Istanze identitarie e racconto di sé in un gruppo di adolescenti «writers»

Abstract

Identity Demands and Self-Reports in a Group of Adolescent Graffiti Writers.

This paper attempts to investigate the world of graffiti art as a widely popular phenomenon among adolescents, especially in urban contexts. We hypothesize that this activity is an answer to the need for identity and for belonging, typical of adolescence. In particular, we analyzed social identity in the crew and in the broader social context. Twenty young people (aged thirteen to twenty-three years), with nineteen males and only one female, underwent a semi-structured interview on social identity. The transcript was then analysed according to the following categories: the writer’s identity (autobiographical, behavioural and emotional aspects along with personal commitment); group identity (the crew, the rules); contextual aspects (belonging, communication goals, relations with the law). The results show two aspects of the activity: on the one hand, graffiti represents an answer to identity needs through its obvious visibility, a revelation and recognition of the self through tagging; on the other hand, it meets the need to belong through the crew’s mutual loyalty, the challenge and sharing milieu.