URCAD Sneak Peek: Allison Smock

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 10:39:39 -0400

Can social media provide and inspire a space for civic participation and engagement across borders?

Mexican Feminist Movements and the Role of Social Media: Civic Participation and Transnational Solidarity

Presenter: Allison Smock

Mentor: Thania Munoz Davaslioglu, MLLI

10:20-10:35am, UC Ballroom Lounge

Abstract

In this presentation I will share how the role of social media has shaped Mexican feminist movements. I will focus on this through an analysis of hashtags, social media presence, and geo mapping tools that have been utilized to spread awareness and objectives of the movements. I will focus specifically on the region of Jalisco due to its interconnections between narco violence and feminicides. Scholars have argued Mexico has four contemporary phases of feminicides. The first one recorded to be from 1993 to the 2000s has been named the "Feminicidial Emergence", which coincides with this period of increased narco presence. Nonetheless, feminist resistance has continuously found ways to denounce narco gender based violence. In March 8th protests, through the use of hashtags and other identifying factors (colors, symbols), the movement's objectives can be consolidated and spread. The same day an event happens in Jalisco's capital there are complementary events in other cities in the state or even other Latinx's cities, such as Miami or Detroit. This plants the question of how social media can provide and inspire a space for civic participation and engagement across borders.

URCAD is Wednesday, April 16th.

Allison was also the recipient of an Undergraduate Travel Award and presented her research at the National Women's Studies Conference in Detroit, MI.

For more info on Travel Awards Presentation Grants, see: