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Gas stations and random acts of urban incivility

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As long as people drive gas powered cars, they are going to need a steady supply of this fuel, and most individuals purchase this at gasoline stations.

Recently the empty sign light on my car’s dashboard instrument panel went off, and after close to 24 hours or so, I finally decided to buy gas.

But as I approached the station I had to make a decision where to best park.

Like most urban self-service gas stations in big cities, the surface area of station was comparatively small, and three lanes for vehicles with two islands of pumps. The left outer island had access to two pumps (including one diesel).  The middle lane offered access to four pumps, while the right outer lane provided access to two pumps.

It was mid-morning and there was only one car, a brand new beautiful luxury Range Rover, parked in the middle lane. But it was situated, closest to the last pump, on an angle blocking the possibility of other drivers from filling their vehicles with gas from the other three remaining pumps.

As I pulled into the outer right lane, on other side of the Range Rover, in the time it took me to completely fill up my tank and pay, I noticed a white woman in her late thirties- early forties standing outside of the car talking on the phone via her air buds. She seemed to be discussing properties and gave off a real estate agent vibe.  After starting the pump, the Range Rover driver went back inside her vehicle, and occasionally glanced back over at the pump.

In the meantime, two cars waited behind the Range Rover. One was even halfway into the sidewalk and in the street. I glanced at the drivers and they were visibly upset waiting for her to complete the transaction and leave the space.

In certain neighborhoods, this situation may have escalated from a heated conversation, to a shouting match, potentially leading to physical altercations such as fistfights or the brandishing of weapons, and in extreme cases, even gunfire.

Short of directly asking the Range Rover driver why she parked her car in the manner she did, what might explain her actions? Perhaps she was distracted? People who are on their phones often forget what is going on around them. We’ve all been there.

Alternatively, if the driver of the vehicle was comparatively younger, we might opine that the reason that this senario unfolded in the manner that it did, could be attributed to  the drivers’ inexperience.

Then again, maybe the Range Rover driver, wanted to avoid the possibility of getting her car door hit by someone parking beside her.

Or perhaps  it’s a demonstration of entitlement, (whether it is socioeconomic or white privilege) or a little bit of both?

Whether you like it or not these small and often subtle  actions are demonstrations of personal power.  And they can rightfully be interpreted as microagressions and even acknowledged as acts of urban incivility.

Admittedly there are no formal courses in gas station etiquette.  When we first learn to drive a car, we may observe our parents at the gas station and may imitate their behavior. Alternatively a friend, girlfriend, or spouse tells us to park closer so that we can let other people fill the tank of their vehicle unencumbered. Or we learn through trial and error. But there is little excuse for a middle aged woman to do this.

This vignette has at least four principle takeaways.

The incident highlights the importance of being aware of one’s surroundings, especially in shared spaces like gas stations. The actions of the Range Rover driver, whether due to distraction or lack of consideration, demonstrate the potential consequences of not being mindful of how one’s actions affect others.

The situation also underscores why it’s important to be mindful of others in public settings. Proper parking etiquette at gas stations ensures efficient use of limited space and allows for fair access to fuel pumps. Failing to consider the needs of other drivers can lead to frustration, conflict, and potential safety hazards.

The scenario sheds light on the social dynamics and power plays that can occur in everyday situations. The Range Rover driver’s actions, whether intentional or not, can be interpreted as a display of personal power or entitlement, highlighting the subtle ways in which individuals assert control in public spaces.

Gas station etiquette may not be formally taught, but the incident emphasizes the importance of cultural norms and social expectations in shaping behavior. While people some may learn proper etiquette through observation or guidance from others, deviations from these norms can lead to perceptions of urban incivility and disrupt social harmony.

If we want to minimize hostility and possible violence, it’s important to recognize the impact that our actions may have on others. By cultivating awareness and empathy, we can take positive steps towards reducing urban incivility and the chain reaction of negative events that may stem from this.

