Street Literature in Afghanistan: Creativity Culture and Challenges
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Street literature in Afghanistan is an understudied form of cultural expression that brings oral traditions into urban public space. This qualitative exploratory study examines its forms, functions, and cultural significance, with particular attention to cultural identity, social communication, and heritage preservation. Drawing on field observations and secondary literature on Afghan popular culture and informal writing, the study identifies poems, proverbs, slogans, and visual-textual combinations as recurring forms. The analysis suggests that these texts can express love, humor, resilience, and social critique, while also supporting cultural continuity and everyday communication. Because many inscriptions are temporary, systematic documentation is important both for safeguarding cultural heritage and for strengthening scholarship on urban creativity.
DOI: 10.36099/ajahss8.8.4
Author: Abdul Raziq Safi
Institution: Nangarhar University
Language: English
Topic: Public Spaces through Art
Subfield: Urban Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7208828705