Some last thoughts on the class
Wow, this is really hard. I'm just sitting here, staring at the screen, wondering how to summarize all my thoughts about our class. I guess I'll blog a little about my final project, because, to me, that is a culmination of the entire class...
I'm writing about the role of identity, particularly minority identity in people's lives. Part of the project is looking at the role these groups play in social science and science fiction. However, I'm also doing some interviews to try to find out a bit about how people from minority groups feel about how their identity affects their role in society.
I am not done with my project yet, but I've conducted a few interviews. What I've found amazing so far is the degree of difference between how different people feel, and what they think that the future of minority roles in the United States. I've found a general concensus that knowing your heritage helps to build your sense of identity. However, visions of the future are quite different. On the one hand, some believe that the creation of a more unified society will make the heritage of individual groups less important, while on the other, there is a sentiment that society will become more unified when people understand the heritage of other groups better.
How does this have to do with science fiction? Take The Moon is a Harsh Mistress for example: The people on Earth, who still see racial difference, disapprove of mixing races, perhaps even of understanding them. The priority is on separation and purity. Simultaneously, the moon has created a society in which racial differences and ethnic heritage do not create barriers between people. Instead, people come together across divisions to make one society.
posted by lennearb @ 3:46 PM
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