Women's Mastectomy Tattoos and Emotional Healing
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ABSTRACT INKING AGENCY: WOMEN’S MASTECTOMY TATTOOS AND EMOTIONAL HEALING Tattoos can have the power to help people emotionally heal from trauma. They can be used as a way to help an individual cope with physical and emotional stress, such as the loss of a loved one or a physical injury resulting in scars or the loss of a body part. This study was conducted to discover the reasons women reported for getting a mastectomy tattoo and the ways those with mastectomy tattoos use their tattoos to claim bodily agency. Six women who have had mastectomy tattoos were interviewed. Stuart Hall’s encoding and decoding theory along with theories of bodily agency was applied to their responses. The symbolism behind the images participants chose for tattoos included angel wings for women who died with cancer, 3D nipples to look like a natural nipples, feathers to encode God sheltering with His wings, lilies of the valley in bloom to represent Christ and a new beginning, and a phoenix to represent rebirth. The reasons that women chose to get mastectomy tattoos varied. The two reasons that all six women mentioned were to cover up their scars and to spread awareness that this option exists. The tattoo was also transformative in that it helped the women feel confident, gave them the desire to show off their breasts, and helped them heal emotionally. Amanda Stutsman May 2016 INKING AGENCY: WOMEN’S MASTECTOMY TATTOOS AND EMOTIONAL HEALING by Amanda Stutsman A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication in the College of Arts and Humanities California State University, Fresno May 2016 APPROVED For the Department of Communication: We, the undersigned, certify that the thesis of the following student meets the required standards of scholarship, format, and style of the university and the student's graduate degree program for the awarding of the master's degree. Amanda Stutsman Thesis Author Kevin Ayotte (Chair) Communication Marnel Niles Goins Communication Hillary Jones Communication For the University Graduate Committee: Dean, Division of Graduate Studies AUTHORIZATION FOR REPRODUCTION OF MASTER’S THESIS X I grant permission for the reproduction of this thesis in part or in its entirety without further authorization from me, on the condition that the person or agency requesting reproduction absorbs the cost and provides proper acknowledgment of authorship. Permission to reproduce this thesis in part or in its entirety must be obtained from me. Signature of thesis author: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my husband and parents for their continued encouragement. I would also like to thank Garnet Tattoo for their support and assistance, along with a special thank you to the women who gave their time to participate in this study. This thesis would not have been accomplished without all of your help. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 1 History of Women with Tattoos ........................................................................ 2 Significance of Researching Mastectomy Tattoos ............................................ 7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................... 11 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .......................................................................... 36 Participants ...................................................................................................... 38 Interview Procedures ....................................................................................... 41 Coding and Analysis ....................................................................................... 44 CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION ................................................................................. 49 Encoding/Decoding ......................................................................................... 52 Tattoo Symbolism ........................................................................................... 53 Emotional Healing .......................................................................................... 66 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION ............................................................................... 78 Summary ......................................................................................................... 78 Implications ..................................................................................................... 82 Limitations and Future Research .................................................................... 84 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 89 APPENDICES ........................................................................................................ 97 APPENDIX A: CONSENT FORM ....................................................................... 98 APPENDIX B: QUESTIONNAIRE .................................................................... 101 LIST OF TABLES Page Table 1 Primary Codes .......................................................................................... 46 Table 2 Secondary Codes ...................................................................................... 48 LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1 Lady Viola, photograph by Historical Findings ........................................ 4 Figure 2 Betty Broadbent, 1939, photograph by The Tattooed Lady ...................... 5 Figure 3 The SCAR Project, 2011, photograph by David Jay Photography ......... 20 Figure 4 Humor and Fear, 1999, photograph by Joel-Peter Witkin ...................... 21 Figure 5 Inga Duncan Thornell, 2012, photograph by Tina Bafaro ...................... 33 Figure 6 Angie, 2015a, reprinted with permission from Shane Wallin ................. 55 Figure 7 Mary, 2015b, reprinted with permission from Shane Wallin .................. 56 Figure 8 Tracy, 2015c, reprinted with permission from Shane Wallin ................. 58 Figure 9 Kim, 2015d, reprinted with permission from Shane Wallin ................... 59 Figure 10 Laura, 2015e, reprinted with permission from Shane Wallin ............... 60 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION In the never-ending project of women’s self-transformation, tattoos are both an end and a beginning, a problem and a solution. Written on the skin—the very membrane that separates the self from the world—they’re diary entries and public announcements, conversation pieces and counterculture totems, valentines to lovers, memorials to the dead, reminders to the self. They’re scars and symptoms, mistakes and corrections. – Mifflin, Bodies of Subversion In 1993, Inga Duncan Thornell had a double mastectomy procedure after being diagnosed with breast cancer (Thornell, 2012). A mastectomy is the surgical removal of the breast (“Mastectomy,” n.d.), a double mastectomy involving both breasts, and a lumpectomy is the surgical removal of lump from the breast (“Lumpectomy,” n.d.). Thornell had already lost her stepmother to breast cancer and her own mother had also been diagnosed with it. Thornell (2012) writes a blog about her experience, on which she states that instead of breast reconstruction through plastic surgery she opted to cover her entire chest with a tattoo that took over two years to complete. Although more than 20 years have passed since Thornell chose to get a mastectomy tattoo, her tattoo is just now starting to get recognized on social media. Thornell (2012) stated on her blog that she still loves her tattoo and says that it is a part of her. In part because of Thornell, the popularity of mastectomy tattoos is rising. Her tattoo has been publicized and helped to change a policy on nudity of a major social media network, which is discussed in chapter two. Although mastectomy tattoos are starting to become more common, very few women know about the option unless there is a need for them to learn about the tattoos. As the results of this study suggest, the more publicity this option 2 2 generates, the more women can discover that a tattoo might help them emotionally heal. The increased publicity of this topic can also provide an avenue for women who have similar experiences to meet and share their stories with each other. Cancer affects both women and men of all races. It is a battle that is fought every day by brave women and men. According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation (n.d.), 246,660 new cases of breast cancer in women and 2,600 new cases for men will be reported in 2016. The number of women who get a mastectomy varies by state due to different reasons. One reason is that radiation is required after a lumpectomy, but not all medical offices have the resources to provide radiation therapy, making it difficult for patients who have to travel long distances to receive the treatment. Therefore, some settle for a mastectomy despite the availability of other options; however, for others, it is a personal choice (Susan G. Komen Foundation, 2015). Although breast cancer also affects men, this thesis focused on women due to availability of participants and the fact that it effects more women than men. Losing breast tissue also effects women’s gender identity differently than men’s. This chapter begins with a brief history of women with tattoos. The second