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Caitlyn Jenner's Small Change

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Standing up for what one believes in can be a challenging task because no one knows what the outcome may be. It is all about striving for an impactful result hoping that the world be more accepting and less judgmental. In the passage “Small Change” written by Malcolm Gladwell, he makes a compelling argument that deals with the issue of making a difference in the world, both social media or in the form of hierarchy. Social activism has different variations for people to become aware of any news or trends present in the world. Hierarchy, which means "A body of persons or things ranked in grades, orders, or classes, one above another,” is the best form of movement that one may take in order to establish a change in the world because people tend …show more content…

Caitlyn, like many transgender individuals, has struggled with guilt and shame because she does not wish to disappoint the people in her life. There have been cases where adults and children have suicidal thoughts because they cannot digest the feeling of potentially being alienated. Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner from the television series, “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, struggled with severe anxiety all of her life. She was born a male, but desired to be everything a woman is. Around 1976, Caitlyn was a star Olympian that everyone looked up to and sought as a source of inspiration. Throughout the years, she tried to hide the fact that she was a woman trapped in a man’s body, but eventually, that subsided. Gladwell stated: “But if you're taking on a powerful and organized establishment you have to be a hierarchy” (Gladwell 237). In other words, Gladwell is saying that in order to initiate a trend, it should be an individual who stands up for what he or she believes in, regardless of the cost. Caitlyn was a prime example of one who stands with bravery and took a risk, confessing to everyone the transition that was happening in her life. This courageous action influenced and touched the hearts of many people, allowing other transgender individuals to act freely and not hide his or her identity. If an idolized athlete and celebrity such as …show more content…

His outlook is that people should be straightforward about a situation and confront it head-on. He shows his viewpoint in the following quote: “Boycotts and sit-ins and nonviolent confrontations-which were the weapons of choice for the civil rights movement-, are high risk strategies. They leave little room for conflict and error” (Gladwell 237). A chief example of how social media can raise awareness, but failed to reciprocate a major change in the world for the better was the trend called the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.” The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was when an individual throws a bucket of ice water on his or her head to publicize awareness and raise funds for research on the disease known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html). The Oxford English Dictionary defines awareness as “The quality or state of being aware, consciousness; also the condition of being aware (of something or that something is)” (“awareness”). While it is important to some degree to actually have knowledge about the disease and how it affects society, it does not directly assist in the advancement in finding a cure. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral with videos that did help raise awareness of the disease. However, a vast majority of the participants performing in the challenge were young adults and teenagers who were looking for

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