TapDancing Lizard



CARTWRIGHT-JONES, CATHERINE GEOGRAPHY

THE GEOGRAPHIES OF THE BLACK HENNA MEME ORGANISM AND THE EPIDEMIC OF PARA-PHENYLENEDIAMINE SENSITIZATION

Director of dissertation; James Tyner

This work investigates the problem of the global epidemic of PPD sensitization through the epidemiology of the black henna meme organism. ‘Black henna’ contains para-phenylenediamine oxidative dye, a highly sensitizing chemical which produces delayed hypersensitivity reactions on the skin. ‘Black henna’ body art evolved from traditional henna body art when artists began to add para-phenylenediamine to traditional henna body art because the chemical dye produced a faster, more efficient, darker stain. This chemical addition caused blistering, scarring in the area of the pattern, with a reaction appearing five to twenty days after application in about 15% to 50% of the subjects. The connection between the body art and onset of the reaction was not well understood by patrons, and often not seen by the artists. The latent severe chemical sensitivities caused by these applications often remained invisible for years. The ‘black henna’ temporary tattoo became a popular souvenir of exotic destinations and local celebratory cosmetic, as well as a profitable informal economic venture for the artist; the understanding of the risks did not proliferate along with the ‘black henna’ meme.

The ‘black henna’ meme replicated from local practice into global cultural geographies through pop culture, tourism, and the Internet. Online and print media commentary about ‘black henna’ began around 1997, at which point the replication and evolution of the black henna meme organism became visible and recoverable, so the epidemiology of the ‘black henna’ meme can be recovered to trace the epidemiology of para-phenylenediamine sensitization.

This work will analyze the history, geography and cultural phenomenon of black henna meme organisms in the tourist industry through memetics and discourse analysis of online commentary on ‘black henna’ and the para-phenylenediamine sensitization epidemic produced by ‘black henna’ between 1997 to 2014. This work will also estimate the date of onset and size of the sensitization epidemic, and propose a solution of management through competing meme organisms.

THE GEOGRAPHIES OF THE BLACK HENNA MEME ORGANISM AND THE EPIDEMIC OF PARA-PHENYLENEDIAMINE SENSITIZATION

A dissertation submitted

To Kent State University in partial

fulfillment of the requirements for the

degree of Doctor of Philosophy

by

Catherine Cartwright-Jones

August, 2014

Dissertation written by

Catherine Cartwright-Jones

B.A. UCLA, 1972

M.A., Kent State University, 2006

Ph. D., Kent State University, 2014

Approved by

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter

I. Introduction:

Two Case Studies of ‘Black Henna’ in the Third Space of Tourism: Camilla and Spider Girl Get ‘Black Henna’ in Zanzibar…………………

Camilla was in a Third Space……………………………………………..

Approaching the ‘Black Henna’ PPD Sensitization Epidemic through Cultural Geography

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ through Economic Geographies of Women…

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ Through the Geographies of PPD………….

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ through the Medical Geographies of Delayed Hypersensitivity Reactions in Tourism…………………………………….

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ through the Economic Geographies of Tourism…………………………………………………………………….

Approaching the Geography of ‘Black Henna’ through Cultural Consumption………………………………………………………………..

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ through the Geographies of Souvenirs………

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ through the Geographies of the Informal Economies of Street Vendors………………………………………………

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ through Children’s Geographies…………….

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ through Online Memetics……………………

Positionality………………………………………………………………………

II. Cultural Geography, the Ideosphere, and Henna

Cultural Geography and the Body…………………………………………

Cultural Geography, Memes and the Ideosphere………………………….

Locating Memes in the Online Ideosphere…………………………………

Locating the ‘Black Henna’ Meme in the Online Ideosphere……………

Cultural Geography, Memeplexes and ‘Black Henna’……………………

The Memes of Body Modification and Globalization in the late Twentieth Century…………………………………………………………………….

Henna……………………………………………………………………..

Henna Memes Replicate into the West……………………………………

Henna Memes Online…………………………………………………….

Henna Memes in the Mediasphere………………………………………….

The ‘Black Henna’ Meme………………………………………………….

The ‘Black Henna’ Meme Manifests as Product…………………………..

Black Henna before ‘Black Henna’ Temporary Tattoos…………………...

III. Methodology

Methodology Part 1: ‘Black Henna’ Memes as a Subject for Research…………..

Web Memetics……………………………………………………………..

