The acronym JEDI has become a popular term for branding academic committees and labeling STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine) initiatives focused on social justice issues. Used in this context, JEDI stands for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. In recent years, this acronym has been employed by a growing number of prominent institutions and organizations, including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. At first glance, JEDI may simply appear to be an elegant way to explicitly build justice into the more common formula of DEI (an abbreviation for diversity, equity and inclusion), productively shifting our ethical focus in the process. JEDI has these important affordancesbut also inherits another notable set of meanings: It shares a name with the superheroic protagonists of the science fiction Star Wars franchise, the Jedi. Within the narrative world of Star Wars, to be a member of the Jedi is seemingly to be a paragon of goodness, a principled guardian of order and protector of the innocent. This set of pop cultural associations is one that some JEDI initiatives and advocates explicitly allude to.
Whether intentionally or not, the labels we choose for our justice-oriented initiatives open them up to a broader universe of associations, branding them with meaningand, in the case of JEDI, binding them to consumer brands. Through its connections to Star Wars, the name JEDI can inadvertently associate our justice work with stories and stereotypes that are a galaxy far, far away from the values of justice, equity,diversity and inclusion. The question we must ask is whether the conversations started by these connections are the ones that we want to have.
As we will argue, our justice-oriented projects should approach connections to the Jedi and Star Wars with great caution, and perhaps even avoid the acronym JEDI entirely. Below, we outline five reasons why.
The Jedi are inappropriate mascots for social justice. Although theyre ostensibly heroes within the Star Wars universe, the Jedi are inappropriate symbols for justice work. They are a religious order of intergalactic police-monks, prone to (white) saviorism and toxically masculine approaches to conflict resolution (violent duels with phallic lightsabers, gaslighting by means of Jedi mind tricks, etc.). The Jedi are also an exclusionary cult, membership to which is partly predicated on the possession of heightened psychic and physical abilities (or Force-sensitivity). Strikingly, Force-wielding talents are narratively explained in Star Wars not merely in spiritual termsbut also in ableist and eugenic ones: These supernatural powers are naturalized as biological, hereditary attributes. So it is that Force potential is framed as a dynastic property of noble bloodlines (for example, the Skywalker dynasty), and Force disparities are rendered innate physical properties, measurable via midi-chlorian counts (not unlike a Force genetics test) and augmentable via human(oid) engineering. The heroic Jedi are thus emblems for a host of dangerously reactionary values and assumptions. Sending the message that justice work is akin to cosplay is bad enough; dressing up our initiatives in the symbolic garb of the Jedi is worse.
This caution about JEDI can be generalized: We must be intentional about how we name our work and mindful of the associations any name may bring upperhaps particularly when such names double as existing words with complex histories.
Star Wars has a problematic cultural legacy. The space opera franchise has been critiqued for trafficking in injustices such as sexism, racism and ableism. Think, for example, of the so-called Slave Leia costume, infamous for stripping down and chaining up the movie series first leading woman as part of an Orientalist subplot. Star Wars arguably conflates alienness with nonwhiteness, often seeming to rely on racist stereotypes when depicting nonhuman species. The series regularly defaults onto ableist tropes, memorably in its portrayal of Darth Vader, which links the villains physical disability with machinic inhumanity and moral deviance, presenting his technology-assisted breathing as a sinister auditory marker of danger and doom. Whats more, the bodies and voices centered in Star Wars have, with few exceptions, historically been those of white men. And while recent films have increased gender and racial diversity, important questions remain regarding how meaningfully such changes represent a departure from the series problematic past. Indeed, a notable segment of the Star Wars fandom has aggressively advocated the (re)centering of white men in the franchise, with some equating recent casting decisions with white genocide. Additionally, the franchises cultural footprint can be tracked in the saga of United States military-industrial investment and expansion, from debates around Reagans Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative to the planned Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (another JEDI program), sometimes winkingly framed with Star Wars allusions. Taken together, the controversies surrounding Star Wars make JEDI at best an inappropriate way to brand justice worka kind of double-edged sword (or better yet, double-bladed lightsaber). At worst, this way of branding our initiatives is freighted with the very violence that our justice work seeks to counter.
When we consider the relationship of JEDI to Star Wars and its fraught cultural legacy, a more general caution comes into view: When we label our initiatives, we must be careful about the universe of narratives and symbols within which we situate our workand the cultural associations and meanings that our projects may take on, as a result.
