"The Protestant Ethic and The Spirit of the Tattoo"

I could also have titled this post: "Journal articles for everything." This is the abstract:

This research illustrates how basic ideas from Weber's Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism are reflected in religious individuals’ choices in obtaining tattoos. Qualitative responses to survey questions show that, among 60 university students who indicated they have one, religious tattoos reflect asceticism in their lives, point them to service (calling) in the name of God, or provide a level of assurance (or anxiety) regarding life after death. We offer this work as an illustration of how the essence of Weber's work persists in the popular culture of the 21st century.

The criteria to distinguish between 'Weberian" and "non-Weberian" responses, from the draft: 

1. Vocation. Does this story, or the image depicted in the tattoo, primarily relate to the respondent=s sense of calling to Christian duty, moral, or ethical behavior?

Weber begins by refining an idea from Martin Luther that every aspect of an individual’s life has at least partial religious significance because individuals are “called” to do what God needs doing in His creation (Weber, 1904/1958). Luther himself derived this notion from his doctrine of Baptism. Christians who are initiated into a church fellowship are “called” to express God’s love for the Church, through Christ, in whatever manner of life they choose, or as whatever professional they are trained to become (Luther/Tappert, 1529/1959). 

2. Anxiety. Does this story, or the image depicted in the tattoo, primarily relate to the respondent’s concern or worry about issues related to the afterlife? Calvinist theology introduces the notion of predestination, that is, the belief that God has chosen, in advance of creation, who will be saved and who will be damned. And yet, while no one can know whether one is or is not one of the elect, the expression of one’s calling alleviates some of this anxiety through outward expressions of faith and moderation (Weber, 1904/1958). 

3. Asceticism. Does this story, or the image depicted in the tattoo, primarily relate to the respondent’s experience of, obligation to, or a desire for, a spiritual life, or quest to express God’s love and intent in their everyday life?

The paper by Koch and Roberts was published in The Social Science Journal. For an economic interpretation of tattoos see here (page 8).