Memes and Cultural Geography……………………………………………

Memes and Henna………………………………………………………….

Globalization of the Henna Memes………………………………………...

Approaching the World Wide Web as an Archive…………………………

The Challenges of Archival Research on the World Wide Web………….

Identifying Returns with Reasonable Certainty…………………………….

Navigating Around FUDD, Trolls, Sockpuppets, and Internet Jackholes…

Methodology Part 2: Methods of Web Memetics

Security and Research………………………………………………………

Managing Relevant Web Pages by Bookmarking and Tagging……………

Searching the Archive, Constructing the Database…………………………

Varying the Search Terms………………………………………………….

Varying the Search Products……………………………………………….

Quantitative Tags: When, Where, and What………………………………

Tags for Blended Quantitative and Quantitative Analysis: Who and How, Culture and Place………………………………………………………….

Authority, Authenticity, Formality, Informality, Gender and Age……….

Intention, Pronouncement and Audience…………………………………

Tagging Qualitative Personal Narratives of Events……………………….

Methodology Part 3: Definitions and Diagrams………………………………….

IV. EPIDEMEOLOGIES OF MEME ORGANISMS……………………………………

The 20th Century Understandings of Henna in English Language Publications…

Memes as Interactive, Competing, and Evolving Replicators in Network Environments………………………………………………………………….

IV. Part 1: Memes in Periodical Publications

The Evolution of Black Henna Meme Organisms in the English Language Periodical Publications Indexed by Lexis Nexis prior to the 1990s………

Henna Meme Organisms in Travel, and Local Sections…………………

Changes in Traditional ‘Black Henna’ Body Art Techniques with the Availability of PPD…………………………………………………….

1996: The Rapid Evolution of Henna Meme Organisms Cooperate with Celebrity and Modern Primitive Culture Meme Organisms in the West…..

Henna Meme Organisms Evolve in Mainstream Western Popular Culture and Cooperate with Tattoo Meme Organisms……………………………..

The Black Henna Meme Organism Proliferates and Globalizes in Cooperation with World Beat Pop Music Meme Organisms………………

Reactions to ‘Black Henna’ and the Meme Organism of ‘You Have to be Willing to Suffer for Beauty……………………………………………….

Rapid Replication of the Black Henna Meme Organism Cooperating with Celebrity and MTV in 1998……………………………………………….

The Meme Organism of Cultural Consumption Competes with the Meme Organisms of Cultural Ownership and Authenticity……………………….

The Henna Meme Organism Becomes a Signifier in Cooperation with the Trendsetter Meme Organism……………………………………………….

Marketing ‘Black Henna’ through the Summer of 1998 and Early Warning Memes………………………………………………………………………

2000: The Black Henna Meme Organisms of Injuries and Warnings Emerge in English Language Periodical Media and Compete with the Black Henna Marketing Meme Organisms…………………………………

Henna Meme Organisms Stabilize in Travel, Lifestyle, and Local Sections of English Language Periodical News Publications………………………..

Late 2000: Henna Meme Organisms Give Rise to New Economic Activities and New Regulations……………………………………………

2001: The Black Henna Warning Meme Organism Evolves Differently in Different Network Environments………………………………………….

The Meme Organism of “The West is to Blame”…………………………

2002: More Black Henna Injury Meme Organisms from Medical Journal Articles Replicate into the News Media…………………………………..

Henna Meme Organisms Cooperating and Conflicting with Memes of Profit, Local Government Regulation, Culture, Warnings, and Free Will…

2003: Henna Meme Organism Evolution Slows and Settles into the Networks of Informal Economies, Lifestyles, Multi-Culturalism, and Gains New Territory ……………………………………………………….

Legislative and Regulatory Black Henna Meme Organisms Evolve in UK, Canada, and the USA………………………………………………………

A Seasonal Cycle of Henna Meme Organism Replication Evolves in English Language Periodical Publications…………………………………

The Boundaries of The Black Henna Warning Meme Organism’s Replication in Resort Management and Travel Agencies…………………

PPD is awarded the prize of “Allergen of the Year……………………….

2007: Black Henna Injury and Warning Meme Organisms Spawn Regulations, Law, Enforcement and Liability…………………………

2008: Governments and Physicians Call for Bans…………………..

Evidence of the Black Henna Meme Organism Replication, Failure to Replicate, and Competition in Commentaries Following Two Articles..