Photo Credit

Photographer: Thomas Hawk

Title: Town Pump

My Go-To scholarly books on graffiti

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Numerous English language books have been written and published on the subject of contemporary Graffiti and Street Art.

A subset of these publications have focused almost exclusively on graffiti.

This work falls into a handful of genres ranging from coffee table books to academic and scholarly efforts.

Least prevalent are a handful scholarly/academic (I use these terms interchangeably) reference books such as Anna Waclawek’s Graffiti and Street Art (2011),  Konstantinos Avramidis and Myrto Tsilimpounidi’s Graffiti and Street Art (2016), and my Routledge Handbook of Graffiti and Street Art (2016).

Most books on graffiti appear to be large format coffee table ones that primarily consist of photographs depicting the subject matter. They focus on the work of one particular writer or artist, or graffiti and street art that appears in a single city or country.

Sandwiched in between these types of publications, are a growing number of academic books, most of which have been released by university presses and treat the subject of graffiti, and the people who engage and respond to this activity in a thoughtful, comprehensive, and considered manner. They also understand and convey the complexity of the subject matter.

All of these books, serve different purposes, but if you are looking for thoughtful scholarly treatments of the subject matter, I have a handful of recommendations.

Also, although it might be tempting to list the scholarly books from least to most helpful, not only is this finer level analysis an extremely difficult exercise, probably provides minimal benefits, but in the end, it may also be impossible. In short, some of the books listed here are better than others with respect to accomplishing their mission. Thus, I’ve chosen to list the books below in chronological order.

Craig Castleman’s, Getting Up: Subway Graffiti in New York (1982), is one of the first scholarly books on graffiti writing, focusing almost exclusively on the New York City subway scene. Castleman examines not just the different types of graffiti that was placed on the cars, but the inner dynamics among different political actors connected to graffiti. The book includes interviews with “graffiti writers, transit police officers, active and former public officials, MTA employees, and other interested parties” (pp. x-xi).

Jeff Ferrells’ Crimes of Style: Urban Graffiti and the Politics of Criminality (1993),  tackles the subject of contemporary graffiti through a relatively broad lens. Not only does it review the significance of graffiti, but part of his study involves an ethnography of graffiti and writers in Denver Colorado. Through this process Ferrell attempts to understand why the writers chose particular targets, the cultural significance of graffiti and how this form of expression challenges notions of property, art, and identity. He looks at the subculture of graffiti writers and the battle between writers and moral entrepreneurs who want to abate graffiti. Ferrell primarily sees graffiti, in its various forms as resistance to authorities.

Susan A. Phillip’s Wallbangin’ Graffiti and Gangs in L.A. (1999) examines the history of graffiti in Los Angeles, with an intense focus on gang graffiti.  She covers the work produced by Chicano and African-American gangs including the meanings produced by writing, and with different writing styles. Phililips also touches on more contemporary hip-hop graffiti in L.A. The book was the product of an ethnography, that included conversations with graffiti writers, with the aim of trying to understand what the meaning of graffiti was and is for these individuals and the groups they belong to.

The Graffiti Subculture: Youth, Masculinity and Identity in London and New York (2001)  written by Nancy Macdonald, is the result of her research that encompassed hanging out with graffiti writers in two major international cities, for a considerable period of time, primarily trying to derive insights into what motivated the writers. In this respect, competition among male graffiti writers seemed to be a driving force.

Taking The Train: How Graffiti Art Became an Urban Crisis in New York City (2001), by Joe Austin, is one of the first books to treat the subject matter of graffiti on the New York City trains in a comprehensive manner, involves observation, ethnography, and reviews of the scarce scholarly literature on graffiti at that time.  Austin argues that “At the foundation of this book’s argument is the assertion that the cultural forms that writers developed in New York City constitute what is perhaps the most important art movement in the late twentieth century” p. 6).

