Understanding public behavior

Whether or not if there are crimes like public intoxication, smoking a joint publically, or graffiti, the

broken window theory see these physical signs of disorder within a city. This disorder is understood to mean public behavior; the examples would be the ones I’ve given above. According to Wilson and George Kelling from Great American City, they argue how the community’s discourteous behavior, “even if relatively minor, such as drinking in the street and graffiti – attract predatory crime because potential offenders assume that residents are indifferent to what goes on in their neighborhood” (125).

In relating to this, the broken window theory sees the disorder of this and how ones neighbor might oppose as welcoming to people outside of the neighborhood. The way I see this, I believe crime can happen anywhere and in anyway. I want to focus on graffiti. Is graffiti vandalism or art? Graffiti is a sign of disorder within a city. The problem with this is that you may be destroying ones property, with damaging ones property, which may cost the property owners to repair it while some graffiti scribblers don’t have to pay a buck. It could also be looked at a violence/crime act through graffitis of gangs. Some say graffiti is art. Graffiti can improve the walls by adding color, their talent, a way to express ones feelings, a way to spread a message and the creativity of it. A great example of this is Wynwood Walls. Wynwood is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida. There have been over 40 artists from other countries who have graffitied the walls. It is street art, artists working in the graffiti and street art type.

Art and fashion are the major elements in this neighborhood. To wrap this up, I believe it is good and bad. Going back with the broken window theory, I believe these disorders are based on which neighborhood you’re in. Not only that, but what are they types of images you see on these walls in these certain neighborhoods? A disorder may impact disadvantaged communities or how the disorder comes as an effect of structural. From how I see it, the Wynwood Walls is considered as art, they’re not vandalizing ones property and professors artists are involved while others are destroying ones property.

Sampson, Robert J. Great American City: Chicago and the Enduring Neighborhood Effect. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2012. Print.