The Graffiti Subculture : Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The fight kicks off in the usual way..." (more)
Key Phrases: illegal writers, whole car top, graffiti squad, New York, British Transport Police, Londonz Burning Magazine (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A challenge to the canon of subculture theory...A thoughtful and insightful contribution which deserves to become an important text. -- Rosalind Gill, London School of Economics and Political Science

Review

“By demonstrating the importance of gender in the formation and dynamics of youth subcultures, this book represents a challenge to the canon of subcultural theory. A thoughtful and insightful contribution which deserves to become an important text in (sub)cultural studies.” —Rosalind Gill, London School of Economics and Political Science

“Macdonald has gone to the heart of the graffiti writers' world and brought to bear the most thorough and provocative research. Her success depends, in part, on her forthrightness, her refusal to condescend and her respect for the writers' enterprise and voice. Her informants are heard loud and clear giving this book an authentic tone that stays in tune with the language of the streets. Macdonald maps out this, largely male, rite of passage and presents adolescence as a period between two worlds: literally in the subway tunnels, figuratively in the subcultural underground. Her candid and often humorous description of the fieldwork process, her unusual perspective as a woman observing men and her well documented conclusions make this book essential reading in the fields of anthropology, sociology and juvenile justice and a very enjoyable read for anyone else interested in art, youth and human nature.” —Henry Chalfont, author of Subway Art

“Subcultures may come and go, but graffiti has stuck around with no sell-by date in sight. In its lifecourse it has rarely been subjected to an analysis that is not only academically persuasive, but also wrapped in the walking, talking, painting actions of graffiti coda. This book offers a fascinating portal into the mind of the graffiti writer.” —Ephraim Webber, editor of Graphotism Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (July 22, 2001) Language: English ISBN-10: 0333781902 ISBN-13: 978-0333781906 Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,528,008 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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First Sentence:
The fight kicks off in the usual way. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
illegal writers, whole car top, graffiti squad, illegal graffiti, graffiti subculture, graffiti identity, graffiti career, masculine resource, subcultural members, graffiti magazines, doing graffiti, graffiti writers, postmodern ethnographers, illegal stuff, sex role theory, illegal work

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, British Transport Police, Londonz Burning Magazine, Graphotism Magazine, Albert Cohen, Bjerrum Nielsen, Joe Bloggs, Urb Magazine, Frank Malt, Graphotisrn Magazine, Inspector Connell, Mark Surface, Nancy Would, Vibe Magazine

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 78 books:

• Resistance Through Rituals: Youth Subcultures in Post-War Britain by Stuart Hall on 8 pages
• Changing Men: New Directions in Research on Men and Masculinity (SAGE Focus Editions) by Michael Kimmel on 4 pages
• Ethnographic Research: A Guide to General Conduct (Research Methods in Social Anthropology) by R. F. Ellen on 4 pages
• Men, Masculinities & Social Theory (Problems of Modern European Thought) by Jeff Hearn on 4 pages
• Just Boys Doing Business?: Men, Masculinities and Crime by Tim Newburn on 4 pages

See all 78 books this book cites

 

5 books cite this book:

• Reading the Everyday by Joe Moran in Back Matter
• Judging the Image (Transformations: Thinking Through Feminism) by Alison Young in Back Matter
• Computer Viruses and Malware (Advances in Information Security) by John Aycock in Back Matter
• Popular Music Genres: An Introduction by Stuar Borthwick in Back Matter
• Popular Music Genres: An Introduction by Stuar Borthwick in Back Matter

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang

Discusses:

• graffiti squad
• doing graffiti
• graffiti writers

No More Prisons by William Upski Wimsatt

Discusses:

• graffiti magazines
• doing graffiti
• graffiti writers

Burn by Black Artemis

Discusses:

• illegal graffiti
• graffiti subculture
• doing graffiti

Dondi White Style Master General by Andrew Witten

Discusses:

• graffiti career
• doing graffiti
• graffiti writers

Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities by Michael Kimmel

Discusses:

• sex role theory
• military masculinities
• doing masculinity

Spraycan Art by Henry Chalfant

Discusses:

• illegal graffiti
• graffiti subculture
• graffiti writers

Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang Discusses: graffiti squad doing graffiti graffiti writers No More Prisons by William Upski Wimsatt Discusses: graffiti magazines doing graffiti graffiti writers Burn by Black Artemis Discusses: illegal graffiti graffiti subculture doing graffiti Dondi White Style Master General by Andrew Witten Discusses: graffiti career doing graffiti graffiti writers Loading...

