Youth Graffiti and Mural Art as Forms of Discourse: A Critical Analysis of Social and Political Meaning

Authors

  • Lect. Dr. Afrah Abdulqader Jassim Al-Ukaydi University of Mosul /College of Basic Education /Iraq Department of English Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31185/wjfh.Vol22.Iss1.1516

Keywords:

Mural, graffiti, identity, political ideologies, visual discourse, youth, multimodal

Abstract

The study aims at examining youth mural art as a persuasive verbal and non-verbal discourse that supports or encounters socio-political ideologies in city public settings. The central goals are to discover the role of youth graffiti and mural art as communicative practices and social political fears, as well as to regulate how visual and textual components in street art articulate, challenge, or replicate ideological positions. The study used an eclectic model, combining Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (1995) (CDA) at three levels with Kress & van Leeuwen’s Multimodal Discourse Analysis (2006) (MDA). The data were collected from websites referencing various murals from different countries, such as Belfast, Mexico City, Beirut, Cape Town, Bethlehem, and London. The study validates how mural art reflects emotional community bonds and reshapes community identities, shared memories, and conflict narratives through comprehensive visual and linguistic analysis.

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Published

2026-02-01

Issue

Section

European languages and literature

How to Cite

Al-Ukaydi, A. A. J. (2026). Youth Graffiti and Mural Art as Forms of Discourse: A Critical Analysis of Social and Political Meaning. Wasit Journal for Human Sciences, 22(1), 1433-1416. https://doi.org/10.31185/wjfh.Vol22.Iss1.1516

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