Ivor L. Miller’s Aerosol Kingdom: Subway Painters of New York City (2002) reviews the history of graffiti in the NYC subway, including the authors’ journey into this world and the reactions he got from other people in the academia, the importance of photography for graffiti, and meanings of the work produced by writers engaged in this activity.

Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York’s Urban Underground, by Gregory J. Snyder. (2009) is a considered approach to the subject of graffiti looking not only at New York City based writers, but intensely at their subcultural careers, including how the writers entered into the writing scene, how they got out, and for some of them the careers they moved on as they decreased their involvement in this activity.

Ronald Kramers’ The Rise of Legal Graffiti Writing in New York and Beyond (2016) looks at how graffiti emerged from the subways and on to the streets of New York City. It also looks at the city’s attempts to eradicate it. Later chapters examine the rise of legal graffiti walls and how graffiti writers, and the city responded to these initiatives.

Stefano Bloch’s Going All City: Struggle and Survival in L.A.’s Graffiti Subculture (2019) traces the author’s trajectory from a lesser known tagger to one of the most well-known graffiti writers in Los Angeles. The book is an auto ethnography and integrates the scholarly literature which is relevant to this narrative.

Caitlin Frances’ Bruce Painting Publics: Transnational Legal Graffiti scenes as spaces for encounter (2019) examines the rise of legal graffiti places, as distinct from illegal, and the meetings that people have to practice or present their craft. It is international in scope. This effort questions dominant narratives about what graffiti is, what it means, and is intended to achieve.

John Lennon’s Conflict Graffiti: From Revolution to Gentrification (2021)  recognizes that there are several different types of graffiti, and each has their own specific purpose. Lennon then focuses on graffiti that has been dominant in political conflict, focusing on Egypt, during the Arab Spring, and Northern Ireland as a result of the troubles. He examines the utility of this work, and how people have responded to them. The book consist of interviews with graffiti writers and people who are responsible for abatement.

Although some of these efforts are better than others in their ability to systematically examine specific aspects of graffiti, the people who engage in this activity, and community, societal, and political reactions, all of these books should be considered as classics and be read and digested in a slow and deliberative manner.

Undoubtedly there are numerous honorable mentions (e.g., Janice Rahn’s Painting without permission: Hip-Hop Graffiti Subculture -2002; Jacob Kimval’s The G-Word: Virtuosity and Violation, Negotiating and Transforming Graffiti -2014, etc.), that I encourage scholars of graffiti (and street art) to check out. I also recognize an American (and New York City and Los Angeles) bias to my list,  but at the end of the day the books I listed are the ones that have consistently led me to better understand the phenomenon we now consider to be graffiti.

Photo

Title: Corner Graffiti in Paris’ 4th Arr.

Photographer: Jeffrey Ian Ross

The Shopkeepers’ Dilemma as a Pedagogical Tool

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Instructors use a variety of methods to deliver content to undergraduate students, including those that foster critical thinking. Although traditional methods like lectures, assigned videos, and exercises from textbooks can be valuable, facilitating engagement and interaction is typically a more effective strategy for student learning.

To enable this type of pedagogy, I often present field-relevant scenarios that involve multiple dilemmas to my students. Then I ask them to actively solve these problems, and propose viable solutions, through group based role-playing exercises.

What do I mean by scenario based pedagogy and problem solving?

One of my go to scenarios that I use in one of my undergraduate criminal justice classes is what I call “The shopkeeper’s dilemma.”

I ask my students to  imagine a shopkeeper, akin to a Seven-Eleven or bodega owner, situated in a relatively large city such as Baltimore, Toronto, London, Paris, etc. The store faces a recurring challenge where homeless individuals, many grappling with mental illness and polydrug use, regularly shoplift small food items. While the monetary value of the stolen items is relatively low, (nonetheless leading to a loss in profits), dealing with these people has become a persistent nuisance. Despite displaying signs warning of prosecution and the presence of CCTV cameras, the shopkeeper’s attempts—whether verbally warning or attempting to ban these individuals from the store—prove ineffective as they keep returning.

