Image of Prof Sara Parker

Prof Sara Parker

Humanities and Social Science

Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies

See My Tutor

Dignity Without Danger

website

Foundation

twitter

Fair Connections twitter for fair trade and Nepal related tweets

twitter

Sociology twitter account for all things sociology

website

My blog on travel and field work in the main

ORCID

Sara is a Reader in Development Studies and is PI on a BA GCRF Sustainable Development Project entitled 'Dignity Without Danger' Collaboratively analysing stigma and taboos to develop innovative strategies to address menstrual exclusion in Nepal

She is Level 4 Year Tutor for students in the Sociology Department and Link Tutor on the Criminology Sociology joint degree programme. She and has worked at LJMU since 1994 and teaches modules on Globalisation and Development at Level 4, Qualitative Research methods in Level 5 and an International Field Work module at Level 6.

Passionate about participatory action research with strong research links in Nepal, Sara has been teaching in the School of Social Science since 1994. She completed her PhD on Actionaid's RELECT programme in the remote mountainous village of Sikles in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. Leading on from this she facilitated a community photography project which led to the publication of a coffee table book entitled 'Our Village Our Life Sikles in Focus' featuring photographs taken by local people. This project challenges stereotypical images of Nepal and focuses on local people representing their own reality. It brought together women's groups. youth group members and teachers and children in the local school and led to funds being raised for locally determined autonomous development projects.

Sara has also researched and published in the areas of gender and education, ageing in Nepal and more recently on the rise of fair trade in the 'Global South'. She has presented papers at the Fair Trade International Symposium in Mila, (May 2015) and is presenting a paper at the 4th International Visual Methods Conference in September 2015.

Sara's research interests are embedded into her teaching on modules such as World Development, Global Consumption, Methods and International Fieldwork modules. She has led field trips to China, Nepal and Brussels.

In addition to this Sara has recently founded a Community Interest Company, Fair Connections (Global) CIC, to develop materials and resources for the primary school curriculum on the topic of fair trade (two words!) and Nepal. She has co-written a story book aimed at primary school children in Key Stage one and two, entitled 'Adventures of Fairis a Nepali Frog'. An educational material and resources have been developed by Sara to support this story including a handmade fair trade based 'Global International Fair Trade Story Sack'. This is having a direct impact on the lives of people in Nepal by expanding the market for products made by WFTO members in Nepal. Fair Connections is providing internship opportunities for students at LJMU to develop their employability skills and gain invaluable experiences related to both ethical business and education - wee www.fairconnections.org and also a foundation www.fairconnectionsfoundation.org

She is also passionate about photography and travel and utilises a range of visual and participatory methods in her teaching, research and community engagement.

Languages

Nepali
French

Degrees

2005, Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, PhD
1994, University of Bath, United Kingdom, MSc Development Studies
1989, University of Leeds, United Kingdom, BA (HOns) Geography

Certifications

1990, International House, United Kingdom, TEFL

Academic appointments

Professor of Collaborative Action Research, Social Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, 2024 - present

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