OTHERNESS, STIGMA, AND TATTOOED BODIES: FROM DIFFERENTIATION TO SEGREGATION: de la diferenciación a la segregación

Abstract

This article analyzes the construction of social representations surrounding tattooed bodies and their role in the configuration of otherness and the reproduction of social inequalities in Mexico City. It examines how certain bodily aesthetics are legitimized as expressions of individuality and distinction, while others are stigmatized and associated with marginality or dangerousness. The research outlines a complex spectrum in which belongings and exclusions are constantly negotiated, reinforcing symbolic hierarchies and practices of urban segregation. Methodologically, a qualitative approach was employed, based on 21 semi-structured interviews complemented by photo-elicitation techniques, observation, and photographic documentation. Participant selection was conducted intentionally, seeking heterogeneity in trajectories and conditions by contrasting residents from central neighborhoods—typically associated with middle and upper-middle sectors—with those from peripheral areas linked to marginalized and working-class populations. The sample included 8 women and 13 men between 25 and 37 years old, with diverse occupational, bodily, and aesthetic trajectories. The analysis followed an iterative coding process that enabled the construction of emergent categories regarding the dynamics of social differentiation. Findings show that representations of tattooed bodies do not operate through binary oppositions but are configured along a complex spectrum at the intersection of multiple factors—such as gender, occupation, social mobility, and phenotypic features—where tattoos act as markers of symbolic boundaries that reflect and reproduce social stratification. The analysis reveals that the apparent acceptance of tattoos in middle-class sectors coexists with persistent processes of stigmatization toward bodies associated with popular sectors, showing how hegemonic systems shape both consumption practices and representations of the “other” in specific contexts. In conclusion, tattooed bodily aesthetics constitute a tangible reflection of one’s position within the social structure, where the ability to express individuality through bodily marks is conditioned by structural inequalities. This highlights the need to question narratives of individual choice and to recognize how such practices contribute to the perpetuation of systems of social inequity and urban segregation.