FROM HUMAN MOBILITY TO URBAN MOBILITY: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY LOOK TOWARDS THE MOTORCYCLE IN THE URBAN AND IMMIGRATION CONTEXT OF CUENCA

THE PROJECT PROPOSES TO QUESTION CONTEMPORARY NARRATIVES OF SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY REGARDING THE MOTORCYCLE, POSTULATING IT AS A CENTRAL SOCIAL ARTIFACT FOR THE URBAN LIFE OF THE MIGRANT POPULATION IN CONDITIONS OF VULNERABILITY. FOR THIS POPULATION, THE MOTORCYCLE IS NOT LIMITED TO ITS MOBILITY FUNCTION, REPRESENTING A SOCIAL ARTIFACT - A DEVICE FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INTEGRATION. IT OFFERS A SUBSISTENCE RESOURCE IN A CONTEXT OF HIGH VULNERABILITY, DEMARCED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, WORK INFORMALITY, PRECARIZATION, UNDERREGISTRATION AND SOCIAL STIGMA. THE CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY DO NOT ERR IN POINTING OUT THAT THE EXPOSED CONDITIONS OF MOTORCYCLE TRAVEL EXPOSE THE DRIVER TO HIGH RISKS OF ACCIDENTS AND EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS. HOWEVER, IN THE CONTEXT OF MIGRANT POPULATIONS WHO WORK USING THE MOTORCYCLE, EXTENSIVE USE PATTERNS IMPLY THAT THESE RISKS COMBINE, AMPLIFYING THE EXISTING CONDITIONS OF SOCIAL VULNERABILITY. TAKING CUENCA AS A CASE STUDY, AND THROUGH AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH, THE PROJECT PROPOSES: (I) EXPLORING NARRATIVES, ASPIRATIONS AND LIFE STRATEGIES OF THIS POPULATION THROUGH QUALITATIVE ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS; (II) CHARACTERIZE PATTERNS OF MOBILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE AND ACCIDENTS THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL CROWDSENSING AND QUANTITATIVE STATISTICAL AND GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS; AND (III) EVALUATE THE SOCIAL LIFE CYCLE OF THE MOTORCYCLE AS A SOCIAL ARTIFACT FOR THE MIGRANT POPULATION, IDENTIFYING SOCIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS. THE PROJECT SEEKS A CONTEXTUALIZED RESEARCH, WHICH GENERATES VISIBILITY AND DEEP QUESTIONS TO THE DISCOURSES THAT GOVERN MOTORCYCLE AND MIGRATION, PROVIDING RIGOROUS, SENSITIVE AND RELEVANT EVIDENCE TO INFORM INCLUSIVE PUBLIC POLICIES.

XXII UNIVERSITY COMPETITION FOR POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH PROJECTS 2026