Since it first aired in 1966,
Star Trek
has led American television into a more progressive era by presenting a diverse cast interacting as equals, demonstrating expertise and efficiency as they lead a starship across the galaxy. To this day, the
franchise strives to inspire viewers to find beauty in diversity and progress. In
Social Movements and the Collective Identity of the
Fandom: Boldly Going Where No Fans Have Gone Before
, David G. LoConto explores the development of the
fandom from its uncertain beginnings in the 1960s, to the popularity explosion in the 1990s and its triumphant return in 2017. LoConto analyzes the cultural phenomena of
through a social psychological approach, using symbolic interactionist and strategic ritualization theories, as well as ideas from Habermas and Foucault to track the fandom’s movements, values, and evolution.