Collins Living Learning Center | The Folklore of Star Trek L220
| 16029 | Steve Stanzak  How different would a people from
another planet actually be? Would they be completely foreign to
our understanding, or would we share some common experiences?
This course attempts to answer these questions and more by
looking at the popular television show Star Trek. However, just
as the show is more about the hopes, fears, and beliefs of
twentieth- century culture than it is about the aliens and space
travel, so this course is more about how to understand, interact
with, and appreciate the diverse range of cultures on Earth. We
will look closely at issues of ethics and social justice raised
by the show, moving to cultural constructs such as identity,
gender, language, and worldview, and ending with a consideration
of Star Trek fandom. We will watch one episode each week, and
the course culminates with a final project. No prior knowledge
of either folklore or Star Trek is assumed, just an openness to
new cultures, both h