Congratulations, Ben, on discovering "Star Trek: First Contact." The
television series on which it is based, "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
is, IMHO, far superior to the original series or any of the other
spin-offs. As a diversity trainer, I often use the Borg as an example of
assimilation v. pluralism. When discrimination was outlawed and women,
minorities, and people with disabilities first began entering the work
force in professional positions in higher numbers, they were expected to
conform to the corporate cultural norms that had been established by their
white male predecessors. In other words, they were expected to assimilate,
to leave their unique differences at home. This is precisely what the Borg
represents. Diversity is about welcoming and valuing differences,
encouraging people to bring their unique identities, values, norms, and
ways of thinking with them to the workplace. These differences, when
properly mixed, produce greater creativity and productivity. That's what
diversity is all about. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" has abundant
examples of diversity at work.
Robert Ingram
Ingram Communications
--Robert Ingram <ingram_b@ix.netcom.com>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>