Discussion Board Module 5 – Graffiti: Property Crime vs. Social Justice
Discussion Board Module 5
Overview
This Discussion Board covers materials assigned from Barkan Chapters 10–12, your weekly PowerPoint slides, and the social science frameworks we have built throughout the semester.
For this assignment, we are exploring a paradox. Under the law, graffiti is classified as a property crime (vandalism). However, throughout history, graffiti has also served as a powerful ideological tool—a visual message meant to expose inequalities and demand social change. This week, you will analyze graffiti through both a criminal and a theoretical lens.
Your Assignment Instructions
Step 1: Find a Visual Example
Find a real-world image of graffiti that contains a clear crime-related social justice message (e.g., messages regarding police brutality, poverty, systemic racism, corporate greed, human rights, or environmental destruction).
- Post the image (or a working link to it) in your thread.
- Briefly describe the context or location of the graffiti if known.
Step 2: Social Science & Theoretical Analysis
Directly below your image, write a structured analysis (5–7 sentences) that connects the visual message to the social science theories we have studied. You must include the following:
- Link to Theory (With Page Number): Connect the message in the graffiti to one specific theory of crime from Chapters 5 through 10, or read ahead to Chapter 14 if you want to link it specifically to political crime (which can include corporate state crimes or environmental/global warming activism). You must cite the specific page number from the Barkan textbook where this theory is defined.
- Explain the Call to Action: Based strictly on the framework of your chosen theory, explain why this specific piece of graffiti is a compelling call to action. What structural or psychological failure is the artist highlighting?
EXAMPLE:
Theory: Institutional Anomie Theory (Messner & Rosenfeld; textbook page 140).
Analysis: This graffiti highlights how our cultural obsession with economic success at all costs has broken down traditional institutional controls. Institutional Anomie Theory suggests that instead of simply treating a symptoms like homelessness with temporary handouts, society must fix the structural problem of poverty. The visual message serves as a compelling call to action because it demands we overhaul our societal institutions—ensuring all individuals have access to supportive family, stable employment, quality education, and equitable political experiences that foster a meaningful, crime-free life.
NOTE: If you want to link your graffiti to political crime, read ahead to chapter 14. Political crime can include global warning.