Graffiti in Education: Navigating Legality, Authority, and Ethical Boundaries | Chapter 13 | Walls That Teach: Graffiti, Education and the Pedagogy of Resistance

 

Graffiti art is a style in visual art rooted in spray-can painting vandalism familiar in cities all over the world. This art form has existed since time immemorial when humans chose to live together in communities, and discovered the ability to translate their thoughts and ideas onto the surfaces of the spaces where they lived, worked, and travelled. This chapter critically scrutinises the multifaceted moral landscape of incorporating graffiti into educational theory and practice. Situated within the theme Ethical Considerations in the Walls that Teach: Graffiti, Education, and the Pedagogy of Resistance, the study interrogates the tensions between legality, authority, inclusion, and educational value in engaging with graffiti as both an art form and a pedagogical tool. The chapter encourages educators to engage deeply with the ethical questions surrounding its use, representation, and potential as a means of transformative learning. It explores the fine line between criminalisation and creativity. It considers how graffiti’s status as “illegal” influences public perception and institutional reluctance, while simultaneously acknowledging its educational potential as a form of visual literacy that invites critical analysis of social realities. This discussion frames the need for educators to grapple with legal boundaries while also recognising graffiti’s capacity to serve as a tool for resistance and expression. It also considers how authority can either suppress or support youth agency, especially in marginalised communities. It critiques the appropriation of street aesthetics without engaging the communities that produce them and emphasises the need to centre authentic voices and community narratives in pedagogical engagements with graffiti.

 

The chapter also considers Consent and Community Engagement as ethical imperatives. It advocates for inclusive dialogue and collaboration with local communities in educational graffiti projects to foster mutual respect, avoid exploitation, and ensure relevance. The chapter highlights the moral dilemmas surrounding the removal or suppression of graffiti, especially when it reflects painful histories, dissenting voices, or unpopular truths. It calls for pedagogies that are emotionally responsive and ethically grounded. The chapter concludes with offering educators guiding principles for integrating graffiti in ways that are legally informed, culturally sensitive, ethically sound, and socially just.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Solomon Imbayago
Department of Technical Education, Great Zimbabwe University, Zimbabwe.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-47485-01-5/CH13