2010 – 2013: the Black Henna Meme Organisms in the Network Environments of English Language Periodical News Publications………

Black Henna Meme Organisms in Local Network Environments in 2009 – 2013 in English Language Periodical News Publications in the USA…..

‘Black Henna’ Injuries and the Meme Organisms of Cultural Conflict..

IV. Part 2: Vendors’ Memes

The Evolution of Black Henna Meme Organisms in Online Vendor’s Statements………………………………………………………………

Vendors’ Black Henna Merchandising Meme Organisms: Amunez and Tarawa…………………………………………………………………..

Amunez ‘Black Henna’ and Black Henna Merchandising Meme Organisms Replicate into France through Tarawa, and …………………………………………………………

The Black Henna Merchandising Meme Organisms of Amazing Body Art Supply, 1999 – 2001……………………………………………………….

The Black Henna Merchandising Meme Organisms of 2001 – 2013…………………………………………………………………

The Black Henna Merchandising Meme Organisms of ‘Little Miss Henna’……………………………………………………………………

Over-the-Counter Sources of PPD Commonly Used to Make ‘Black Henna’ Temporary Tattoos………………………………………….

Production of ‘Black Henna’ in India and Pakistan Marketed in the West..

IV. Part 3: Online Discussion Memes

The Evolution of Black Henna Meme Organisms in The Henna Page and the Henna Page Discussion Forum…………………………………………

Black Henna Meme Organism Evolution and Competition in the English Language Henna Page Forum Social Network Environment in 1998 and 1999………………………………………………………………………

Henna Meme Organisms and Black Henna Warning Meme Organisms in the Henna Page Discussion Forum Environment in 2000 …………………

IV. Part 4: Memes in Tourism

The Evolution of Black Henna Meme Organisms in the Network Environments of Travel Forums…………………………………….

‘Black Henna’ Temporary Tattoo Injuries Among Bali Tourists: the Evolution of Black Henna Diagnosis, Cause, and Treatment Meme Organisms…………………………………………………………..

‘Black Henna’ Temporary Tattoo Injuries Among Bali Tourists: the Evolution of Black Henna Diagnosis, Cause, and Treatment Meme Organisms…………………………………………………………..

The Libertarian Black Henna Meme Organism of “It Is My Choice.”..

The ‘Black Henna’ Artists’ Memes……………………………………

Tourists Blogging Transgression and ‘Black Henna’ in Southeast Asia…

Inversion, Children, and ‘Black Henna’ in the Third Spaces of Tourism…

Black Henna Meme Organisms in other Travel Advice Forums………….

IV. Part 5: Medical Journal Memes……………………………………..

The Evolution of Black Henna Memes Organisms in English Language Medical Journals……………………………………………………………

The Stabilization of Black Henna Injury and Diagnosis Meme Organisms in the Network Environment of English Language Medical Journal Articles……………………………………………………………………..

Evolutions of the Black Henna Injury and Diagnosis Meme Organisms: Misinformation, Pediatrics, and Sensitizations……………………………..

Cultural Use and the Boundaries of the Black Henna Injury and Diagnosis Meme Organism Replication……………………………………………….

Black Henna Injury and Diagnosis Meme Organisms Give Rise to Regulation………………………………………………………………

V: RESULTS AND VISUALIZED INFORMATION

Visualizing the History and Geographies of the Black Henna Meme Organisms through their Movement, Replication, Evolution, Cooperation, Conflict in Different Network Environments

The Archaeology of Knowledge and Memes………………………..

Global Henna Memetic Replication……………………………………

Memetic Replication in the Third Space of Tourism……………………

Global Distribution Pathways of PPD, Warnings, and the Deniability of “Use Only as Directed”…………………………………………………..

The Replication and Evolution of Henna Meme Organisms……………….

Evolution of Meme Organisms Online through Different Pathways……..

An Idea Ruptures from a Discursive Field and Becomes Knowledge: a Meme Organism Replicates into a Network Environment……………..

The Points of Rapid Black Henna Meme Organism Co-evolution in Different Network Environments, and the Different Truths Produced…

The Emergence of the PPD Identification and Black Henna Warning Meme Organism into Different Network Environments………………..

The Seasonal Pulse of the Black Henna Meme Organism………………

PPD Content and Probability of Sensitization through ‘Black Henna’ Temporary Tattoos………………………………………………………..

