STEM, Stereotypes, and Social Growth: A Deeper Look at Zootopia

     Zootopia, directed by Rich Moore and Bryon Howard, follows the bunny character Judy Hopps as she moves from her small carrot farm town and into the big city to follow her dream of becoming a police officer. Ever since she was young, she was picked on by bigger, more predatory animals in her hometown, which fueled her desire to fight injustice and make the world a better place. After being at the top of her class at the police academy, she was assigned to the heart of Zootopia, a city built using weather walls to create different environments. These walls allow all types of animals to coexist while also accommodating their needs in the habitat. Despite working so hard, Judy was assigned to be a meter maid in the city since she was undermined for her small size. However, after her encounter with a criminal fox, Nick Wildes, she uses him to follow a lead on the most concerning case in the city. Predators from each district have been going missing, and Judy wants to help find them all. Together her and Nick work together to trace and identify where all the mammals were being held, as well as the true intentions of the mayor of Zootopia. 

     This movie works to empower the next generation just by Judy’s positivity alone. She has always believed that Zootopia has created an environment for animals to be anything they want to be. Even after struggling to the top of her class or being assigned to write parking tickets, she continued to work hard and fight for the good of the city. A big part of that was her being stereotyped as fragile and small, since the typical animals working in the police force were a lot bigger, such as lions or bulls. She proved as the first bunny cop, that ambition and determination can get you a lot farther and not necessarily rely on size or intimidation. Even Nick himself showed that breaking stereotypes is possible. Predators, especially foxes, were stereotyped as sneaky and aggressive. An SEL theme throughout the movie is trauma, and how it can affect your personality and your future. Nick was kicked out and muzzled from Boy Scouts, and thought that no one would see him as anything more than a sly and untrustworthy predator. However, Nick worked patiently with Judy throughout the whole case and proved his loyalty, which eventually got him a spot in the police department. 

     Some potential careers in his movie are being a police officer, like Judy, or other law enforcement positions to help the community around you. Another more SEL career choice would be a therapist. A lot of Nick’s trauma could have been prevented by seeing someone who understood his troubles and helped him work through them. This would have prevented him from committing street scams and pushed him into a career in law enforcement sooner. I would recommend this movie for any age. It has amazing, colorful graphics and visuals to appeal to super young audiences, inspiring quotes and careers to appeal to middle/high school students, and lifelong lessons of determination and empathy for adults. Zootopia ultimately inspires all its viewers to continue life long ambition and to never give up on their dreams, no matter how small or hard they may be.