Public Lecture 16^th October:

Gender and Infrastructure:  feminism, philosophy, and the knowledge ecology of urban water.

Dr Zoë Sofoulis, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University, 2017/2018 Simon/Hallsworth Professorial Fellow in Geography, UoM

This talk highlights three feminist angles on issues of water infrastructure:

• Sociological – ‘women and —‘ questions, such as women’s access to and control of water, the impacts of infrastructure (or its lack) on women’s lives.
• Phenomenological – container theory; a feminist philosophy of technology interpretation of Big Water as Big Mother.
• Epistemological – a pluralistic appreciation of the knowledges, methods and evidence valued in water resource and infrastructure management.

The tricky question—to be opened up for discussion—is how to make these angles relevant and practical for water planning and management.

Zoë Sofoulis  is an interdisciplinary researcher known for practical applications of qualitative cultural research and humanities perspectives in fields where technology and engineering predominate, especially water. Her work has helped define a cultural and sociotechnical perspective on metropolitan water and demand management.

Venue: G33, Humanities Bridgeford Street

Time: 4:30 pm, 16 October 2017, followed by short drinks reception at 5.30pm. All Welcome!