Communication Commons^™

Expectation Versus Reality: Star Trek, Nyota Uhura, And The Female Role, Cecelia Otto-Griffiths

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In a media saturated world, there is an abundance of stereotypes perpetuated for women. Since the late 1960’s, however, Star Trek has been one example of how television and film can challenge stereotypes and what is considered normal. This study sought to understand the extent of change in how women’s physical and role representations are presented through the artifact of Lt. Uhura in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the 2016 film Star Trek: Beyond. Using feminist theory as a lens to conduct a content analysis of these films, this study used frequently identified “feminine” characteristics in …