Cultural Memes Cooperating and Competing with Black Henna Meme Organisms …………………………………………………………………

Beyond the Boundaries of the Online English Language Network Environment……………………………………………………………

Chapter VI: CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………

Approaching the Geographies of the Epidemic of PPD Sensitization through the Evolution of Black Henna Meme Organisms in Network Environments…………………………………………………………

Approaching Problems in Cultural Geography through Online Memetics..

The Problems of Globalization, PPD and ‘Black Henna’……………….

Approaching ‘Black Henna’ Through Legal Geographies and the Problems of Creating Policy………………………………………………..

Approaching the Problem of PPD Sensitization through PPD Warning Meme Organisms in Network Environments………………………………

BIBLIOGRAPHY

List of Figures

Figure X: Spider Girl receives a ‘black henna’ on the beach from a Zanzibari henna artist and the type IV delayed hypersensitivity reaction to the PPD. ………………

Figure X: Allergic reaction to oxidative hair dye containing PPD

Figure X: Type IV severe hypersensitivity reaction from PPD black hair dye painted on skin; BMJ

Figure X: Henna, Lawsonia Inermis

Figure X: ClustrMap showing 10614 unique visitors by IP to on July 21, 2006

Figure X: Henna Stone collected from artists doing ‘black henna’ on the beach in Macedonia, with crushed and powdered samples stored in film canisters, acquired from private donor in 2007. The PPD has oxidized to black.

Figure X: Crushed “Henna Stone” collected from an artist doing ‘black henna’ in Israel, acquired from a private donor, author’s collection. The PPD has oxidized to black.

Figure X: Before and after images of ‘black henna’ showing delayed hypersensitivity reaction of PPD painted on skin.

Figure X: Doryll Medroso’s Henna in Borocay.

Figure X: A meme may be a generalized, uncomplicated meme.

Figure X: A meme organism is a meme with its attributes.

Figure X: A meme may replicate and evolve rapidly as it enters a new mind or cultural group, a network environment.

Figure X: When the network environment, or cultural group, has co-evolved with the meme organism to the point that the entire network environment carries the same or similar version of a meme organism, that version is regarded by that cultural group as ‘truthy.’

Figure X: Different network environments contain differently evolved meme organisms, achieved by the same process. One network environment (cultural group) may view a meme organism differentially co-evolved in another network environment’s meme as ‘False.’

Figure X: Basic diagram of henna meme, undifferentiated in color, and without associated concepts.

Figure X: The henna meme organism replicated through local groups in this stable form for up to four thousand years.

Figure X: Areas with cultural traditions of henna body art in Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu populations prior 1970. Henna was considered lucky and was used as a body marking in weddings, and for other auspicious celebrations. Henna was primarily associated with the fertile adult woman’s body. Darker henna stains were often regarded as more auspicious than lighter, orange stains.

Figure X: Diagram of the henna meme organism replicating in English language periodical travel-related popular print publications, from the colonial period through 1970. Henna is varyingly presumed to be black, brown or orange.

Figure X: Countries with evidence of PPD being used to create ‘black henna’ temporary tattoos as an alternative to cultural use of henna in the 1970s, based on English language sources.

Figure X: Countries with evidence of PPD being used to create ‘black henna’ temporary tattoos as an alternative to cultural use of henna between 1980 and 1989, based on English language sources.

Figure X: The henna meme organism in local event and travel sections of English language periodical publications in the early 1990’s has remained very stable in the print environment through the present writing (2014) though ‘black henna’ warnings were increasingly added after 2000. There is often an implication that ‘exotic people’s understandings of henna’ are more authentic than western understandings, and should be privileged.

Figure X: The early black body art meme organism would have included oxidized henna, khidab, harquus, and indigenous women’s tattooing was conflated with henna as ‘black henna.’ Western visitors usually did not know what materials and techniques were being used. Artists were usually secretive about their methods.

Figure X: Countries with evidence of PPD being used to create black temporary tattoos between 1996 and 1999, based on English language sources, most frequently in areas of tourism.

Figure X: Modern primitive understandings of cultural consumption and celebrity attached to the henna meme organism in 1996 and replicated through 2000 before diminishing in vigor. The henna meme organism replicated rapidly through the network environments of celebrities and celebrity watchers though fashion mavens frequently pronounced it passé.

Figure X: The henna meme organism evolved in lifestyle and fashion sections of English language news media from late 1996 through early 1999, particularly in Los Angeles and New York City. Though earlier travel and local event henna meme organisms did not cease to reproduce, this newly evolved henna meme organism replicated very quickly.

