Prompt 6

Writing standards in the University often demand a certain style of writing. You are taught this at a young age when you first begin to write. You are taught a five paragraph paper, proper formatting, how each sentence should be set up exactly. You are taught that each paragraph ought to have an opening sentence, provide evidence, explain and comment on that evidence, and repeat. This sort of writing is practiced in school and university settings along with professional settings. Even some of these habits start to affect more personal writings to friends and family. It is often a belief that while in an academic setting, everyone should meet a certain standard of writing. To let everyone develop their own style and format would take away that enforcement of structure and rules relevant to an academic setting.
Other ways of "writing" do not necessarily include a pen and paper. For many, writing can be done through act of the body or body modification. Body modifications such as tattoos literally write on the body, letting a person express themselves through the act of permanently marking their body. Tattoos can express various things, many tattoos have meaning behind them that could take up an entire 5 paragraph paper, but the person has chosen instead to express these feelings through a symbolic tattoo. This form of writing provides a lot more room for creativity because a person's body is their own and many see tattoos as something meaningful to themselves even if others don't understand. In this way, they are not, therefore, providing their bodies for grading or judgement by some authority figure whose standards they must live up to. Tattoos are also not the only form of "writing" through expression and bodies. Any act of the body, including hair styles and color, choice of clothing, piercings, and many more, are trying to say something about the body and about the person. More groomed and naturally colored hair, for instance, would say that that particular person is more put together, responsible, and maintain a mainstream acceptable lifestyle. Unnatural hair colors such as purple or pink and non-normative styles, however, would also have a lot to say about a person. By "writing" these expressions for others to read through their bodies, people find ways to express themselves.
The ideas of authorship and control of the body result from body modifiers getting modifications in order to claim their bodies and write on their bodies. They want to be the author of what their body has to say. While modifications and body choices will always create authorship, I don't believe they always create control over the body. Yes, each person has authorship of their body because they are the ones living in their body and making the choices of what their body should look like and represent. However, many of these choices are influenced by mainstream norms, whether someone chooses to live up to these norms or purposely reject them. So while no two bodies will be exactly the same in terms of looks and expression, that does not necessarily mean one has complete control over the body in the way they have complete authorship. There is no way to avoid the norms and pressures of our society, any action made is somewhat sculpted by our society. Even actions done specifically in a rebellious manner, represent the fact that the act or expression is not mainstream and may even only be done because of that fact. So there are limits to control over the body, just like their are limits to control over one's writing. Writing is controlled by standards and formats demanded by teachers and professors, but that does not mean one's writing is plagiarism. You still have complete authorship, as you do with your body.