Bring Your Lunch and an Open Mind!
With the pervasiveness of mobile technology in Western society today, it can sometimes be hard to imagine a time without cell phones. Yet in many parts of the world, this this technology is just taking off. On Friday, August 15 from noon to 1 p.m. at YWCA Missoula, University of California- Santa Barbara Professor Lisa Parks will look at how increasing access to mobile technology has influenced the lives of rural Zambian women.
In this lecture, Parks will discuss women’s use of the Internet and mobile phones in relation to issues of labor, education, and gender-based violence in the community of Macha, Zambia. The discussion is based upon field work Parks conducted over the past several years as part of a collaborative research project funded by the National Science Foundation.
Lisa Parks, Ph.D., is Professor of Film and Media Studies and Director of the Center for Information Technology and Society at the University of California-Santa Barbara. She earned her B.A. in Political Science and History at the University of Montana (1991) and then completed her doctoral degree at University of Wisconsin-Madison (1998). Her research focuses on uses of media technologies in relation to issues of social justice and political activism in different national contexts. She has published five academic books and more than 100 academic articles in the field of media and communication studies, and has delivered invited lectures in more than 20 countries. Parks is also an affiliate faculty of Feminist Studies at UC-Santa Barbara.
“YW Talks: A Community Social Justice Series” provides the Missoula community with a space to discover and exchange information about topics that pertain to women and those of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Community members are welcome to bring their lunch and enjoy the free lecture.
For more information about this lecture series, contact Amanda Opitz at aopitz@ywcaofmissoula.org.
Founded in 1911, YWCA Missoula is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