JEDI connects justice initiatives to corporate capital. JEDI/Jedi is more than just a name: Its a product. Circulating that products name can promote and benefit the corporation that owns it, even if we do not mean to do so. We are, in effect, providing that corporationDisneywith a form of free advertising, commodifying and cheapening our justice work in the process. Such informalco-branding entangles our initiatives in Disneys morally messy past and present. It may also serve to rebrand and whitewash Disney by linking one of its signature product lines to social justice. After all, Disney has a long and troubling history of circulating racist, sexist, heterosexistand Orientalist narratives and imagery, which the corporation and its subsidiaries (like Pixar) are publicly reckoning with. Furthermore, Disney is an overtly political entity, critiqued not only for its labor practicesbut also for its political donations and lobbying. Joining forces with Disneys multimedia empire is thus a dangerous co-branding strategy for justice advocates and activists. This form of inadvertent woke-washing extracts ethical currency from so-called JEDI work, robbing from its moral reserves to further enrich corporate capital.
A broader lesson can be learned here: When we brand our initiatives, it pays to be mindful about whether the names we endorse double as products in a culture industry. We must be careful about the company we keepand the companies that our initiatives help to keep in business.
Aligning justice work with Star Wars risks threatening inclusion and sense of belonging. While an overarching goal of JEDI initiatives is to promote inclusion, the term JEDI might make people feel excluded. Star Wars is popular but divisive. Identifying our initiatives with it may nudge them closer to the realm of fandom, manufacturing in-groups and out-groups. Those unfamiliar or uncomfortable with Star Warsincluding those hurt by the messages it sendsmay feel alienated by the parade of jokes, puns and references surrounding the term JEDI. Consider, as one example, its gender exclusionary potential. Studies suggest that the presence of Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia (such as posters) in computer science classrooms can reinforce masculinist stereotypes about computer sciencecontributing to womens sense that they dont belong in that field. Relatedly, research indicates that even for self-identified female fans of Star Wars, a sense of belonging within that fandom can be experienced as highly conditional, contingent on performances proving their conformity to the preexisting gendered norms of dominant fan culture. At a moment when many professional sectors, including higher education, are seeking to eliminate barriers to inclusionand to change the narrative about who counts as a scientist, political scientist, STEMM professional or historianadopting the term JEDI seems like an ironic move backward.
However we feel about JEDI, a more general insight to apply to our work is this: How we brand an initiative can shape perceptions and feelings about that initiativeand about who belongs in it.
The abbreviation JEDI can distract from justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. When you think about the word JEDI, what comes to mind? Chances are good that for many, the immediate answer isnt the concept justice (or its comrades equity, diversity and inclusion). Insteadthis acronym likely conjures a pageant of spaceships, lightsabersand blaster-wielding stormtroopers. Even if we set aside the four cautions above, the acronym JEDI still evokes imagery that diverts attention away from the meanings of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Such distraction exacerbates existing problems and challenges endemic to institutional justice work. For instance, it is already the case that in institutional contexts, terms like justice, equity, diversity and inclusion are routinely underdefined or conflated, robbed of their specificities and differences. These terms and related abbreviations like DEI can thus come to be treated as institutional buzzwords that are more slogan than substance, signaling commitments that institutions fail to meaningfully honor. We must be more attentive to the meanings and particularities of our words, not less. JEDI does not help us with this. Now is not the time to confuse social justice with science fiction.
Importantly, the acronym JEDI represents an extreme variant of a more general challenge associated with abbreviations: Acronyms are useful for quickly and concisely representing dense concepts, but there is a thin line between indexing ideas and rendering them invisibleand we must be careful to not lose sight of what our abbreviations stand for.
Put simply, the baggage of Jedi and Star Wars is too heavy to burden our justice-oriented initiatives withand may actually undermine these efforts. If we feel that we need to have an abbreviation for labeling our commitments to diversity (D), equity (E), inclusion (I)and justice (J), several alternatives are already available to us, including the abbreviations DEIJ and dije. The additional dangers and distractions imposed by the label JEDI are an unnecessary encumbrance that can strain and stain even our most well-intentioned initiatives.
