“Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don't come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make someone smile while they're having a piss.” (Banksy, 2001, Banging Your Head against a Brick Wall, p.41)
In regards to the matter of graffiti being displayed within low income areas, I find Merton’s theory of Anomie and the Social Disorganization theory, play corresponding roles within the solution. As shown through the quote above graffiti for some is an alternate road, it acts as a better response to the harsh situations with in life. For the kid who is poor and holds high dreams graffiti is an escape, it is how they take a break from their rough realities. This is where Merton’s theory comes into play, once one realizes that the high goals set up by society are out of their means to achieve, they switch their focus from attempting to “cure world poverty” to simply attempting to draw one smile or glance (Banksy,2001,Banging Your Head against a Brick Wall). As Merton would argue, their goals and means do not add up, because of this, they go out looking for a switch of focus within their society, and for low income areas graffiti shows its face. The act of graffiti because a…show more content… And, if one is to want to see a decrease in the art of graffiti a change in foundational limits would have to take place. Within Merton’s theory this would be the evening out of the goals and means acting as solution. Although that seems plausible, I believe combination of both Merton’s and the Social Disorganization theory form an amazing solution. I believe that if instead offering new opportunities to those in lower income areas, we teach them about the opportunities available to them. By introducing the means to which are already available to them, we would giving them a new focus aim and show them a more equal playing