Skin: 1 The Body’s Canvas Wes Wheeler’s tattoos, which cover his entire back, took 70 hours to complete. “Getting the tattoo was painful,” he says, “but sometimes I look in the mirror and say, wow, that’s beautiful, and it’s on me.” 25 10 If you took off your skin and laid it flat, it would cover an area of about 1.9 square meters (21 square feet), making it by far the body’s largest organ. Covering almost the entire body, skin protects us from a variety of external forces, such as extremes of temperature, damaging sunlight, harmful chemicals, and dangerous infections. Skin is also packed with nerves, which keeps the brain in touch with the outside world. 35 15 The health of our skin and its ability to perform its protective functions are crucial to our well-being. However, the appearance of our skin is equally—if not more—important to many people on this planet. Take skin color, for example. Your genes determine your skin’s color, but for centuries, humans have tried to lighten or darken their skin in an attempt to be more attractive. In the 1800s, white skin was desirable for many Europeans. Skin this color meant that its owner was a member of the upper class and did not have to work in the sun. Among darker-skinned people in some parts of the world, products 40 1 5 20 30 45 used to lighten skin are still popular today. In other cultures during the 20th century, as cities grew and work moved indoors, attitudes toward light skin shifted in the opposite direction. Tanned skin began to indicate leisure time and health. In many places today, sun tanning on the beach or in a salon2 remains popular, even though people are more aware of the dangers of UV rays.3 Just as people have altered their skin’s color to denote wealth and beauty, so too have cultures around the globe marked their skin to indicate cultural identity or community status. Tattooing, for example, has been carried out for thousands of years. Leaders in places including ancient Egypt, Britain, and Peru wore tattoos to mark their status, or their bravery. Today, among the Maori people of New Zealand as well as in cultures in Samoa, Tahiti, and Borneo, full facial tattoos, called moko, are still used to identify the wearer as a member of a certain family and to symbolize the person’s achievements in life. 1 2 28 Unit 2 Skin Deep anvas is a strong, heavy cloth often used to do oil pants on. C A salon is a place where people have their hair cut or colored, or have beauty treatments. A group of children from Washington International Primary School shows a range of different skin tones. 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 In Japan, tattooing has been practiced since around the fifth century b.c. The government made tattooing illegal in 1870, and though there are no laws against it today, tattoos are still strongly associated with criminals— particularly the yakuza, or the Japanese mafia,3 who are known for their full-body tattoos. The complex design of a yakuza member’s tattoo usually includes symbols of character traits that the wearer wants to have. The process of getting a full-body tattoo is both slow and painful and can take up to two years to complete. In some cultures, scarring—a marking caused by cutting or burning the skin—is practiced, usually among people who have darker skin on which a tattoo would be difficult to see. For many men in West Africa, for instance, scarring is a rite of passage—an act that symbolizes that a male has matured from a child into an adult. In Australia, among some native peoples, cuts are made on the skin of both men and women when they reach 16 or 17. Without these scars, members were traditionally not permitted to trade, sing ceremonial songs, or participate in other activities. 90 95 appealing to those living in modern cities? According to photographer Chris Rainier, whose book Ancient Marks examines body markings around the globe, people are looking for a connection with the traditional world. “There is a whole sector of modern society— people in search of identity, people in search of meaning . . .,” says Rainier. “Hence, [there has been]a huge explosion of tattooing and body marking . . . [I]t’s . . . mankind wanting identity, wanting a sense of place . . . and a sense of culture within their community.” 