Graffiti as Method: Spatio-temporal Analysis of Political Perception and Community Relations in Belfast

Eric Lepp; Dylan O'Driscoll; Birte Vogel; Dan Morecroft-Rice

doi:10.1080/17502977.2024.2444078

Graffiti as Method: Spatio-temporal Analysis of Political Perception and Community Relations in Belfast

Eric Lepp
, Dylan O'Driscoll
, Birte Vogel
, Dan Morecroft-Rice

Research Centre for Peace and Security

University of Waterloo
University of Manchester
Independent researcher

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

184 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This article explores the methodological possibilities that a graffiti dataset offers to a spatio-temporal analysis of peace and conflict. Leveraging our original visual dataset of Belfast’s changing muralscape, the analysis unpacks how messages painted on walls offer a lens into evolving local sentiments, politics, unity, and divisions. We suggest that tracking changes in graffiti across time offers methodological innovation in understanding contested spaces, and, when used as a foundational method, a dataset enhances researcher understanding of violence, avoidance, memorialisation and publicly debated social issues, paving the way for further research on graffiti as a lens for understanding complex societal phenomena.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	630-650
Number of pages	21
Journal	Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding
Volume	19
Issue number	5
Early online date	14 Jan 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/17502977.2024.2444078
Publication status	Published - 20 Oct 2025

Bibliographical note

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Keywords

Methodological framework
graffiti
muralscape
peace and conflict
Belfast

Themes

Peace and Conflict

Access to Document

10.1080/17502977.2024.2444078Licence: CC BY

O'Driscoll2025VoRFinal published version, 2.7 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Graffiti as Method: Spatio-temporal Analysis of Political Perception and Community Relations in Belfast",

abstract = "This article explores the methodological possibilities that a graffiti dataset offers to a spatio-temporal analysis of peace and conflict. Leveraging our original visual dataset of Belfast{\textquoteright}s changing muralscape, the analysis unpacks how messages painted on walls offer a lens into evolving local sentiments, politics, unity, and divisions. We suggest that tracking changes in graffiti across time offers methodological innovation in understanding contested spaces, and, when used as a foundational method, a dataset enhances researcher understanding of violence, avoidance, memorialisation and publicly debated social issues, paving the way for further research on graffiti as a lens for understanding complex societal phenomena. ",

keywords = "Methodological framework, graffiti, muralscape, peace and conflict, Belfast",

author = "Eric Lepp and Dylan O'Driscoll and Birte Vogel and Dan Morecroft-Rice",

note = "This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.",

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day = "20",

doi = "10.1080/17502977.2024.2444078",

language = "English",

volume = "19",

pages = "630--650",

journal = "Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding",

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AU - Lepp, Eric

AU - O'Driscoll, Dylan

AU - Vogel, Birte

AU - Morecroft-Rice, Dan

N1 - This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.

PY - 2025/10/20

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N2 - This article explores the methodological possibilities that a graffiti dataset offers to a spatio-temporal analysis of peace and conflict. Leveraging our original visual dataset of Belfast’s changing muralscape, the analysis unpacks how messages painted on walls offer a lens into evolving local sentiments, politics, unity, and divisions. We suggest that tracking changes in graffiti across time offers methodological innovation in understanding contested spaces, and, when used as a foundational method, a dataset enhances researcher understanding of violence, avoidance, memorialisation and publicly debated social issues, paving the way for further research on graffiti as a lens for understanding complex societal phenomena.

AB - This article explores the methodological possibilities that a graffiti dataset offers to a spatio-temporal analysis of peace and conflict. Leveraging our original visual dataset of Belfast’s changing muralscape, the analysis unpacks how messages painted on walls offer a lens into evolving local sentiments, politics, unity, and divisions. We suggest that tracking changes in graffiti across time offers methodological innovation in understanding contested spaces, and, when used as a foundational method, a dataset enhances researcher understanding of violence, avoidance, memorialisation and publicly debated social issues, paving the way for further research on graffiti as a lens for understanding complex societal phenomena.

KW - Methodological framework

KW - graffiti

KW - muralscape

KW - peace and conflict

KW - Belfast

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EP - 650

JO - Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding

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IS - 5

ER -

Graffiti as Method: Spatio-temporal Analysis of Political Perception and Community Relations in Belfast

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Themes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Spatio-temporal graffiti in Belfast

Cite this

Graffiti as Method: Spatio-temporal Analysis of Political Perception and Community Relations in Belfast

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Themes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Datasets

Spatio-temporal graffiti in Belfast

Cite this