{"id":{"repo_id":"northampton","oai_identifier":"oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/northampton/oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950","repository":{"repo_id":"northampton","name":"University of Northampton","base_url":"https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/ws/oai"},"display":{"title":"Inked in Narrative: Body Diversity, Tattooing, and its Representation in Young Adult Literature","abstract":"This dissertation explores notions of body diversity within Western culture in terms of weight, race, disability, gender, and sexuality with a specific focus on tattooed bodies. Historically, tattooing has been associated with negative behaviours such as drunkenness, irresponsible behaviour, and prostitution. Individuals who do not fit into Western cultural ideas of beauty have faced discrimination and marginalisation. In particularly heavily tattooed women have received negative criticism relating to challenging accepted beauty norms.<br/>The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how tattooed protagonists are represented in young adult literature through a feminist lens in relation to character traits, physical appearance, personal relationships, and overall story arc. Its aim is to ascertain whether literature portraying tattooed protagonists reinforces social stereotypes or challenges them.<br/>I explored this representation through qualitative interviews with university students and questionnaires aimed at readers between eleven and fourteen. I analysed these responses using critical discourse analysis. The literary representation of tattooed protagonists was also explored in nine young adult novels using textual analysis. A variety of themes were explored and compared with the data gained from the critical discourse analysis. <br/>The overall results from all three sets of data suggested that although tattooed individuals have traditionally been vilified and marginalised, social perceptions are changing as is clarified by the range of books available which feature tattooed protagonists although in some, more traditionally minded areas of society, the stigma remains.<br/>","abstract_html":"This dissertation explores notions of body diversity within Western culture in terms of weight, race, disability, gender, and sexuality with a specific focus on tattooed bodies. Historically, tattooing has been associated with negative behaviours such as drunkenness, irresponsible behaviour, and prostitution. Individuals who do not fit into Western cultural ideas of beauty have faced discrimination and marginalisation. In particularly heavily tattooed women have received negative criticism relating to challenging accepted beauty norms.&lt;br/&gt;The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how tattooed protagonists are represented in young adult literature through a feminist lens in relation to character traits, physical appearance, personal relationships, and overall story arc. Its aim is to ascertain whether literature portraying tattooed protagonists reinforces social stereotypes or challenges them.&lt;br/&gt;I explored this representation through qualitative interviews with university students and questionnaires aimed at readers between eleven and fourteen. I analysed these responses using critical discourse analysis. The literary representation of tattooed protagonists was also explored in nine young adult novels using textual analysis. A variety of themes were explored and compared with the data gained from the critical discourse analysis. &lt;br/&gt;The overall results from all three sets of data suggested that although tattooed individuals have traditionally been vilified and marginalised, social perceptions are changing as is clarified by the range of books available which feature tattooed protagonists although in some, more traditionally minded areas of society, the stigma remains.&lt;br/&gt;","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Green, Allyson"],"institution":"University of Northampton","degree_name":"Doctoral Thesis","degree_level":"Student thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Rothery, Mark David","Andermahr, Sonya","Lumsden, Eunice Carol"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-3-18","date_published":"2026-3-18","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:26:59Z","subjects":["Tattooing","Body diversity","Body image","Feminism","Young adult literature"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950"],"render_values":[{"text":"oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Rothery, Mark David","Andermahr, Sonya","Lumsden, Eunice Carol"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Green, Allyson"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2026-3-18"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-3-18"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Graduate School","Humanities","Faculty of Education, Arts, Science & Technology","Faculty of Arts, Science & Technology"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Northampton"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Student thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["Doctoral Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Tattooing","Body diversity","Body image","Feminism","Young adult literature"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950","https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/files/92856694/Green_Allyson_2026_Inked_in_Narrative_Body_Diversity_tattooing_and_its_Representation_in_Young_Adult_Literature.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This dissertation explores notions of body diversity within Western culture in terms of weight, race, disability, gender, and sexuality with a specific focus on tattooed bodies. Historically, tattooing has been associated with negative behaviours such as drunkenness, irresponsible behaviour, and prostitution. Individuals who do not fit into Western cultural ideas of beauty have faced discrimination and marginalisation. In particularly heavily tattooed women have received negative criticism relating to challenging accepted beauty norms.<br/>The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how tattooed protagonists are represented in young adult literature through a feminist lens in relation to character traits, physical appearance, personal relationships, and overall story arc. Its aim is to ascertain whether literature portraying tattooed protagonists reinforces social stereotypes or challenges them.<br/>I explored this representation through qualitative interviews with university students and questionnaires aimed at readers between eleven and fourteen. I analysed these responses using critical discourse analysis. The literary representation of tattooed protagonists was also explored in nine young adult novels using textual analysis. A variety of themes were explored and compared with the data gained from the critical discourse analysis. <br/>The overall results from all three sets of data suggested that although tattooed individuals have traditionally been vilified and marginalised, social perceptions are changing as is clarified by the range of books available which feature tattooed protagonists although in some, more traditionally minded areas of society, the stigma remains.<br/>"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Inked in Narrative: Body Diversity, Tattooing, and its Representation in Young Adult Literature"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Rothery, Mark David","Andermahr, Sonya","Lumsden, Eunice Carol"],"dc:creator":["Green, Allyson"],"dc:date":["2026-3-18"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-3-18"],"dc:description.abstract":["This dissertation explores notions of body diversity within Western culture in terms of weight, race, disability, gender, and sexuality with a specific focus on tattooed bodies. Historically, tattooing has been associated with negative behaviours such as drunkenness, irresponsible behaviour, and prostitution. Individuals who do not fit into Western cultural ideas of beauty have faced discrimination and marginalisation. In particularly heavily tattooed women have received negative criticism relating to challenging accepted beauty norms.<br/>The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how tattooed protagonists are represented in young adult literature through a feminist lens in relation to character traits, physical appearance, personal relationships, and overall story arc. Its aim is to ascertain whether literature portraying tattooed protagonists reinforces social stereotypes or challenges them.<br/>I explored this representation through qualitative interviews with university students and questionnaires aimed at readers between eleven and fourteen. I analysed these responses using critical discourse analysis. The literary representation of tattooed protagonists was also explored in nine young adult novels using textual analysis. A variety of themes were explored and compared with the data gained from the critical discourse analysis. <br/>The overall results from all three sets of data suggested that although tattooed individuals have traditionally been vilified and marginalised, social perceptions are changing as is clarified by the range of books available which feature tattooed protagonists although in some, more traditionally minded areas of society, the stigma remains.<br/>"],"dc:identifier":["oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950","https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/files/92856694/Green_Allyson_2026_Inked_in_Narrative_Body_Diversity_tattooing_and_its_Representation_in_Young_Adult_Literature.pdf"],"dc:language":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Graduate School","Humanities","Faculty of Education, Arts, Science & Technology","Faculty of Arts, Science & Technology"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Northampton"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://pure.northampton.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/d75a9aba-a8e8-46e8-b73f-fe3968790950"],"dc:subject":["Tattooing","Body diversity","Body image","Feminism","Young adult literature"],"dc:title":["Inked in Narrative: Body Diversity, Tattooing, and its Representation in Young Adult Literature"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Student thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["Doctoral Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:26:59Z"}