How Do We Categorize People? | Dr. Nicolas LaLone | TEDxRIT

Summary

In this reflective and thought-provoking talk, Nick Alone shares his personal journey of growth and discovery, exploring the complexities of humanity and the impact of labels in our understanding of the world. Drawing from a powerful experience with a severe storm, he discusses the dangers of relying on surface-level categories and urges the need for a transdisciplinary approach to addressing future challenges. Nick advocates for a shift in mindset, emphasizing the importance of transcending boundaries in education, problem-solving, and societal progress, especially in the face of growing global issues like climate change.

Takeaways

• 😀 A few years ago, the speaker experienced an unexpected and destructive storm, which led them to reflect on the impact of climate change and increasingly severe weather events.
• 😀 The future of storms is projected to get more intense and widespread due to climate change, with storms potentially growing from 60-mile-wide events to 400-mile-wide disasters.
• 😀 The speaker highlights the inadequacy of current systems, categories, and models to prepare for these changing global challenges.
• 😀 The speaker's personal journey as a first-generation student was pivotal in shaping their understanding of humanity and how societal issues can be better understood beyond simple categorizations.
• 😀 The shift from engineering to sociology and eventually to transdisciplinary studies helped the speaker understand the complexities of human interactions and the need for more nuanced perspectives.
• 😀 The concept of 'trans' is central to the speaker's message, encompassing ideas of crossing boundaries, being open to fluidity, and transcending rigid categories, like in the transgender community.
• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing authentic self-representation beyond surface-level traits and societal assumptions.
• 😀 In disaster situations, society often seeks to restore the 'normal' state, but this approach ignores the deeper, systemic issues that lead to the disaster in the first place.
• 😀 Surface-level categorizations like socioeconomic status and ethnicity often fail to address the root causes of vulnerabilities, exacerbating issues for future generations.
• 😀 The future generation, particularly those about to graduate, will face the unprecedented challenge of addressing these deep-rooted problems head-on, without being able to pass them on to the next generation.
• 😀 To solve the issues we face, the speaker calls for a 'trans mindset' that moves beyond conventional thinking, transcending innovation, problem identification, and solutions in every field.

Q & A

What is the significance of the storm described at the beginning of the transcript?

The storm serves as a metaphor for unexpected, disruptive events that challenge normalcy. It also highlights the urgency of understanding and adapting to environmental and societal changes, emphasizing the impact of climate change and how future storms may become larger and more destructive.

What role does 'transdisciplinarity' play in the speaker's journey?

Transdisciplinarity is central to the speaker's evolution, as it represents the blending of multiple fields of knowledge to understand human behavior and societal issues holistically. The speaker expresses the need to transcend traditional academic boundaries to address complex real-world challenges.

How does the speaker describe their academic journey?

The speaker’s academic journey is described as one of exploration, starting from electrical engineering to sociology, where they realized the limitations of traditional disciplines in understanding people and society. They eventually found a focus in transdisciplinary work to bridge gaps between disciplines and improve problem-solving.

What does the speaker mean by the 'trans' prefix?

The 'trans' prefix, meaning 'across,' 'beyond,' or 'on the other side of,' symbolizes a movement beyond traditional categories and binaries. The speaker uses this term to emphasize the need to look past surface-level identities and categories in order to understand individuals and societal issues more deeply.

How does the speaker relate their personal background to the concept of 'transdisciplinarity'?

The speaker relates their first-generation status and upbringing in Ohio to their desire to understand humanity and break free from conventional categories. Their journey through different fields of study reflects their personal effort to transcend simplistic labels and view the world in more complex and interconnected ways.

Why does the speaker emphasize the question 'What are your pronouns?'

The speaker highlights the importance of this question as a symbol of moving beyond surface-level appearances and labels. It encourages people to go beyond assumptions about identity and engage with others on a more authentic, personal level, which connects to the broader theme of transcending categories.

What is the 'normal' versus 'disaster' binary that the speaker discusses?

The speaker contrasts normal days, where routine activities like festivals take place, with disaster days, which are marked by chaos and destruction. The binary illustrates how society often views disruptions as temporary anomalies, but the speaker suggests that many of these disruptions are rooted in deeper, long-standing systemic issues.

What does the speaker mean by 'surface-level issues' in the context of disaster?

Surface-level issues refer to the superficial categories people use to classify risks, such as socioeconomic status or ethnicity. The speaker argues that these categories fail to address the deeper, structural problems that lead to disasters and environmental crises, which have been building up over generations.

How does the speaker view the future generation's responsibility regarding societal problems?

The speaker believes that the upcoming generation will be the first to face the consequences of unresolved societal and environmental issues, as they can no longer pass these problems onto future generations. The speaker emphasizes that this generation must actively address these challenges rather than relying on past solutions.

What does the speaker hope to achieve through a 'transdisciplinary' approach to problem-solving?

The speaker hopes to create more holistic solutions to complex problems by transcending the boundaries of individual disciplines. A transdisciplinary approach allows for a more integrated understanding of societal issues, encouraging innovative and effective solutions that go beyond traditional categories and methods.