I have also incorporated two of the movies in my classes. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in "American Institutions" class and Star Trek Generations in "Sociology of Family" class. Star Trek VI was used in conjunction with our discussions of "super power" governments as this movie featured the peace talks between The Federation and The Klingon Empire prior to the peace between the two governments. Generations was used based on its two main storylines: issues surrounding choosing career over family and socialization as a life long process. For details of these assignments, click on the appropriate graphic.
Approximately fourty years ago, Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek and, though initially the show was cancelled by the networks only to be reinstated later due to viewer demand, his vision of humankind lives today. Since its inception, Star Trek has gone from the original crew to the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, several movies, and now a new series in the making as Voyager takes a bow. Through the four series and movies, Roddenberry's creation has dealt with many social issues and offered hope for the future of humanity in many ways. There are many things about Star Trek that makes it so intriguing for social and behavioral scientists if given its proper due. Beginning with the original crew, Star Trek featured a culturally diverse crew in a time when America was experiencing civil unrest amongst its diverse population. In the original series, we also witnessed the first nationally televised interracial kiss as well as other new "firsts" for television viewers. The following pages will explore my personal use of the Star Trek universe in my college classes as I have incorprated many of the philosophies in Star Trek to assit my students in their higher education.
