So one of my students is writing their thesis (20 pages...

So one of my students is writing their thesis (20 pages, varying quality- it's not a PhD or anything) on Star Trek and social issues. The student's a smart kid and wants me on their review panel, I figure any help I could throw their way might be welcome.

Anyone have any suggestions for episodes/articles/things to look into?

They know more than I do already (the kid speaks klingon ffs) so I haven't been much help, I'm only really a ds9 fan.

There's the auschwitz episode of ds9, the mlk thing, the episodes where sisko goes back in time, darmok and jalad, the five lights, that voyager episode that stargate did better with the ugly alien dudes being the good guys, the tranny episode, the episodes that deal with arming natives, general space communism and space atheism stuff, Paradise Lost, the ds9 episodes where they trick the romulans into joining against the dominion, anything else?

More interestingly, are there episodes or time where star trek goes against normal modern liberal thought? Needling the show about being regressive seems more enjoyable than just piling on how progressive it is/was.

Also star trek general I guess

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>More interestingly, are there episodes or time where star trek goes against normal modern liberal thought?
The idea of 'teleologically suspend the ethical' comes up often in DS9 and in ENT. As you mention the 'trick the romulans' episode is probably the most famous example of this, but I think the most brash is actually the ENT episode where Archer pirates a civilian vessel and steals crucial supplies so he can continue his mission.
I kept expecting some last-minute change or heart or karmic retribution, but nope, it was all played straight

Startrek doesnt really deal with social issues. Its more a show about exploring space, meeting aliens, fixing holodecks, solving problems and so on.

Yeah, that's how I kind of viewed it. Hence asking or help here. I've always thought it was a little overblown, Roddenberry was really progressive in how he set things up initially but after that the only social episodes I can think of were really hamfisted and stale. I hear a lot of people with opposite opinions though and aside from ds9 I've only ever watched through the whole thing once so I was looking for what other people might know.

I'm really interested in things that might challenge the rosy view too though as it's a little boring if the students get away with whatever they want in their theses. Right now the only really pressing thing I have to ask her is about whether or not their SPACE COMMUNISM is utopian, I teach at a pretty conservative school so I could see that riling some people up.

Plato was the first utopian thinker. So if that really upsets people that much just bring up its hardly a new idea. Because that's the truth of the matter.

>obrien could have had a qt terrorist wife but instead chose keiko

Angel One in TNG, matriarchy
The Outcast TNG, sexual orientation
Dear Doctor ENT? Basically a precursor to the prime directive

In the pale moonlight is good for like what would you do to prevent a ton of casualties, what can you live with type deal. Whispers is some serious existential "how do I know I'm me" / hey why do they think it's okay to just straight up murder a replicant stuff. Tuvix is kind of a weirder version of The Trolley Problem more or less.

There's also whichever episode has Bashir with the crazy smart people (the first one) which gives you: If you know you're going to lose a war should you surrender (or aid the enemy) to minimize casualties?

The TNG episode where Wesley and his buddies get court martialed has: Do you fuck over all of your friends over an autistic desire for the truth?

>20 pages

I hope that's an undergrad thesis, My Msc thesis was 84 pages

The TNG episode with the rogue captain has: Do you break a peace treaty to defend yourself from an enemy which is preparing to attack you but has not technically broken the peace treaty yet?

The Wounded in TNG, basically discussing the logic and morality of pre-emotive strikes and how war can leave lasting issues that even the person experiencing them might not be aware of.

The Drumhead, for, well, everything about that episode was good.

I'd gush about ds9 but you already said you were a fan so I won't bother.

Meant preemptive fuck auto correct

The Quality of Life and The Measure of a Man from TNG. Both of them discuss robotic rights and how they should be treated as lifeforms and not just machines. I guess the holographic rights one from Voyager could be bundled with these too.

My undergrad thesis was supposed to be around 70-75 pages (I ended up hitting 100 but I had some appendices and charts and shit so they let it slide).

I can't comprehend any actual thesis being 20 pages. OP, are you at a really shitty Eastern European school?

>In the pale moonlight
This.
Exploring the moral ambiguity of Siskos actions in that episode, and whether or not you agree with his final conclusion is what I would choose.

Nah, it's a high school. 20 is the min, they're pretty good kids though so they usually clock in around 25-30. Nothing overwhelming but it's also not really intended to be.

>He doesn't live his life by the Rules of Acquisition

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Friendly reminder that Dukat did nothing wrong.

Is Wayne Brady gonna have to Tok' Ra bitch?

He didn't get inside that sweet sweet kira puss

Should offf raped kira and ziyal on thee spot. Ziyall to get under garak's skin.

lol "undergrad thesis"

you're trying too hard you pretentious faggot

Why would it be page count as opposed to word count?

Most undergrad dissertations sit between 9000 and 12000 words. 100 pages would give 100 words a page, which of typed A4 is about 1/4 of the space.