Context

In today’ society visible scarring is something that is rare.

This is something I would like to explore and understand throughout this work. I believe that the media is spreading a negative message about visible scarring and facial scarring by the way they representing both of these within Film and Television.

Due to the lifestyle that most men live, there is no reason for a modern man to have facial scars or any kind of visible injury. In the case a man is scarred, for example if it is a facial scar, men can be judged quite heavily upon this. Facial scarring is something that is now being associated with a criminal lifestyle. The reason for this is that this is the only way in which a modern man can find himself in a situation as to where this kind of injury would be inflicted. In the past men would have duelling scars or maybe they have been to war and they wore the marking of these adventures upon their skin, but in todays world there is no reason for this to be the case.

Scapegoating of facial scarring is something that can be heavily influential in the quality of life that a man can have, as it affects how he is perceived by the world around him. People will judge a man on the way he looks, and this could affect the likelihood of a person being able to secure a job, especially a front facing customer service role. Through no fault of their own, men with visible scarring today will always be associated with all the bad reasons for this kind of injury rather than be given any sympathy or consideration.

The reason that this affects men so negatively is that there is a knife crime culture within the United Kingdom that this kind of injury has become associated with. With many young males being seduced by gang culture, carrying a knife has become second nature. Therefore, visible scarring is something that is much more common within these kinds of social circles. Knife crime has become such a problem that most men’s reasoning for carrying a knife is protection from each other. With this kind of crime being at the forefront of the community’s mind, anyone who is visibly scarring, being that facially or otherwise, is automatically going to be looked upon negatively or even as a threat.

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Looking at todays society and how we viewed scarring in the past I hope to piece together a better understanding of what the reality is for people with visible scarring.