3 4 The Mafia is a criminal organization that makes money illegally. An industrialized nation is a country which has a lot of industry, such as factories, businesses, etc. Not all skin markings are permanent, though. In countries such as Morocco and India, women decorate their skin with colorful henna designs for celebrations such as weddings and important religious holidays. The henna coloring, which comes from a plant, fades and disappears over time. In recent years in many industrialized nations,4 tattooing, henna body art, and, to a lesser degree, scarring have been gaining in popularity. What makes these practices The scars on the face of a Gobir woman from Niger indicate her membership in the tribe. 2B Unmasking Skin 29 Reading Comprehension A. Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer for each question. :.::l:,:1. 1. What is this reading mainly about? a. the importance of skin to health b. the ways people change the appearance of their skin c. reasons people get tattoos d, cultural ceremonies a ...' , .a: 2. Why are tattoos disapproved of in Japanese society? a. They are often associated with crime. b, They are painful. c, They take too long to complete. d. They are illegal. 3. What is NOT true about henna tattoos? a, They are used to celebrate religious holidays. b. Some lndian brides decorate their skin with them. c, They are permanent. d, They are made with ink. Gritical Thinking How are tattcr: viewed in you' culture? Do ychave one, or \j,: - you consider getting one? 4. ln the final paragraph, the word explosion can be replaced with a. bombing b. destruction c, increase d. decrease 5. What is the main idea of paragraph B (stafting line Bl)? a. Body marking is used today as a means of identity. b. Body marking is a dying art. c. Body marking is an old practice. d. Body marking is a modern phenomenon. B. Matching. Match the ways in which people have changed the appearance of their skin (1-5) with their reasons for doing so (a-e), Ways of changing appearance Reasons 1. a. to show bravery or indicate achievements 2. 3. 4. 5. henna _tattooing scarring _tanning - skin whitening ,l ,l lr 30 Unit 2 Skin Deep b. to celebrate weddings and festivals C. to show leisure time and health d. to indicate membership of the upper class €. to mark the reaching of adulthood, padicularly on darker-skinned people Vocabulary Practice Completion. Complete the information with the correct form of words ='om the box, Two words are extra. denote crucial fade permanent chemical mature criminal external bravery leisure part of life for members of the Iban Tattooing was traditionally a(n) 1. :ribe of Sirarvak, Malaysia. Iban tattooing was considered a spiritual art form, and it .,r as believed that the tattoos helped protect the Iban people from harm and disease. Common images for tattoos related to the world around them, and images of plant and :nimal life were predominant. 3r-simply looking at the tattoos) which were first done when a child grew into a(n) adult, other members of the tribe could know things about the 2. -.\'earer) ific designs like flowers and spirals Speci .,vqrv!) such as his or her life experiences. --^r-^^-^^---' -_r --in fighting, or concepts such as a man's skill and 4. 3. . s-oman's skill in weaving, dancing, or singing. In the past, rveaving was considered :re tbmale's equivalent to fighting, and was knorvn as "women's -,.,'er." Nowadays, Iban women weave as a(n) 5. :ctiviq,, or to provide souvenirs for the tourist market. the tattooing was done using ancient recipes involving Originally, :atural dyes from plants and traditional wooden tools. The dyes .:e 6, ; they cannot be removed. Newly-done, i:'an tattoos look dark, but they gradually 7. :cme\\'hnt from sunlight, or as the dye is absorbed into the skin. ^oclar', for the Iban people, Western tattoos are more popular -ran traditional designs, and modern tattooing machines d)'es have mainly replaced ::e used. Modern 8. re plant-based ones. Definitions. Use the correci form of words :, nplete the definitions. 1, A person who breaks the law is a(n) in the box in A to 2. ; you walk at a slow pace, you are walking 3. i something r , it lasts forever. '4. 'something is on the outside rather than the inside, it is is An lban mans hands show traditional lban tattoos. 5. 'bu need to be to handle the :xireme pain of getting a traditional tattoo. can be measured by their 6. - pe[SOl-l'S :rysical and mental development. ' something has become lighter in color over time, L S:bstances that are created by a reaction between :,', c or more other substances are The letters -al at the end of a word often mean that the word is an adiective, e.9., chemical, external, crucial, and criminal . (Note: criminal is also a noun meaning a person who commits a crime.) 28 Unmasking Skin 3l