I have been giving the subject of scars a fair amount of thought recently and the academic in me already has a lengthy paper in mind. The subject is properly covered by the sociology of the body or Medical Sociology but it appears to be one area that is apparently a bit under-researched or merely referred to but not subjected to in depth analysis. Of course certain professions such as the social work and the medical professions have covered injury (both accidental and non-acidental) in some detail and may mention issues related to scarring in passing. What is a scar? Are scars ever desireable? Are tattoos scars?
An in depth article might include (in no particular order):
The history of scars
Scars in society
The social construction of attitudes in relation to Scars
The cultural context of Scarring – scars as rites of passage
Scars as trophies – shark bites, war wounds etc
Other forms of Scarring
Scarring as a means of acquiring physical validation
Scarring as an act of subversion of the culture of the body beautiful
Accidental injury leading to Scarring
Self-inflicted injury leading to Scarring
Deliberate Scarring- scarrification/body alteration, artificially produced scars, scars as body art
Non essential medical procedures -circumcision (the cruellest cut)
The social stigma of scars (I like the sound of that one as a title)
Just a few notes. Hopefully a researcher with an interest in medical sociology looking for a Phd idea might pick this up. Alternatively some philanthropic person/organisation could fund me full time for four years and I’ll do it.
A grant of £30,000 per year should cover it. 
I think you should do the research. Sorry I don’t have the money to fund you
.
I think a lot about my scars from failed fistula (dialysis access) surgeries. They look a bit like I’ve been in a car wreck and a bit as if I were really good at cutting myself in very straight lines. I often keep them covered up as they also remind me of the pain for 3 months of my second fistula which no one at my previous dialysis center would deal with or even believe me about. Turned out if they had bothered to look at my test results, I had a natural fistula within the fistula and it should never have been placed where it was by the surgeon. So the physical scar is a reminder of psychological scars.
Wow you have really been through it. I am doing some preliminary research now and then hopefully I might be able to get some kind of grant or scholarship to register at a university mainly to access the research resources.
Thanks for commenting. I’ll keep you posted.
David Raho
Comment by hymes — 19, May 2007 @ 11:54 am
*smile* look into branding.
elise
Interesting. Yes, I will.
Regards
David
Comment by MangledTulip — 20, May 2007 @ 3:07 am
I am doing a fine arts degree and have stumbled some fantastic similarities between, Maori, African, Indonesian “scarring designs” and modern day tattoo’s. If anything this project would definitely unearth a few mis-and ambiguous truths……….
Comment by Joy — 21, May 2008 @ 11:09 pm