While weve focused our critical attention on the term JEDI, the cautions above provide us with a list of questions to bring to any effort to label or brand our justice-oriented initiatives:
If you are, like some of the authors of this piece, a longtime fan of Star Wars (or Disney) and have found yourself defensively bristling while reading the paragraphs above, take a moment to consider that response. We suggest that such a reaction reveals how easily Star Wars and JEDI can introduce distractions and confuse conversations. How ready are we to prioritize the cultural dreamscape of the Jedi over the real-world project of social justice? Investing in the term JEDI positions us to apologize for, or explain away, the stereotypes and politics associated with Star Wars and Disney. How eager are we to fight Star Wars battles, when that time and energy could be better spent fighting for social justice?
Its worth remembering and reflecting on the fact that the first Star Wars film opens by telling viewers that its sci-fi story lines take place not in an alternative present or potential futurebut during a period that transpired a long time ago. It should give us pause if we are anchoring our ambitions for a more socially just future in fantasies so dated that they were, at the time of their creation, already the distant past.
This is an opinion and analysis article; the views expressed by theauthor or authorsare not necessarily those of Scientific American.
See more here:
- University of California expands list of courses that meet math requirement for admission - EdSource [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Bombshell Betty Race car to be Reengineered and Restored By UVU Students to honor the Legacy of its Owner - GlobeNewswire [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Phyllis Coleman Mouton to receive Trailblazer Award at Women Who Mean Business ceremony - The Advocate [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Fairfield University Partners with Pulse Secure on New Cybersecurity Lab to Prepare the Next Generation of Information Security Professionals -... [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Global Cloud Identity and Access Management(IAM) Market Segmentation By Top Key Players- IBM Microsoft Oracle Computer Science CA Okta NetIQ Sailpoint... [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Stanford supports alliance of universities in diversifying STEM postdocs - The Stanford Daily [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- N.C. A&T Welcomes New and Newly-Appointed Administrators and Faculty - Yes! Weekly [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Calvin Students Place In Top 10% Of Worldwide Programming Competition - News - Calvin News [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Multiple tenure-track positions in Computer Science & Engineering job with University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Computer Science & Engineering... [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- New smartwatch app alerts deaf and hard-of-hearing users to common home-related sounds - National Science Foundation [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- MTRAC Innovation Hub for Advanced Computing awards $270000 to Wayne State University artificial intelligence projects - The South End [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- New study outlines steps higher education should take to prepare a new quantum workforce | College of Science | RIT - RIT University News Services [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Carleton Hosts Herzberg Lecture on Increasing Diversity in Computer Science with Maria Klawe - Carleton Newsroom [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Baylor University Invites Application for McCollum Endowed Chair of Data Science - Analytics Insight [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- CHEN | Put Computer Science in the Common Core - Cornell University The Cornell Daily Sun [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- GCVI's Tremain running to the NCAA on scholarship - GuelphToday [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Faculty, alumni, other members of U of T community named to Order of Canada - News@UofT [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Why 4-year colleges are tapping Amazon to help deliver cloud computing degrees - Education Dive [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Army Teams With Howard University on AI Center MeriTalk - MeriTalk [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- McGrath one of 10 women to earn STEM scholarship - The Riverdale Press [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- This learning platform is proving adults can benefit greatly from learning math and science - iMore [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Artificial Intelligence Is Now Smart Enough to Know When It Can't Be Trusted - ScienceAlert [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Students and schools in the news - Blue Springs Examiner [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Missouri S&T News and Events Missouri S&T faculty honored for outstanding teaching - Missouri S&T News and Research [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- HCCC Offers Opportunities for Adjunct Faculty and Instructors at Virtual Job Fair - The Hudson Reporter [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- 4-H ignites a passion for science and technology in Minnesota youth - Southernminn.com [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- MIT's New Center to Advance Predictive Simulation Research Will Focus on Exascale Simulation of Materials in Hypersonic Flow Environments -... [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Computer scientist James Allen named AAAS fellow - University of Rochester [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Center to advance predictive simulation research established at MIT Schwarzman College of Computing - MIT News [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Setting the pace in computer science education | Opinion - Paragould Daily Press [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Mohammed VI University in Benguerir Launches School of Computer Science - Morocco World News [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Asa Hutchinson: Setting the pace in computer science education - Searcy Daily Citizen [Last Updated On: November 28th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 28th, 2020]
