Operationalizing Symbolic Violence to Advance Gender Equality
Women’s Mobility and Everyday Injustices in Public Transport in Mexico
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13023976 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lorena Suárez Alvarez (Universidad Anáhuac Querétaro, corresponding author), José M Álvarez-Alvarado (0000-0002-1304-6791, Autonomous University of Queretaro, corresponding author), Avatar Flores Gutiérrez (0000-0001-9581-3853, Autonomous University of Queretaro), Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz (Autonomous University of Queretaro) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 105-105 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-25 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Societies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2075-4698 • E-ISSN: 2075-4698 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/soc16040105 |
| OpenAlex | W7140296200 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 28 |
Gender-based violence in public transportation is a global phenomenon that restricts women’s rights and autonomy. Most of the documentation relies on harassment and physical aggression, but the subtle internalized mechanisms that reproduce gender inequities remain insufficiently analyzed. This study involves the concept of symbolic violence as an analytical category to unveil how resignation and normalization of violence perpetuate gender power relations and limit women’s mobility. A cross-sectional survey of 263 women aged 15–60 was conducted in Querétaro, Mexico, a rapidly growing city with significant mobility challenges. The questionnaire included items on perceptions of safety, violent experiences, responses to acts of violence, and prevention strategies. An inductive–abductive analysis was implemented to construct empirical indicators derived from Bordieu’s concept of symbolic violence and habitus. Findings reveal that fear, avoidance, and self-regulation are normalized responses to violence in public transport. Women implement strategies such as changing routes, limiting night travel, or increasing their expenses to access safer options. Six empirical indicators were identified: perceived insecurity as normality, resignation to harassment, bodily and emotional self-regulation, preventive reorganization of mobility, personal costs of safety, and collective inaction. In conclusion, the study demonstrates how symbolic violence operates through behaviors, actions, perceptions, and thoughts that reproduce inequities. Operationalizing symbolic violence provides a methodological and conceptual tool to advance gender equality and inform gender-sensitive mobility policies
Construct (python library · Empirical research · Harassment · Operationalization · Phenomenon · Poison control · Public transport · Suicide prevention · The Symbolic · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Urban Transport and Accessibility
Gendered Vulnerabilities and Violence in Forced Migration
The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Data Analysis in Qualitative Research
The Discovery of Grounded Theory
Outline of a Theory of Practice
The Logic of Practice
An Analysis of Responses to Sexual Assault against Women in Public Space
Género, poder y violencia. Un enfoque intersubjetivo
Uncovering gender-based violence and harassment in public transport
Urbanization and gender-based violence
I’ll Try and Make Myself as Small as Possible
Exploring Symbolic Violence in the Everyday
An Invitation of Reflexive Sociology
La Ciudad
The Lopsided Continent
| Highly cited | No |
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