This research aims to analyze the influence of exposure to graffiti in the home environment while taking into account other influential factors, specifically: engagement with graffiti, recognition...Show moreThis research aims to analyze the influence of exposure to graffiti in the home environment while taking into account other influential factors, specifically: engagement with graffiti, recognition of graffiti's role in representing a city's character, contributing to a country's dirtiness, representing citizens values, and affecting citizens' comfort in their urban environment. An extensive literature review attempting to define graffiti and its surrounding contexts and influences builds the foundation for the research. The data was collected using self-report online questionnaires. The questionnaire was distributed through personal communication and social media platforms. The survey received 217 replies, and of those, 197 participants completed the questionnaire. The results suggest that there is a positive correlation between exposure to graffiti during the developing years and citizens' desire for graffiti. Furthermore, street art is examined as an influential factor in graffiti and the publics’ relationship. This research project shows the diversity and complexity of graffiti and its perceptions.Show less
Street art and graffiti are global movements enjoying an increasingly amount of attention in public forums. The same can be said for Costa Rica, where the street art movement is currently thriving....Show moreStreet art and graffiti are global movements enjoying an increasingly amount of attention in public forums. The same can be said for Costa Rica, where the street art movement is currently thriving. Because street art is able to combine global and local experiences, it, therefore, makes every urban space unique. This thesis investigates how street art in the urban spaces of Costa Rica represents concerns of the public by analyzing murals in the cities of Jacó and San José. With the theory of activism and a close analysis of these murals, it is revealed that global themes are incorporated into the murals using local representations, furthermore, street art is a form of activism. Murals found in the tourist city of Jacó relies heavily on environmental themes, which mirror and romanticize the local nature, animals, and indigenous peoples. The street art in the capital city, San José, is, in contrast, less romanticized and more confrontational in its nature. In both cities the themes of the murals are closely related to local experiences and perceptions of issues and concerns. Ultimately, the street art in Jacó and San José actively address concerns in two different manners giving an indication of the diversity and versatility of representations in street art in Costa Rica.Show less
During the Egyptian Revolution in 2011, protesters and dissident behaviour were severely condemned by agents of the state. Among the protesters were women who were subjugated to gender-specific...Show moreDuring the Egyptian Revolution in 2011, protesters and dissident behaviour were severely condemned by agents of the state. Among the protesters were women who were subjugated to gender-specific violence to the criticism of many Egyptians. As awareness of misconduct towards women grew during the Egyptian revolution, it can be argued that the revolution also instigated a shift in thinking about the role of women in Egyptian society, since it opened up a new space for women to express themselves in the process of self-definition. Therefore, I will argue that a gendered analysis of the revolution will help us understand resistance better while interrogating the gender-dynamics in revolutionary Egypt. Hence, I will investigate how the revolution contributed to a shift in the construction of gender roles for women in Egypt. The research problem is understanding how the previously assigned gender roles, framed by nationalist ideologies, played a role in the way women were treated during the public protests. In order to answer this question, I will focus on Egypt under Mubarak and under the SCAF who reigned until 2012. Secondly, I will investigate the role of the state, its patriarchal character and its adherence to a security regime. Thirdly, I will analyse how women protesters were changing the status quo by their acts of protest and how it provoked a different way of thinking about women. The latter, has been aided by female graffiti artists too who used their graffiti as a way of 'speaking back'. This will be contextualised by an analysis of a selection of graffiti made by women during the Egyptian Revolution.Show less
