............................................................................................45 Data Analysis .................................................................................................................47 Adhering to the Story (Enhancing the Quality of Data) ................................................48 Rigour. ......................................................................................................................48 Credibility. ................................................................................................................49 Authenticity. .............................................................................................................50 Criticality. .................................................................................................................51 Integrity. ...................................................................................................................51 CHAPTER 4: INTRODUCTION TO PARTICIPANTS ..................................................53