- Former FX tech person points out the racist trajectory of skin and hair CGI - Boing Boing [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- AI is not yet perfect, but it's on the rise and getting better with computer vision - TechRepublic [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Philosophy Threatened at University of Evansville - Daily Nous [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Two Maryland Teachers Receive National Honors in Math, Science Education - maryland.gov [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Special Scientist Research, Department of Computer Science job with UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS | 238208 - Times Higher Education (THE) [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Computer science jobs pay well and are growing fast. Why are they out of reach for so many of America's students? - The Conversation US [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Computer science grad finds success and a new academic family in cybersecurity - ASU Now [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- What is Computer Science? in the US - International Student [Last Updated On: December 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 11th, 2020]
- Accurate Neural Network Computer Vision Without The 'Black Box' - Duke Today [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Crick Named Mathematical Sciences Distinguished Alumnus Of The Year - The Chattanoogan [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Nadya's Hot Chocolate Bombs: yummy for the tummy - theday.com [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Trouble hearing in a crowded room? New 'cone of silence' could help - Science Magazine [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- James Fujimoto wins the Visionary Prize from the Greenberg Prize to End Blindness - MIT News [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language - MIT News [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- U of Texas will stop using controversial algorithm to evaluate Ph.D. applicants - Inside Higher Ed [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Gift from Ann S. Bowers '59 creates new college of computing and information science | Cornell Chronicle - Cornell Chronicle [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- NYS Board of Regents adopts first-ever learning standards for computer science and digital fluency - RochesterFirst [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Computer science prof Townsend recognized for educational contributions - DePauw University [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Missouri S&T News and Events New faculty in computer science - Missouri S&T News and Research [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- Retired UW computer science professor embroiled in Twitter spat over AI ethics and cancel culture - GeekWire [Last Updated On: December 19th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 19th, 2020]
- How UC fought COVID-19 in 2020 - University of California [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- Search committee appointed for dean of Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs - Princeton University [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- How Yale economists are informing India's COVID-19 response - Yale News [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- Top MIT research stories of 2020 - MIT News [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- St. Albans City School kids were 'on the case' for Computer Science Week. What mystery did they solve? - St. Albans Messenger [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- Cobb Schools receives grant for computer science teacher training - The Catoosa County News [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2020]
- Scholarship honors the legacy of Terry Arthur's dedication to students - Augusta Free Press [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2020]
- This tool helps predict which COVID patients will need hospitalization and which can be sent home - Press-Enterprise [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2020]
- Students express concerns over teaching appointment of Jason Mars - The Michigan Daily [Last Updated On: December 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 24th, 2020]
- Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University hosted the International Conference on Computing, Mobility, and Manufacturing (CMM 2020) - PRNewswire [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- These Are the College Majors That Pay Off the Most - 24/7 Wall St. [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- He Was Going to Close the Family Diner. Then He Got a Sign. - The New York Times [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- Members of Several Well-Known Hate Groups Identified at Capitol Riot - FRONTLINE [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- Carver Community Center to offer free pampers to mothers, free coding classes for youth - Marshall News Messenger [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- MIT's College of Computing building takes shape as Alexandria and BioMed make moves in Boston - Cambridge Day [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- Bylaws of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering - Nevada Today [Last Updated On: January 10th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 10th, 2021]
- Student-run HPAIR conference goes virtual this year - Harvard Gazette [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- JUST IN: Computer scientists in breakthrough - The Herald [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- Optimizing Traffic Signals To Reduce Intersection Wait Times - Texas A&M University Today [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- STEM Majors: Interested in a 1-Credit Course About Teaching Math, Science or Computer Science? - University of Arkansas Newswire [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- Stanford AI scholar Fei-Fei Li writes about humility in tech - Fast Company [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- Professor in Computer Science - The Voice Online [Last Updated On: January 16th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 16th, 2021]
- Expansion project to grow computer science learning, research at Algoma University - Northern Ontario Business [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Teacher of Year finalist expanding Walden Grove computer science program - KGUN [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Here's why you should get a master's in computer science - Study International News [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Two UWF teams place in top 5 in national artificial intelligence competition - University of West Florida Newsroom - UWF Newsroom [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- WNMU Board of Regents Virtually Sits Down With Legislators, Governor - WNMU News [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- Department name change signals broad impact on computer and information technologies - Princeton University [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]