Diversity In Science Fiction

In today’s culture, people are constantly being influenced by media, whether it is subconsciously through advertisements or consciously through news media or any form of entertainment. Society, young and old, comes to understand the world through the media they consume and that means that the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of nonwhites is a problem that more and more people are starting to notice. Studies are being conducted to analyze different aspects of the lack of representation in the media. However, few have proposed practical, if any, solutions to this growing problem. The solution starts with addressing who is responsible for the lack of representation. The white-dominated executive positions that are behind the problem also

Nicole Barde, a network manager for Intel Corporation, says, “We view diversity as one of our major competitive advantage, It allows us to understand global markets and the need of our customers.” (Shaw & Barry, 2013, pg. 557). Today, four-fifths of those entering the workforce are either a minority or immigrants. Affirmative action allows corporations to benefit from a diverse pool of talent that they can recruit from. With the number of minorities in this country increasing, with the globalization of our corporate environment, it stands to reason that the future of Corporate America will be a diverse one.

Malcolm Forbes describes diversity as “the art of thinking independently together.” In today’s society, thinking independently together is how we create solutions to imminent problems, especially in STEM fields. However, diversity of opinion requires a diversity of race, culture, and personal experience- characteristics that cannot be achieved if STEM workers are not representative of the demographics of our country. While great strides have been made to diversify the STEM field in the past 50 years, they have not been enough. More governmental programs must be implemented to give minority children in marginalized communities a fair chance at being successful in STEM fields, resulting in a more skilled workforce that is able to create diverse

As a black man, Samuel Delany has experienced discrimination and racism in a number of settings. However, as a Science Fiction writer he mostly explores racism in that community. Samuel Delany’s, “Racism and Science Fiction” explores how “Racism is a system. As such, it is fueled as much by chance as by hostile intentions and equally the best intentions as well. It is whatever systematically acclimates people, of all colors, to become comfortable with the isolation and segregation of the races, on a visual, social, or economic level”(31). Delany blames social traditions, and material and economic conditions for supporting the system. And not actual individuals. Delany supports his argument by giving three examples of when he has experienced racism in science fiction. The issue of racism in science fiction is presented by Delany when he tells his readers of an encounter with Isaac Asimov, his convention book signing partner, and his habitual panel placement with a fellow writer.

Science fiction can be defined as stories of different possible futures in where technology, space travel and futuristic elements all play a large role. These stories are found to be captivating, but most of all eye opening on the possibilities for our future. Afrofuturism uses these elements to make more than a story. Afrofuturistic writers, all being black, write these stories from experience which make their underlying reason more powerful and real. Afrofuturistic works fall well beyond the category of Science fiction because they have a purpose in exposing the black “communities past [that] has been deliberately rubbed out” (Dery 180). These works do more than merely entertain, but rather, create sci-fi parallels for a communities lasting trauma while further depicting the

From Hollywood to the the social sector, diversity, rather the lack thereof, has been a topic of conversation. Although many organizations have begun to advocate for diversity, more work must be done. Across the social sector,women and people of color remain severely underrepresented in leadership positions. Organizations must become intentional about creating a diverse workforce and implementing inclusive policies that foster positive work environments. When employees feel represented and included they are happier and more likely to contribute to fulfilling the organization's mission.

What really is considered too white? Why doesn't tv show more of a color diversity? Should television even be used to demonstrate equality between whites and people of color? Although it may be true, there are statically more white's than black's in the U.S. ranging from 75.1% to 12.3% according to the Demographic Statistics. However as the years continue on, equality between African Americans and whites are still being battled throughout the U.S. as African Americans are still being slandered for the color of their skin. So as a fellow African American citizen myself, television wouldn't be a bad start to show how people of color and whites can actually get along on the big screen.

According to Xerox Chairman & former CEO, Anne M. Mulcahy, diversity is not just about race, gender, age, sexual orientation or disability. She and the staff believed that diversity provide an environment for employee to grow for their fullest potential. Employee with different ways of

The article details what it calls “barriers” in the career lifecycle that result in the impediment of either hiring or the promotion of a diverse workforce. These barriers can occur at recruitment, hiring, and promotion stages in the career lifecycle. (Matthies 1) Recruitment barriers include the low numbers of diverse applicants due to the lack of outreach programs designed to bring awareness of the employment availability to minorities and women. Hiring barriers include failure to meet standards

Throughout the book, there are several examples of Esme demonstrating diversity. Two specific examples that stood out was when, Esme taught her class how to thread needles. (pg. 68) Including the boys in her class, who initially were not excited about it. Mainly because it was an activity that was more related to girls doing it.

I am a huge fan of the genre and the author and I have not come across any critic’s analysis that was as relevant and direct on the issues of real diverse representation in sci-fi and story lines that reflect this diversity as it addresses the issues of the future. In all honestly, the white male writings left me with the feeling that the future would be devoid of people of color and women of substance. Therefore, I appreciate and applaud the writer’s efforts in this

(This will become a smooth transition into the next chapter which deals more broadly with the reclaiming of forgotten histories.) This version of Afro-futurism steers Science Fiction in a direction it seemingly did not know it needed to go: a science factionalist therianthrophy, or an anti-Cartesian synthesis of mind and body at the site of the exploited female body-of-color. Although the characters she references use their abilities as means of escape, it’s important to note here they are embracing (as opposed to revert back to) animal shape-shifting (in other words, effectively curtailing the black-woman-as animalistic

Through my analysis of Afrofuturism and text related to the genre it has become clear the importance the Afrofuturism can have on the diaspora but not just for Black people but for western society as a whole. Today films like Black Panther show a futuristic culture of Black People not only worth watching but worth emulating. From the elegant fashion, vibrant colors, hi-tech airplanes and weaponry and intricate landscape, the superhero film seems to be a stunning moment in black sci-fi history. Black Panther is a film that embraces Afrofuturist ideals showing black people not as slavers or gangsters but as a group of futuristic and Afrocentric people with the ability to embrace African traditions and culture in a profound way. The gigantic and successful blockbuster also puts Afrofuturism and the African diaspora at the

With the changing demographics of the U.S. workforce (Ng & Burke, 2005) and the need for organizations to continually innovate their products and services to remain competitive, embracing diversity and the benefits its brings is going to be key to driving a successful organization

We live in a society where people come from different countries, they belong to different cultural, religion, ethnic groups, and races. All these factors come together and contributes to differences that make us unique from each other. Hence, a multicultural country with huge diversity. This reflection journal will cover what “human race” is and what role it plays in ones’ personal life and in a nursing profession. Moreover, what bias, assumptions and judgements are, and how to avoid them. Lastly, what caring is and what role does it play in nursing.