Paula Stone Williams’ Ted Talk entitled “What I realized about men–after I transitioned genders” is eye-opening. Often times, it is difficult for people in any position to realize the manifestations of their privilege, even if they are aware that they have privilege. Concepts of gender theory have always fascinated me, and there are so many questions that would be easier to answer with the perspective of someone who has experienced both sides of the gender binary. Williams talks directly to men and says, “I know you run the race with integrity, but here’s the thing: you started closer to the finish line than anyone else. That’s the reality. I know, I did too.” She talks about the business field and how before transitioning–how she was rich and had millionaire friends who would invite her on their yachts, but after she came out, she lost everything. She also talks about how she “brought some of the privilege with her” without even realizing it until a coworker pointed out how her ideas always win. All in all, it’s a fascinating Ted Talk and she is a super interesting person to listen to.
My ideas for the paradigm shift project:
- The evolution of the word “guys” and how it became gender-neutral while also enforcing the particularism of women
- Attitudes toward women in STEM fields and the outcomes of “women in STEM” initiatives
- Arguments for and against birth control pills from the 60s until now in light of recent political events
I find it interesting her word choice when talking about men running with integrity, maybe she said it with sarcasm but that just made my eyebrow raise a bit. The Ted talk in general sounds interesting and your evolving ideas are all topics that would be fascinating to read about.
This is a super interesting TED topic and it’s a shame to hear about all of the negatives she experienced after transitioning.
The “guys” idea is very interesting and I’d be curious to see where you go with that. I like the idea of talking about the evolution of a single word. The STEM and birth control topics would also be good ideas and likely easy to form an argument around.
All of your topics seem very interesting but I would especially be interested in the evolution of the word “guys”. I have often thought about how it may have become gender neutral but I never thought more about it beyond that. I would love to read more about the nuances surrounding the evolution of that word.