ABSTRACT
Body art is evolving from a deviant subculture into an occupational group that services more of the population. This chapter demonstrates how this previously marginalized occupation restructures itself to maintain control in a situation of increasing size and popularity. It combines interview and survey data to describe informal and formal strategies of control along with current challenges to body art practitioners in King County. Professional organizations enhance the control of members of an occupational group because they increase group cohesion and organization. Participants who support regulation argue that formal regulation will not change the occupation, but it will legitimate the work that they do to outsiders. The chapter shows that participants use both informal strategies, based in social networks, and formal strategies, based in standardization and statutory regulation, to maintain control of other practitioners and the work that they do.
