Different cultures, Star Trek, and our world

[Joaqin]

Hey there,

So this is something I've been thinking about and thought I would put it out there to see what other people think:

I try to live my life with an outlook towards other people that are different than me similar to that of the Federation, respect people of all different race, species, sex, and color, and they can join as long as they are capable of performing their duties. The federation does not discriminate and is not racist. One thing that has me duped is how would they react if they encountered a situation where there is some sort of oppression in an alien culture. Would they jump in and liberate the opressed and save the day? Or would they shrug their shoulders and move on?

I am thinking about the Muslim culture that requires women to wear a full body garb covering them from head to toe, with only a small mesh window so they can see. Would the Federation allow a woman like this in Starfleet?

Today I saw this article on digg and read through it:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D98VP85G1&show_article=1

Basically the President of France wants to ban this because he believes it is oppressive towards women, and also he has a point in that it is dangerous if a woman in this garb would be driving on the road as it would cut off her peripheral vision. I think I agree with him. You wouldn't want a cadet screwing up in engineering during a battle because her veil got in the way and she lowered the shields by accident.

Personally I try to respect their different ways but I guess it really depends on whether or not the woman in the veil desires to be covered in this way. If she is against it and is wearing it because of a controlling husband, then I am against it.

How do you think Starfleet would react to this? Have there been any episodes which are comparable to this situation? The only thing I can think of that is SORT of similar was when Riker encountered the alien race with a 3rd sex that was basically a slave that had babies, with no given opportunities to live a life of their own. I forgot that episode, I should probably go back and rewatch it.

Thanks for your input.

 

[perigee]

Depends on your definition of Prime in "Prime Directive."

The concept of the "Prime Directive" is kind of anthropological; we don't go in and straighten out the abos.

Of course, in Trek - and in the world at large - its more a rule that seems destined to be broken.

Muslims have every right to their culture - that's their bag. Part of the hostility we've been party to has come from our non-acceptance of the way they see fit to like their lives. Psychologically, we've been taught for years that repression is damaging psychologically. That makes Vulcans a race of neurotics. Yet there doesn't seem to be a requirement for them to see a psychologist to release all those nasty, pent-up emotions.

Now, (old)Kirk would probably strip 'em all down, put 'em in a bikini contest and slip a tongue to at least one before leaving the planet 'fixed.' Picard would deal. As for us...?

A lot of people feel like you do. At the same time, you'd probably be pissed off because some God-bothering Quaker doesn't like your porn collection. And you'd probably have all sorts of rational reasons about the beauty of the human body, etc., that would make masturbation fodder a fine and noble thing. The Quaker wouldn't buy it, though.

So - is the Quaker wrong in trying to change you, and the Muslims wrong for not having bathing beauties and Nine West stilettos? Then you're lucky - you're just right all over. Just like (old)JTK.

If you have the right to determine the 'proper' behavior of another culture, then someone has the same right to change yours.

Playing the "Star Trek" card with a burkha is pretty ridiculous - a 24th century Battle-burkha would probably have some kind of one-way visual hood - maybe with HUD displays that would make it more practical than not having one on at all.

As for having an episode... well, this is a problem we can't solve in our own time - when did you last see a mullah or any religious official spoken of well (and without some shady agenda of their own) on Trek? The one episode that stands out in my mind is when David Ogden Stiers was going home to be killed because he was old, and everybody on the Enterprise practically forced life down his throat - which he rejected, because old-guy death is the way things were done on his planet. Booooooooooooooooooo....

Then there was some sort of deal with Chacotay and some memory-woman from a planet that kept grabbing their own people back, flashing 'em with a MIB neurolyzer, and hauling 'em back. He thought he got a raw real with that one, too - and Voyager probably would have interfered, if they could have - even though the girl readily admitted its what they do, and how they believed things should be done.

Star Trek - like life - states its best intentions, but rarely likes to live up to them.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Hey there,

So this is something I've been thinking about and thought I would put it out there to see what other people think:

I try to live my life with an outlook towards other people that are different than me similar to that of the Federation, respect people of all different race, species, sex, and color, and they can join as long as they are capable of performing their duties. The federation does not discriminate and is not racist. One thing that has me duped is how would they react if they encountered a situation where there is some sort of oppression in an alien culture. Would they jump in and liberate the opressed and save the day? Or would they shrug their shoulders and move on?

I am thinking about the Muslim culture that requires women to wear a full body garb covering them from head to toe, with only a small mesh window so they can see. Would the Federation allow a woman like this in Starfleet?

Today I saw this article on digg and read through it:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D98VP85G1&show_article=1

Basically the President of France wants to ban this because he believes it is oppressive towards women, and also he has a point in that it is dangerous if a woman in this garb would be driving on the road as it would cut off her peripheral vision. I think I agree with him. You wouldn't want a cadet screwing up in engineering during a battle because her veil got in the way and she lowered the shields by accident.

Personally I try to respect their different ways but I guess it really depends on whether or not the woman in the veil desires to be covered in this way. If she is against it and is wearing it because of a controlling husband, then I am against it.

How do you think Starfleet would react to this? Have there been any episodes which are comparable to this situation? The only thing I can think of that is SORT of similar was when Riker encountered the alien race with a 3rd sex that was basically a slave that had babies, with no given opportunities to live a life of their own. I forgot that episode, I should probably go back and rewatch it.

Thanks for your input.

You raise interesting issues, but I think this might be a bit too generic to be answered satisfactorily: we're talking about how people and organizations attempt to respect and incorporate multiple cultures, which may be at odds on fundamental levels. This topic is massive, but I'd be interested in what people come up with, relating to the policies of the Federation. If it helps, there are several Trek books that consider similar issues in detail. The "Titan" series is all about overcoming seemingly fundamental differences in order to work in a shared, mutually respectful but functional collective.

Also, may I suggest, if you'll excuse me, that you be more careful in phrasing some of your examples? Suggesting that a life "having babies" is not an opportunity to live your life fully is a little vexing, seeing as I personally see no higher honour in life than raising my (future) children. I know what you meant about the Vissian cogenitor, but remember one being's concept of slavery may be another's concept of freedom or fulfillment.

 

[hyzmarca]

The Enterprise doesn't run into truly alien cultures very often. Most of the time, Kirk ran into corrupted human cultures. Kirk usually acted to remove corruption, rather than changing a culture completely, usually by destroying insane supercomputers.

TNG played with alien cultures more often, because people of the time were more secure with cultural relativism. Most prime directive violations occurred in Very Special Episodes intended to highlight real current issues, like the badly done gay rights episode.

Culture clash between Bajorians, Cardassians, The Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Ferengi, Prophets, and the Dominion was a major emphasis of DS9, and it was done well. It was probably the most egalitarian of Star Treks in this regard.

Voyager and Enterprise were more wishy-washy, unfortunately. In enterprise, this is understandable, as Humanity is new to the galactic stage. In Voyager, not so much.

Personally, I'd like to see Trek deal with a truely alien culture, one based on an alien psycology that we can understand, but might find reprehensible, such as the one of the Babyeaters.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Personally, I'd like to see Trek deal with a truely alien culture, one based on an alien psycology that we can understand, but might find reprehensible, such as the one of the Babyeaters.

Thank you for the link: an interesting story. The Babyeaters have a fascinating culture.