Figure X: The colored henna meme organism, advertised as a ‘tattoo alternative.’ Colored henna was gel paste saturated with dye, meant to stain the skin for a few days, developed in 1997 and sales continued for several years. The product did not achieve wide popularity.

Figure X: The black henna meme organism in 1997 marketed as highly desirable, rare, and expensive. The ingredients of ‘black henna’ were usually secret but assumed to be safe and natural. The tattoo-like appearance allowed consumers to be rebellious and defiant without consequences.

Figure X: Competing henna meme organisms in 1997. Henna often did not suit the demands of the western marketplace. The conflation of henna and tattooing memes, and limited information about henna materials technique frustrated artists and consumers, who wanted henna to be more like a tattoo.

Figure X: The competing henna meme organism of “The West is stealing our culture, and cultural consumption is offensive” replicates well in many groups, religious, social, and academic, and is often applied to henna.

Figure X: Diagram of competing black henna meme organisms in the English language media in early 2000. The colored henna meme organism disappears. The connection to celebrity diminishes. The warnings about ‘black henna’ in vacation areas gradually replicate, particularly the warnings about children’s injuries. Producers of ‘black henna’ continue to proliferate in the informal economic sector, particularly in areas of tourism. Local event sections feature artists working multi-cultural festivals who often take care to point out the difference between natural and ‘black henna.’

Figure X: The henna meme organism stabilized in English language periodical publications in the early 2000s as having a connection to Hindu and Muslim culture. Henna was practiced in the informal economy by either western or diasporic artists, and was regarded as fun and harmless. Henna and ‘black henna’ were frequently conflated.

Figure X: The henna meme organism has been an adaptable replicator through multi-cultural events, and has remained relatively stable since its evolution in the late 1990s. It replicates into school curricula as easily as charitable and community events. The fact that the henna meme organism may reinforce racial stereotyping while being presented as embracing diversity may be one of the attributes that allow it to replicate easily.

Figure X: Differentially evolved black henna meme organisms in travel section of English language periodical news media in 2001 and 2002

Figure X: In 2002, natural henna meme organisms and black henna warning meme organisms stabilized from previous rapid evolution following emergence into the English-speaking west. They are associated with informal economies in areas of tourism, and there are calls for regulation or banning.

Figure X: Black henna warning meme in English language publications communicated demands for regulation of the henna trade. Doubts arose that the informal, seasonal, itinerant trade could be regulated.

Figure X: Evolution of the black henna meme organism in vendor and tourism management. Artists and managers claimed to have never seen an injury from ‘black henna,’ therefore assumed that there was no danger from ‘black henna.’ The large number of satisfied customers seemed to support their claim. They denied liability and offered patch tests or soothing cream when there was a complaint.

Figure X: Evidence of body painting with ‘black henna’ by 2013, in conjunction with cultural use of henna, in diasporaic cultural use of henna, and in areas of tourism, based on English language online sources.

Figure X: Amunez Black Henna Meme Organism

Figure X: The meme organisms of Tarawa, and

Figure X: Black Henna Merchandising Meme Organisms of Amazing BodyArt Supply ‘Black Henna’

Figure X: The Meme organisms of

Figure X: Black Henna Merchandising Meme Organisms of Little Miss Henna

Figure X: The meme organisms of pre-made ‘black henna’ cones sold online and in markets to Muslim and Hindu communities in diaspora.

Figure X: Diagram of black henna meme organism on The Henna Page Discussion Forum in 1997

Figure X: Diagram of the black henna meme organism on The Henna Page Discussion Forum in 1998-1999

Figure X: Stabilized black henna warning meme organism in the network environment of The Henna Page Discussion Forum in 2000

Figure X: Competing black henna meme organism in the network environment of The Henna Page Discussion Forum in 2000

Figure X: The black henna warning meme organism among participants on Southeast Asian tourism discussion groups.

Figure X: Black henna libertarian meme organism in Southeast Asia and Australasia

Figure X: Black Henna Third Space Artists’ Meme Organisms between 1997 and 2013, as expressed in English online.

Figure X: Children’s black henna meme organisms as expressed in English online.

Figure X: Henna and black henna medical meme organisms in English language medical journal articles prior to 1990

Figure X: Black henna injury and diagnosis meme organism evolving from an unknown sensitizer to PPD being identified as sensitizer in English language medical journal articles

Figure X: Diagram of stabilized black henna injury and diagnosis meme organism following Brancaccio

Figure X: Diagram of a henna meme replicating from one mind to another

Figure X: Diagram of henna meme organisms replicating through a social network environment to the limit of the network boundary.