Understandably, there are no simple solutions to this scenario. And the implications extend beyond the shopkeeper; if the shopkeeper opts to contact the police, a chain reaction of events and involvement by various criminal justice practitioners ensues. This is when things can become not just complicated but interesting too.

I challenge my students to consider not only how the shopkeeper might respond to the scenario,  but also how other criminal justice practitioners (e.g., law enforcement, including a police dispatcher, a prosecutor, public defender, and even a judge), could react. Would other members of the criminal justice system become involved,  why,  and how might they respond? The participation of each of these men and women, and their respective actions carries numerous implications. I also ask my students to apply whatever they have learned to date in the class (via lectures, and reading materials) to this scenario.

I typically divide the class into four or five groups. I assign each group one specific role (i.e., shopkeeper, police officer, prosecutor, bystander, judge, etc.), and ask them to choose a spokesperson.

The spokesperson is tasked with assembling the group’s answers, and publicly explaining not only how their assigned person (i.e., police officer, etc.) might react, but also the optimal way to respond and the reasoning behind it.

Following each group’s presentation, we discuss the implications of these decisions. Sometimes I wait for all presentations to be made, whereas other times I immediately go to class discussion after each group presents. (I warn students about this strategy beforehand). The initial method can become a little boring and students will almost always want to jump in and criticize an approach. The latter method is more dynamic, and group spokespeople will need to think on their feet to adjust what their group decided based on the information that the other students present.

These types of exercises are not without their drawbacks

Coming up with appropriate scenarios like this one is relatively labor intensive. Occasionally, in order to develop a pool of ideas, sometimes I ask my students to suggest a relevant field specific ethical dilemma that might work well for the class. Alternatively, I draw inspiration from local, regional or national news events (i.e., police shootings, horrific crimes, etc.) as a reservoir from which to draw. In both cases I will modify these ideas depending on my perceptions about what will work best with my students.

For lots of reasons, many students, particularly those who are shy and or like to “hide” during class, are not keen on interacting with each other and are going to complain. (This is a little hard to fathom with criminal justice students who are going to have to interact with the public as part of their jobs).

Sometimes this discussion method is a little difficult to manage with zoom based classes, but the breakout room feature in this program is perfectly suited to enable this process.

Also some instructors may be tempted to factor student’s level and degree of  interaction into a participation grade,  the primary goal with this exercise is to get them talking, thinking and interacting, to challenge not just what they know but their decision-making choices.

Why is this approach helpful?

Let’s face it, over time most classes can get a little boring. For example, standing in front of a class and lecturing becomes tedious not only for instructors, but students alike. Thus, I’ve found that mixing things up (like using scenario based instruction) is often the best way to teach my undergraduate students about the complexities of the subject matter.

This method can be tailored to suit the dynamics of any class size. It is applicable not only to smaller classes of 20-45 students but also scalable for larger class sizes that fill lecture halls. The only limit is your creativity

Moreover, most fields are messy and often there are no correct answers, just better and worse approaches to situations given the facts that are present at the moment or competing things that are happening with the actors that are involved.

I’ve also found that scenario and roll playing exercises forces many of my students out of their passive bystander status and to be more active participants in their own learning. Additionally,  the more real life the scenario (problems that the students may forced to solve when and if they become criminal justice practitioners) the better the learning experience.

More importantly, this approach fosters deeper and more meaningful interactions among students and between students and instructors.

The future is now

In sum, if instructors want their students to do more then be able to recall information that is presented to them in class, it’s crucial to push them out of their comfort zones and actively engage them. Although scenario based exercises are not the only way to accomplish this goal, they are some of the most cost-effective tools that are available to instructors.  It’s a bit challenging at first to introduce this type of pedagogy in the classroom, but overtime it gets easier as you learn through trial and error which scenarios are most appropriate and which kinds of prompts work best.

Photo Credit

Photographer: Dan Nguyen

Title: Bodega buy