“KALYE”: Public’s Construction of the Meaning of Sidewalk Incivilities in the Urban Locale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze how people construct the meaning of i ” ’vilities in the use of sidewalk. This research also provides an explanatory model for why people commit incivilities and their reactions when confronted by it. To obtain information regarding the prevalence of incivilities in Metro Manila, the researcher opted to include quantitative research methods in the study. The study also utilized qualitative research design through observations and key informant interviews to be able to dig deeper and be familiar enough about how people construct their meaning of incivility. Findings show that an individual’s construction of the meaning and definition of incivilities is dependent on the “situation”. Therefore, understanding how people perceive the situation (sidewalk) is of great importance for it is tire foundation on which individual’s perception of such incivilities rests. Fifteen acts are therefore perceived by most of the respondents as uncivil. They are as follows: to litter on public property or in the streets, spraying graffiti on the walls of an establishment or of public property, setting fire to trash bins, deliberately damaging public property, spitting, smoking, urinating along the street, to be drunk in public, verbally insulting another person, to physically assault another person, being exaggeratedly noisy, stealing another person’s properly, jaywalking, sidewalk vending and loitering by the sidewalk And lastly, it can be concluded that when people are being confronted by incivilities, individual’s reaction towards it varies depending on the role they assume in the social interaction that is taking place in the context of sidewalk. These three roles that the r—pondents assumed are as a witness to uncivil acts, as a victim by incivilities and as a perpetrator of incivilities.