Figure X: The smallest unit of a network environment is one person’s mind. Henna memes replicating from other network environments compete, collaborate, and evolve to maintain the space in that mind and in the larger network environments.

Figure X: Diagram comparing celebrity, authority, and direct personal experience on meme replication.

Figure X: Diagram of proximity affecting memetic reproduction: distance from a contact diminishes memetic replication and may facilitate memetic evolutionary drift.

Figure X: Diagram of globalizing memetic replication through trade, migration, and communication

Figure X: Diagram of memetic flow between donor and host in the specialized third space group of cultural understandings, co-constructed by both donor expectations of host culture and host ability to provide the culture in a consumable package.

Figure X: Diagram of the replication through global pathways of PPD, and the diminishing transmission of corporate warnings and responsibility at the end user level.

Figure X: Diagram of distance decay in the replication of PPD warning memes through production, consumption, and end user spaces: meme integrity fades with each replication. Warnings are more likely to reach the client after the event when they become concerned about the allergic reaction.

Figure X: Diagram of the replication of henna meme organisms and praxis from a mother to daughters through family celebrations. This replication is infused with vivid emotions and memories. People who have experienced this kind of replication may regard other kinds of replication as inauthentic or inferior.

Figure X: Diagram of the replication of henna meme organism replication through text and photographs: the replication may be imperfect compared to in-person mimesis. No sound, smell, or touch information replicates through a photograph. Motion may replicate through video images, but praxis is always incompletely replicated.

Figure X: Diagram of the replication of a black henna meme organism replication through text and images in periodical publications. The sources and press releases may have rich, nuanced memes. The readers receive abbreviated and edited versions of the memes organisms.

Figure X: Diagram of the replication of vendors constructions of black henna merchandising meme organisms for the purpose of persuading people to purchase their merchandise.

Figure X: Diagram of the evolution of black henna meme organisms in academic and medical journal articles.

Figure X: Diagram of the replication and evolution of henna meme organisms from a static source into a dynamic network environment.

Figure X: Diagram of the replication of henna meme organism evolution in a tightly bound network environment; some organism variants become extinct, while other variant organisms replicate until they have replicated to the boundaries of the group.

Figure X: Diagram of the replication of henna meme organisms in a tightly bound network with consistent memes and meme organisms in a discontinuous network environment with diverse memes. Figure X: Diagram of henna meme organism flow through online blogs: the writer may construct information from one or more sources, and these are dispensed to readers through text and images. The reader may have the opportunity to comment and discuss a blog post.

Figure X: Diagram of the effect of a trusted source on replication of black henna meme organisms in a group

Figure X: Paull’s meme map depicts a field from which a meme emerges, mapped in time and space. This diagram shows how Coscia’s adaptations demonstrate meme organisms co-evolving with a new network environment may be similarly depicted.

Figure X: Diagram adaptating of Paull’s meme map demonstrating Coscia’s meme organism emerging and replicating into a new network environment.

Figure X: Diagram showing the meme organism co-evolving in the new network environment and replicating to the network environment boundaries.

Figure X: Diagram of the emergence and evolution of painting skin with PPD in Sudan within the context of traditional blackened bridal henna.

Figure X: Diagram of the black henna meme organism replicating and evolving in the Arabian Peninsula within the contexts of traditional and modern henna styles.

Figure X: Diagram of black henna meme organism replicating and evolving in South Asia within the context of auspicious darkened henna and modern style.

Figure X: Diagram of the black henna meme organism replicating and evolving into western popular culture through the Modern Primitive movement

Figure X: Diagram of the black henna meme organism replicating and evolving into the third spaces of tourism

Figures X: Diagram of the evolution of black henna warning meme organisms in Arab, Indian and African medical journal articles.

Figure X: Diagram of the evolution of black henna warming meme organisms among henna artists on The Henna Page Discussion Forum

Figure X: A diagram of the evolution of black henna warning meme organisms in Arab, Indian, and African medical journal articles

Figure X: A diagram of the evolution of black henna warning meme organisms in English language news periodical publications

Figure X: This is a diagram of the time and space of a delayed hypersensitivity reaction from acute sensitization from a ‘black henna’ acquired in the third spaces of tourism

Figure X: Graph of ‘black henna’ queries adapted from Google Trends. 100 on the y-axis represent the maximum number of queries, not the actual number of queries. The x axis represents January 2004 to March 2013. All subsequent graphs in this section have the same x and y axis and time frame.

