Los actos comunicativos en la cultura vial

Abstract

Road culture is built through communicative acts that occur between different road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers of various modes of transport, who interact continuously in public spaces. These communicative acts include both verbal and nonverbal communication, reflecting perceptions, norms, and values present in society. The overall objective of this study is to recognize the communicative acts manifested in road culture in the province of Tungurahua. The methodology was based on a qualitative approach and descriptive field research. The techniques applied were interviews with seven road users and a specialist, with personal communication in order to identify contrasts in communicative acts with respect to gender. and direct non-participant observation to establish the attitudes of interpersonal communication among road users. The main results indicate that social imaginaries constitute a symbolic and cultural framework that profoundly influences the construction and perception of road culture in the province. Likewise, interpersonal communication attitudes are characterized by a combination of verbal and nonverbal expressions that reflect social tensions present in public spaces. Furthermore, significant contrasts were found in communicative acts based on gender, with men tending toward more aggressive and confrontational communication, while women display more conciliatory and cautious attitudes, reflecting deep-rooted cultural stereotypes. These results underscore the need for strategies that integrate education, awareness, and cultural transformation to strengthen safe and respectful road coexistence in Tungurahua.