Starlog Entry 9: Diversity and Star Trek

Entry 9: DIVERSITY IN STAR TREK

Why is it important to see yourself on television? 

It is vitally important to see "yourself" on TV, because that shows you how you can achieve anything. In the 1960s, when Star Trek was made, it was very rare to see people of color, or even women, in roles of importance. Seeing someone who looked like you made it seem more possible to break out of the stereotypical roles. As stated in the interview, "All of us would go."  Not just the white men.

Why is television an important subject for scholarly study and how does what we watch shape the world we live in?

From the NY Times: "A wave of new social science research shows that the quality of shows can influence us in important ways, shaping our thinking and political preferences, even affecting our cognitive ability." (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/upshot/social-effects-television.html)

If we watch shows that do no stimulate thinking, we will have a harder time to critically think, filling our time with vapid nonsense. If we watch shows that promote critical thinking, it will help pave the way for new insights.

Entry 10: INFINITE DIVERSITY IN INFINITE COMBINATIONS

Scott asks if you think we’re getting closer to realizing the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations) here on Earth. What would it take for that to happen? What would it look like? How might things be different?

I would love to believe we are on our way to IDIC, but I just don't think so. It seems like our society makes great strides to become all inclusive, but then we take massive steps back. Racism is still present; misogyny is still strong, and prejudice  against LGBTQ is as prevalent as ever. Until we can "hold ourselves ethically accountable for how we deal with diversity," we will never reach IDIC. We need to see past divisions, and realize people are just fine the way they are. There is no mold anyone has to fit. The people in charge (white sis men) need to understand that.

Promoted to: Commander.