Figure X: Graph of the memetic pulse of Google queries for 'henna tattoo' showing peaks each year in July or early August.

Figure X: Graph comparing Google queries for ‘black henna’ and ‘henna tattoo’ adapted from Google Trends. The overlay of these two trends shows the coincidence of a summer peak for both henna and ‘black henna’ but show a sharper peak for ‘black henna’ during the spring break period each year.

Figure X: Graph comparing of Google queries for ‘vacation’ and ‘black henna’ from Google Trends.

Figure X: Graph comparing the queries of vacation + beach and ‘black’ henna shows closely matching memetic pulses.

Figure X: This graph shows the comparative pulses of queries for ‘henna tattoo’ and ‘mehndi’ adapted from Google Trends. This graph shows an annual ‘mehndi’ memetic surge around Diwali, a Hindu celebration that frequently includes henna parties, occurring in late October or early November, as opposed to a July and August surge for ‘henna.’

Figure X: This graph shows the comparative pulses of queries for ‘henna tattoo’ and ‘Eid.’ The x-axis represents January 2004 through March 2013. 100 on the y-axis represents the maximum number or queries for both henna tattoo and Eid, not the actual number of queries. The query for ‘Eid’ shows a different cycle than ‘henna tattoo’, with peaks occurring in at the Muslim holidays in a 354-day lunar calendar. Eid celebrations frequently include henna parties.

Figure X: This is a diagram of the proportional levels of PPD in ‘black henna’ pastes and the probability of sensitization.

Figure X: Though it would be unethical to test and is impossible to assemble quantitative information from the informal economic sector on injuries from black henna temporary tattoos, it appears that larger applications of higher PPD content black henna temporary tattoo paste cause more severe allergic reactions.

Figure X: This is a diagram of warning memes attached to products and their replication into the network environment of the end user.

Figure X: This is a diagram of a black henna warning meme organism based on an image posted on Reddit.

Figure X: This is a diagram of a PPD warning meme carrying the DuPont warnings against skin exposure to PPD to the end user level.

DEFINITIONS AND STYLE

In the body of this work, henna refers to the plant Lawsonia inermis, the product of powdered henna plant leaves, the hair dye, and body art created with powdered henna plant leaves. Black skin dye products and temporary tattoos created by painting skin with para-phenylenediamine products to create a temporary tattoo will be termed ‘black henna’ and will set off by ‘’ marks.

Para-phenylenediamine will be abbreviated as PPD in the body through this text, both for its use as body art and as an industrial chemical product and component of other products. Products marketed as black henna, such as indigo, which do not contain PPD are not set off by ‘’ marks. Henna body art created with Lawsonia inermis which has been darkened by heat, solvents, or alkali will be referred to as blackened henna.

Henna body art is often an expression of cultural memes. When I refer specifically to henna as a cultural concept, I will italicize it as a henna meme. When the henna meme has additional cultural concepts connected, I will refer to it as a henna meme organism.

The meme of body art created by painting PPD on the skin will be italicized as the black henna meme. When the black henna meme has additional cultural concepts connected with it, I will refer to it as a black henna meme organism.

Memes are units of culture. Memes may be simple or complex. Memes are replicators replicating from one person to another through the imitation of actions, communications and artifacts. Memes with associated concepts are more successful replicators than memes without associated concepts. Memes with associated concepts will be referred to as meme organisms. The area of memetic replication, collaboration, evolution, or extinction, is a network environment. The network environment is the cultural group where ideas are shared and this group may be of any size. A memeplex is the contextual web of ideas within which a meme organism may replicate and evolve as a cultural unit in a culturally complex system, a social network or network environment.

The ideosphere is the global sum of all memes, systems of thoughts and knowledge shared by humans, just as the biosphere is the global sum of all systems of living beings.

The mediasphere is the globalizing sum of memes which proliferate through publications and electronically distributed media, including the Internet.

‘Truthy’ is an attribute of an evolved meme organism regarded as ‘true’ because it has been constructed and consumed within a network environment. Truthy and the development of truthiness are aspects of assertion and the construction of belief in information diffusion through network environments. Truthy beliefs are memes widely replicated without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or fact.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download