Graffiti with Chinese Characteristics: A Longitudinal Study of Campus Graffiti in Northwest China

The current paper, utilizing an original data source of approximately 400 graffiti scratchings from a single location in Northwest China taken in 2012 and 2013, is a longitudinal content analysis study. The markings were collected from a co high school/university campus in a predominantly Muslim region of China. The paper engages in a descriptive summation of dominant themes found in the markings and changes in these themes between the collection of original marking in 2012, and the markings that were appearing in 2013. Analysis indicates that themes are consistent with emotional issues experienced by youth embedded in transitional and temporary social networks. Beyond a pure descriptive summation, the paper further explores differences in themes appearing in its data compared to that appearing in documented studies in other parts of China and in other parts of the world.