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	60% buy the item featured on this page: The Graffiti Subculture : Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York 4.7 out of 5 stars (7) $135.00
	11% buy Taking the Train 4.0 out of 5 stars (2) $20.00
	11% buy New York Subway Graffiti 5.0 out of 5 stars (1) $19.79
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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews 5 star:  (6) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Review of Graffiti Subculture, April 12, 2005 By  R. Abraham "unf unf unf" (Syosset, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York (Paperback) Allow me to be the first voice of dissent--while this is a thoroughly researched ethnography, the analysis was myopic and simply not intensive enough. My primary disapointment in this book was the author's failure to account for graffiti itself--as a language, as text, as communication. So little has been written on this subject, but Mcdonald spends only the smallest amount of time discussing the way that graffiti "performs". Of course, you say, she is a sociologist, and this is a subcultural study. But Mcdonald spends a great deal of this book focusing on masculine/feminine identity and graffiti art as a way to "perform" masculinity or femininity, through exclusion and inclusion. Graffiti is contextualized as an expression of anomie and disenfranchisement, and the illegal nature is brought to the forefront. But this could easily have been a book about gang members in London, as very little in this book would have been different. So much can be written about the way urban youth mediate themselves, and why. This book just does not account for communication and, in focusing on its subjects, neglects the very interfaces and connections that allow them to communicate and differentiate. Finally, the greatest weakness of this book is that it makes NO attempt to historicize graffiti. It's as if graffiti first appeared in the 80's out of a cultural vacuum. Without any sort of historical context, the hobby discussed in this volume means very, very little. Like other dissertations written for public consumption, the book spends a great deal of time recounting the history of 20th century criticism, which will make you tap your foot and roll your eyes if you've heard all of this before. I enjoy the approach--ethnography is a very important methodology, first person narration and personal anecdotes are too often absent from academic work (but becoming more popular in recent years)and the author's insistence that her subjects review and revise her work in the footnotes is very endearing, and perhaps revolutionary. I just wish that this book had actually discussed graffiti--how do we understand subjects without understanding their symbolic order? 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and compelling, July 25, 2001 By  chris "[e-mail]" (London, England) - See all my reviews Taking a different approach to the graffiti subject is not something I would usually recommend - most authors that have tried to write about graf and the surrounding culture produce forgettable books often ridiculed by graf writers. And if you don't appeal to the people you're writing about, where's the decency in that? Nancy Macdonald has totally blown any preconceptions you might have about her approcah to this subject - she looks at the culture from the perspective of an outsider looking in, but successfully involves the people she is writing about. Genuine quotes from writers (not just any writers, but respected and admired writers) prove that Macdonald carried out the necessary research to write an incredible book on the ideas and psychology behind graffiti. Although the content is generally text, the selection of photos are well chosen and effective at backing up the writing. To cap off an already-essential book, Macdonald had the courtesy to hand the book back to the writers who contributed and helped. Their comments (in the back of the book) only enforce that this book is accurate and genuine - and for that alone, Macdonald should be applauded. For anyone interested in graffiti - whether it's reading quotes about yard missions, or wanting to know the reasons behind why people write on trains and walls - this book is vital reading. 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars First-rate exploration of the world of the graffiti writer, December 10, 2004 By  Jim Bergerac "library lurker" (Jersey, CI) - See all my reviews This review is from: The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York (Paperback) I couldn't recommend this book more highly to anybody with a serious interest in the lives and values of graffiti writers. The book is undeniably scholarly in tone, but is written in a clear and lucid manner which makes it accessible to anybody with an interest in the subject. Furthermore, Macdonald's effective discussion of her methodologies and the assumptions underlying her work make the book invaluable for anybody who wishes to look at a variety of subcultures, not just graffiti. Even if you don't believe the blurb (or this review), believe the pages of glowing appraisals from graffiti writers that fill the back of the book. This is, in itself, a considerable achievment, and testifies to the high regard in which Macdonald's work is held by her subjects. If more writers bothered to check their work with the people they write about, this type of book would be held in higher regard outside the world of academia.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars !! This book is a requirement for a class. It arrived quickly and in good shape. Published 13 months ago by Shana Dahlin 5.0 out of 5 stars amazing insight I myself have conducted extensive research on the subject and have found Nancy's book to be the most comprehensive study to date on the graffiti subculture. Read more Published on July 26, 2001 5.0 out of 5 stars WRITING ON WRITING THOUGHTS: At last! A sensible rational book on the graffiti sub-culture. This book presents established sociological schools of thought uniquely re-interpreted in a... Read more Published on July 25, 2001 by kate ferrie 5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and compelling Taking a different approach to the graffiti subject is not something I would usually recommend - most authors that have tried to write about graf and the surrounding culture... Read more Published on July 25, 2001 by chris Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (July 22, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0333781902
• ISBN-13: 978-0333781906
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,528,008 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Review of Graffiti Subculture, April 12, 2005

