As a cultural anthropologist, he was immediately sensitive to the cultural prejudice contained in it. So he began to study the evolution of scars in human history: why do people have different views on male scars and female scars? What assumptions do people have about other people's scars? What's the difference between modern scars and traditional social scars?
Anthropologists like daydreaming very much.
If you remember that the navel is actually a scar, then everyone actually originated from a scar.
In the later life, your body will be seriously injured and slightly injured countless times for various reasons. Some of them leave no trace after recovery, while others stay on you, telling the story of the master's past.
In this sense, scar is a body museum.
No one knows when humans began to actively practice scar art on their own bodies, because it is difficult to preserve the remains of skin excavated by archaeology. Rock paintings in Algeria show that humans may have started to decorate their bodies with dots and lines before 6000 AD. ?
In the traditional societies of sub-Saharan Africa, New Guinea, Australia and other places, the ceremony of cutting marks is very common. People in these areas have darker skin and more obvious scars. On the contrary, tattoos are more common in people with lighter skin. In order to create scars on the body, people sometimes use sharp tools to draw lines on the skin, and sometimes use irritants such as corrosive plants and coal to stimulate the growth of wounds to produce beading effect. This may be for medical purposes or to pray for protection.
Although the ceremony of cutting marks is not so popular now, it used to and still plays an important role in many traditional societies. These carefully designed scars are like an identity card, indicating the tribe, clan, gender, and even age and social status of the owner. ?
The ceremony of cutting marks is also a ceremony of passing, which pulls individuals out of the previous social state and enters the next stage of life. Six parallel lines were tattooed on the foreheads of Sultan Nur and Ethiopia's bar mitzvah. Only men with this mark can get married, own livestock and fight. Among the Nuba people in Sudan, the scar-cutting ceremony represents a person's social status and maturity. Women will add scars during puberty, menarche and after the first child is weaned to show their "achievements". ?
Paul Bohannan, an American anthropologist, once discussed the pain of scar cutting ceremony with Mrs. Ti in Nigeria. The locals responded: "Of course it hurts. But without these painful scars, which girl will look at you? " ?
So Bohannon wrote these words: "scar, one of the most exquisite decorations, is rewarded in pain."
Victoria Ebin, an anthropologist and author of The Decorated Body, believes that scars can increase women's sexual attraction. For example, Mrs. Judy thinks that raised scars will produce strong feelings when touched, whether for men or women. ?
However, the ceremony of cutting marks is declining, partly because of fear of infection, and partly because many national regimes believe that this symbol of national identity will affect everyone's patriotism.
Under the influence of "modern" concept, the original pure and noble scar ceremony now appears both "primitive" and "disgusting". Photographer Joanna Csamari recorded the changes in C? te d 'Ivoire: once, men and women here were extremely proud of the scars on their faces, but when they moved to this city, they were deeply ashamed of being discriminated against and ridiculed. "I don't want my children to have this," a man from Burkina Faso told the photographer. "Let's be the last generation." ?
Interestingly, when the tribesmen began to give up these status symbols, the fashion and art circles found inspiration here.
In a society without scar ceremony, scar is usually not a good thing.
People are willing to judge others according to scars, because scars can tell stories, stories about social identity, personal choices and even personality.
When tina fey was five years old, she left an obvious scar on her mouth because of the violence of a stranger. In her autobiography Bossypants, she recorded people's reactions to her scars from childhood to adulthood. "In my life, people who ask me about scars in less than a week have always proved to be megalomaniacs with poor IQ." At the same time, many people will show more kindness and sympathy to her. ?
Franz Boas, the father of American anthropology, 1877 was injured in a duel while studying at Heidelberg University. He didn't have time to tell his parents about it for fear that they would say that he had nothing to do. After boas returned to American academia to start his first job, a local newspaper severely criticized his scar, saying it made him look like he came from a "criminal class". ?
Both scars record personal experiences and stories, but the information they send is different and the feedback they get is different. ?
Fey's scar tells the story of an innocent child who was hurt by a violent man, so her scar won her favor and protection. Boas's Scar shows the story of a man who chooses violence for his personal purpose, which is not recognized by academic circles, so his Scar has attracted severe social criticism.
More often, people don't know the stories behind other people's scars, but they still judge them. In a study of 20 19, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that people who participated in the experiment tended to think that people with serious facial injuries were emotionally unstable, untrustworthy, unhappy and had low IQ.
In film and television dramas, facial scars are often used to endow characters with evil, heartless, vengeful, vicious, complex and dangerous characters or psychology. This may take advantage of people's preconceived prejudices, but it deepens them.
People's views on scars show obvious gender differences. In a British study in 2008, a group of male and female volunteers were asked to rate the attractiveness of the opposite sex with or without slight scars. Women think that men with facial scars are more attractive in short-term relationships. When asked what you think may have caused this scar, female subjects are most likely to attribute the male scar to a fight, while male subjects are more likely to think that the female scar comes from an accident.
For men, (not too serious) scars are like wrinkles, which is a plus item. They provide a powerful image and agree with men's strength and courage. Scar is a sexy proof of masculinity and a medal of heroism.
On the contrary, women in film and television media have relatively few scars. In China TV dramas, when women want to reduce their femininity and attractiveness, they usually use them to vilify themselves. The message is that women should have no scars. Women with scars will be considered "defective". Scar implies an unfortunate, careless and problematic past, which will reduce her social value.
However, as women, pregnancy, childbirth and the increasing incidence of breast cancer will inevitably leave traces that cannot be ignored on their bodies. They also survived unimaginable pain, but scars brought them contempt instead of congratulations and respect.
In a study on breast cancer survivors, the subjects generally thought that women with postoperative scars of breast cancer were "not so attractive", especially those female stars who were once radiant but now have surgical scars, and were chosen as the least attractive. ?
Many women say that their spouses will feel sick and lose interest because of the scars left by mastectomy. The New York Times magazine once used a photo of breast scar of breast cancer survivors as the cover, which brought unprecedented controversy to the magazine. ?
So you can understand why women care so much about their stretch marks and scars left by caesarean section, and even spend a lot of money and energy to remove them. ?
Fortunately, after everyone realized the scar prejudice, the social anxiety around the scar was slowly changing.
The Scar Project is a public welfare project initiated by photographer David Jay. As a well-known fashion photographer, Jay originally shot flawless beauty. It was not until his good friend got breast cancer that he found out how intolerant society is about female scars.
He disapproves of the femininity brought by the "pink ribbon" and hopes that people will face up to the darkness and reality behind breast cancer. Every breast cancer survivor has experienced many difficulties and obstacles, which cannot be covered by a pink ribbon. Jay started filming women who left traces of breast cancer, hoping to change people's understanding of scars and diseases.
Under Jay's lens, women began to bravely show their scars and take pride in what they represent: tenacity, courage, courage and survival. "My scar makes me feel like a rock star," said a woman. Others tattooed the surgical scar and turned it into a body art that conveys positive information. ?
Jay's vivid and bold portrait photography challenges people's stereotypes about scars and diseases and captures the initial beauty, strength and personality of many extraordinary young women. As he shot more and more, his vision became wider and wider. It is not only breast cancer that will leave scars on women, nor is it only women who will encounter scar discrimination. He finally found that scar is a problem that concerns everyone.
Life begins with navel scars and ends with countless scars. Being a man is full of scars. Every scar represents a unique and life-changing story, which is the epitome of the relationship between the parties and society. Accompanied by scars, it is pain and rebirth. Everyone who survives disease, violence and life must endure countless physical or psychological pains before winning a reborn self.
Face up to every scar, it records our life.
Do you have any stories about scars?
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