Body piercing has grown more accepting in the West and as well as other parts of the world, and in some areas, certain types of piercings that were once considered radical are becoming more accepted (Body1 pp). For example, ear piercing was uncommon for middle to upper class Western males, however, today men with pierced ears can be found working in banks and other conservative settings, while in other parts of the world ear piercing is still considered inappropriate for men, as are multiple ear piercings for women (Body1 pp). Some people regard the practice of piercing as spiritual or as embracing the 'modern primitive,' while others consider it as simply faddish (Body1 pp). Some view the practice as a form of artistic or self-expression, while others use it as a form of sexual expression, or for symbolic reasons, however the current popularity of body piercing has diluted much of its cultural identification and symbolism (Body1 pp).

Since Western society has no cultural or religious tradition for body piercing, it has simply been used by modern society, most notably the younger generation, as a symbol of non-conformity and rebellion against the status quo. And while it may have...

It is very similar to the 1960's and 1970's when males began growing their hair long, due mostly to the influence of the Beatles, and thought of themselves as a sub-culture group and were regarded by society as radicals. However, a decade later, long hair on men was common place, even among conservatives. Today, it seems to be bald heads and body piercings.
The thing about a sub-culture and its identifying marks, whether long hair, bald head, tattoos, body piercings, or clothing style, sooner or later, usually within a decade, that identifying mark has become commonplace. It has woven itself into the fabric of society and has become a typical "mall" item or experience. All of a sudden bankers are sporting earrings and soccer moms have tattoos and belly rings.

Works Cited

Body Piercing. Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English. Retrieved July 26, 2005 at http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Body%20Piercing

Body1 piercing. Retrieved July 26, 2005 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_piercing