Applied Anthropology Profile: Daryl Frazetti & The Anthropology of Sci-Fi

The following is a quote from Franz Boas, but it is one that Daryl Frazetti uses in his description of science fiction and science fiction story lines.  The parallels between science fiction story lines and modern human diversity, the focus of anthropological study, are what he draws upon in his sci-fi/anthropology pursuits.

 

Daryl Frazetti has two loves: anthropology and sci-fi.  He has combined these seemingly different topics in his line of work as a speaker at sci-fi & comic conventions, where he explores anthropological topics through science fiction narratives such as Planet of the Apes and Star Trek.  The combination of these two loves came about serendipitously: one due to the act of a controversial professor and the other due to a costumed cat.  As strange as those scenarios may seem, particularly when put together, they provided the foundation to an interesting and fruitful career.

 

Frazetti had no intention of going into anthropology.  As he put it, “I wasn’t drawn to anthropology.”  His primary interests were in the hard sciences, which is why he pursued a degree in biology with a pre-veterinary emphasis at University of Massachusetts-Boston.  He was nearing the end of his degree when one of his advisers informed him that he needed to take a social science credit.  Initially he was disappointed and did not see the utility in taking courses outside of his primary area of study.  Frazetti ultimately enrolled in a cultural anthropology course because, as he put it, “to sleep in”.  He was carrying a heavy science course load, and he thought that the anthropology course would be an easy course to fulfill the degree requirement.  The cultural anthropology professor confronted his students’ cultural norms and values and challenged them to critically analyze their social and cultural world.   Frazetti was intrigued.  So much so that he decided to continue exploring anthropology.  He ultimately double majored in anthropology and biology, continuing on in graduate school in biological anthropology with an emphasis in bioarchaeology.  He still felt little affinity to cultural anthropology, finding his niche in biological anthropology as it complemented his original interests.     

Frazetti’s interests in sci-fi were his own, but he became fully ensconced in sci-fi culture due to his pet cat.  He brought his cat to a sci-fi convention, and some girls were fawning over the feline.  They suggested that the cat should be part of the convention by wearing a costume.  Frazetti agreed to this because, as he put it, “I could get girls!”  His caped crusader cat (or not so caped as the case ultimately was) landed Frazetti a spot in a documentary film about Star Trek fans, which started his status as a icon in the convention circuit. 

As Frazetti continued to pursue his anthropological studies he took on teaching duties as part of his higher education training, and he found himself teaching linguistic and cultural anthropology courses, which were outside of his primary area of focus (biological anthropology).  Frazetti was forced to explore cultural theory, and he began to realize more and more the parallels between his favorite sci-fi story lines and cultural anthropology.  He started using these insights in his classroom teaching as a means to better inform his students, and he found that it was an incredibly effective teaching tool.

At about this same time the sci-fi convention community started to take notice of Frazetti’s anthropological training.  He was asked to give talks that explored the complexities of science fiction themes and how they related to real life cultural phenomenon, such as how the story lines in X-men and Star Trek symbolize the real life struggles of minorities for equal rights and sociopolitical autonomy.  He eventually began his own research to enrich both his classroom and sci-fi lectures and published widely in books and journals on how sci-fi could be utilized in these creative ways.  These efforts gained the attention of CBS, who contracted him to conduct market research to improve their website.  Staff at a museum in Salt Lake City were inspired by one of Frazetti’s papers and created a Star Wars exhibit that explored themes in the series and their relationship to actual cultural experiences.  These all snowballed into more and more appearances and talks, in addition to new courses that he has taught throughout northern California and Nevada. 

Frazetti notes that science fiction is a medium that allows its audience to identify with issues of great importance to them via a specific character or story line.  The application of anthropology to these issues, such as the origins of Homo sapiens, race and ethnic relations, LGBT identity, etc., allows for these issues to be explored in organized and significant ways.  Ultimately, this leads to individuals being more informed citizens, which according to Frazetti is one of the best lessons any student of anthropology can learn.

Note: Individuals interested in seeing Daryl Frazetti present should come to Sierra 108 on the TMCC Dandini Campus at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, April 29 for his presentation titled: X-Men As A Cultural Mirror.