I Can\u27t Even Wear My Skin: The Experiences Visibly Tattooed Women Have for Rejecting Hegemonic Femininity

This capstone project examines the ways in which visibly tattooed women experience negative interactions and behaviors for rejecting hegemonic femininity by being tattooed. The qualitative research conducted for this capstone involves semi-structured virtual interviews with 11 visibly tattooed women (ranging from 23-88+ tattoos). The purpose of this study is to highlight the negative experiences that come with being a visibly tattooed woman in a society that aims to control women’s bodies and keep them in positions of submission. The research in this capstone finds that visibly tattooed women experience dehumanization through objectification, fetishization, stereotyping, and having their professional lives and boundaries disrespected. The research also finds that visibly tattooed women encounter ambivalent sexism for breaking traditional constructions of femininity and rejecting the feminine apologetic