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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 433 570 CS 510 151 TITLE Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (82nd, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 3-8, 1999). Qualitative Studies. INSTITUTION Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. PUB DATE 1999-08-00 NOTE 410p.; For other sections of this proceedings, see CS 510 132-153. PUB TYPE Collected Works Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MFn1 /PC17 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Advertising; *American Dream; *Broadcast Industry; Disabilities; Editorials; Federal Regulation; Higher Education; Hypermedia; Internet; Journalism Education; Presidents of the United States; Programming (Broadcast); Qualitative Research; *Racial Segregation; *Sex Role IDENTIFIERS African Americans; *Black Press; Clinton (Bill); Cultural Studies; Gone with the Wind; *Letters to the Editor; New York Times; Star Trek the Next Generation; Telecommunications Act 1996 ABSTRACT The Qualitative Studies section of the Proceedings contains the following 14 papers: "Disabling or Enabling? Reading Bodies, Technologies, and the Borg of Star Trek" (Mia Consalvo); "Inverted Pyramids Versus Hypertexts: A Qualitative Study of Readers' Responses to Competing Narrative Forms" (Robert Huesca, Brenda Dervin, John Burwell, Denise Drake, Ron Nirenberg, Robin Smith, and Nicholas Yeager); "Critical Theories and Cultural Studies in Mass Communication" (Les Switzer, John McNamara, and Michael Ryan); "Source Diversity after the Telecommunications Act of 1996: Media Oligarchs Begin to Colonize Cyberspace" (Jeffrey Layne Blevins); "'Explore Your World': The Strange and Familiar Worlds of Discovery Channel's Nature Programming" (David Pierson); "'Ally McBeal' vs. Hollywood's Male Gaze--Round One" (Brenda Cooper); "The American Girl Dolls: Constructing American Girlhood through Representation and Identity" (Carolina Acosta-Alzuru); "Mediatized Politics: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the 'New York Times" Editorials on the Clinton-Lewinsky Affair" (Young Min); "Struggle and Consent: African American Press Reception of 'Gone with the Wind'" (James F. Tracy); "American Journalism vs. the Poor, a Research Review and Analysis" (Paula Reynolds Eblacas); "The Virtual 'Good Neighborhood': Tracking the Role of Communication in Residential Segregation" (Eleanor M. Novek); "Red-baiting, Regulation and the Broadcast Industry: A Revisionist History of the 'Blue Book'" (Chad Dell); "Understanding the Conditions for Public Discourse: A Critique of Criteria for Letters-to-the-Editor" (Karin Wahl-Jorgensen); and "Reflecting the American Dream: Walker Evans on 1930s Advertising" (Bonnie Brennen). (RS) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (82nd, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 3-8, 1999): Qualitative Studies. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. 1999-08 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC). Iiii/This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organizaiion I originating it. BEST COPY AVAILABLE Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent 2 1 official OERI position or policy. OISAOLIOD DR HMOLIO57 REJOION BODIES, TTENDDLDD/ES ADD TM BORE OF STAR TREK A paper presented to the Qualitative Studies Division Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Annual Conference in New Orleans, LA August 5, 1999 Mia Consalvo W 615 Seashore Hall School of Journalism and Mass Communication University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 mia- [email protected] Abstract This paper examines one popular representation of cyborgsthe Borg of Star Trekusing cybertheory and disability theory, to better understand current cultural beliefs about bodies and technologies. The paper argues that the Borg challenge many dualisms we have constructed. The Borg both challenge and reinforce the notion of a mind/body split The Borg reflect many of our own myths about our bodiesthat we can easily control them, and rework them to suit ourselves. The Borg also give us a false vision of a triumph over nature, but with the cost of a loss of aesthetics as well as a loss of control of technology that has been implanted inside us. 3 1 Disabling or Enabling? Reading Bodies, Technologies, and the Borg of Star Trek "[The Borg] took everything I was; they used me to kill, and to destroy and I couldn't stop them. I should have been able to stop them, I tried. I tried so hard, but I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't good enough. I should have been able to stop them." Captain Picard'in "Family" from Star Trek: The Next Generation Thefictional cybernetic species the Borg of Star Trek presenta fascinating pi1771e. They are the ultimate villains yet they are extremely popular, first appearing in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, then gettinga feature role in the film First Contact and most recently spawninga regular characterthe ex-Borg Seven of Nine in the current series Star Trek: Voyager. The Borg have managed to integrate technology into their organic bodies,to such an extent that they cannot exist without it. Additionally, the Borgare a collective society, where Borg drones do not register as individualstheyare part of a group mind, which controls each drone's actions. This specieswas originally interested in acquiring new technology, but in later Star Trek developments, their chief priority became "assimilating" unwitting individuals into their collective. This process, they believed, would bring them closer to perfection, defined as a harmony of infinite voices functioningas one. The most relevant way to examine the Borg is through engaging with cybertheory. This body of work, best know through the writings of Donna Haraway (1991), explores the intersection of bodies and technologiesor bodies and machines. Some cybertheorists explore popular depictions of cyborgs 4 2 (Springer, 1996), others posit that we are all cyborgs as we now live ina world reliant on communications technologies (Stone, 1996), and additional theorists explore related facets of contemporary cyborgs such as the continuing gendered nature of cyborgs (Balsamo, 1996). Cybertheory therefore provides a suitable beginning point for exploring the Borg. However, as much as cybertheory investigates relations between bodies and technologies, much if not most of this work takes as a given the normally functioning body. This is an odd stance to take, especially considering the many popular representations of cyborgs that depict a human being "rebuilt" through advanced technology after a catastrophic injury, or actual death. I believe cyborgs have much to say about what we believe to be normally functioning bodies, what are the limits of "repairing" or restoring this body, and what role we feel technology should play in the future as concerns our bodies. To properly begin to address these concerns, I argue that cybertheory should be aligned with disability and body theory. That is one of the central functions of this paper. The Borg, at first glance, would appear to have little to do with disability or the disabled body. The literal disability experience does not figure into Borg existence, as such. Borg drones are able to regenerate, and thus repair or heal themselves if they are injured or damaged. Severely damaged drones are reabsorbed back into the collective, and their raw material is presumably re-used either for energy or to create new drones. Yet, in an examination of disabilityas well as body theory, it is argued that disability, as well as the "normal" bodyare 5 3 social constructs, functioning to set limits for us concerning who is allowedto exercise power, as well as how (and to whom) we decide to grant autonomyand individual rights. Theorists such as Rosemarie Garland Thomson (1997),Susan Wendell (1996) and Nancy Mairs (1996) all argue thatour current conceptualizations of the body hide ableist assumptions thatare ultimately damaging to us all. In many ways, the Borg speak to theseconcerns. Their cyborg bodies speak to our desires to control our bodiesas well as nature, and perpetuate the myth that we can control our bodies and thereforeour lives. The Borg force us to confront what role we feel technology should play within the body, and the limits of these incursions. Finally, the collective nature of theBorg is a powerful ch.allenge to ideas of American liberal individualism, which is ultimately based on a belief in personal advancement, brought about by individual strength and determination, aided by a strong, supple body. The Borg therefore offer many opportunities to examineour conflicted relations to technology, the body, and dis/ability. This research project explores these concerns. This paper intends, therefore, to be a contribution to disability and body theory, and also attempts to integrate aspects of these theories with cybertheoiy. To conduct this research, I textually analyzed all appearances of the Borg from the seven seasons of The Next Generation, the first four seasons