By	R. Abraham "unf unf unf" (Syosset, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York (Paperback)

Allow me to be the first voice of dissent--while this is a thoroughly researched ethnography, the analysis was myopic and simply not intensive enough. My primary disapointment in this book was the author's failure to account for graffiti itself--as a language, as text, as communication. So little has been written on this subject, but Mcdonald spends only the smallest amount of time discussing the way that graffiti "performs". Of course, you say, she is a sociologist, and this is a subcultural study. But Mcdonald spends a great deal of this book focusing on masculine/feminine identity and graffiti art as a way to "perform" masculinity or femininity, through exclusion and inclusion. Graffiti is contextualized as an expression of anomie and disenfranchisement, and the illegal nature is brought to the forefront. But this could easily have been a book about gang members in London, as very little in this book would have been different. So much can be written about the way urban youth mediate themselves, and why. This book just does not account for communication and, in focusing on its subjects, neglects the very interfaces and connections that allow them to communicate and differentiate. Finally, the greatest weakness of this book is that it makes NO attempt to historicize graffiti. It's as if graffiti first appeared in the 80's out of a cultural vacuum. Without any sort of historical context, the hobby discussed in this volume means very, very little. Like other dissertations written for public consumption, the book spends a great deal of time recounting the history of 20th century criticism, which will make you tap your foot and roll your eyes if you've heard all of this before. I enjoy the approach--ethnography is a very important methodology, first person narration and personal anecdotes are too often absent from academic work (but becoming more popular in recent years)and the author's insistence that her subjects review and revise her work in the footnotes is very endearing, and perhaps revolutionary. I just wish that this book had actually discussed graffiti--how do we understand subjects without understanding their symbolic order?

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and compelling, July 25, 2001

By	chris "[e-mail]" (London, England) - See all my reviews

Taking a different approach to the graffiti subject is not something I would usually recommend - most authors that have tried to write about graf and the surrounding culture produce forgettable books often ridiculed by graf writers. And if you don't appeal to the people you're writing about, where's the decency in that? Nancy Macdonald has totally blown any preconceptions you might have about her approcah to this subject - she looks at the culture from the perspective of an outsider looking in, but successfully involves the people she is writing about. Genuine quotes from writers (not just any writers, but respected and admired writers) prove that Macdonald carried out the necessary research to write an incredible book on the ideas and psychology behind graffiti. Although the content is generally text, the selection of photos are well chosen and effective at backing up the writing.

To cap off an already-essential book, Macdonald had the courtesy to hand the book back to the writers who contributed and helped. Their comments (in the back of the book) only enforce that this book is accurate and genuine - and for that alone, Macdonald should be applauded.

For anyone interested in graffiti - whether it's reading quotes about yard missions, or wanting to know the reasons behind why people write on trains and walls - this book is vital reading.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First-rate exploration of the world of the graffiti writer, December 10, 2004

By	Jim Bergerac "library lurker" (Jersey, CI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York (Paperback)

I couldn't recommend this book more highly to anybody with a serious interest in the lives and values of graffiti writers. The book is undeniably scholarly in tone, but is written in a clear and lucid manner which makes it accessible to anybody with an interest in the subject. Furthermore, Macdonald's effective discussion of her methodologies and the assumptions underlying her work make the book invaluable for anybody who wishes to look at a variety of subcultures, not just graffiti.

Even if you don't believe the blurb (or this review), believe the pages of glowing appraisals from graffiti writers that fill the back of the book. This is, in itself, a considerable achievment, and testifies to the high regard in which Macdonald's work is held by her subjects. If more writers bothered to check their work with the people they write about, this type of book would be held in higher regard outside the world of academia.