Blog Post 3

Q:What research have you started thus far for this project? In other words, have you already interviewed possible informants? If so, describe that interaction and what transpired. If you have not held any interviews, what questions will you ask when you do and why do you feel those questions are important? Have you already visited your cultural site? If so, describe some of your observations and what questions those observations might have raised. If you have not been to your cultural site, when do you intend on doing so and what new questions or expectations might you have after some of our in-class discussions and exercises? Have you attempted some basic "academic" research (i.e. Internet, books, periodicals, etc.)? And lastly, do you consider there to be a difference between "academic" and non-academic" research? List some examples.

A:I have mostly thus far reflected on myself as an insider on the meaning of a tattoo.

i feel important questions are:

1. How were you first introduced to tattooing? What sparked there interest and how they became an insider to this culture

2. Do your tattoos have meaning? it is important to me that my informant  tells me why they decided to get a tattoo rebellion? religious? remembrance? 

3. What do you feel are stereotypes that outsiders give people with tattoos? i want to know what other people inside and outside of the community feel towards people with tattoos

I intend on visiting many tattoo parlors and at the end of my collection of data i will document the act of getting a tattoo by re-visiting the tattoo parlor where i got my first tattoo and document the act of getting a tattoo. soon in the mean-time i am going to gather information from student around campus that have tattoos. I have done a little internet research when writing this rough draft. I believe academic research is more book, internet, newspaper etc. however non-academic research is getting out into the community, asking questions, and analyzing yourself and others.