The question behind a choice

My talk examines how jobs that demand long hours and constant availability interact with unequal caregiving responsibilities. I wanted to look beyond an individual’s decision to leave a job and ask what made remaining in it difficult.

Preparing the talk

I wrote the script and used research on “greedy work,” including Claudia Goldin’s work, to connect an economic idea with everyday experiences of employment and care. My task was to make the reasoning accessible without reducing a structural question to individual willpower.

A view from the audience of Xiaowei presenting at TEDx Shahe Street Youth
A view from the audience. TEDx Shahe Street Youth · Nanshan, Shenzhen · 8 August 2026.
Xiaowei in front of the TEDx Shahe Street Youth event backdrop
At TEDx Shahe Street Youth. Nanshan, Shenzhen · 8 August 2026.
A closer view of the group photograph at TEDx Shahe Street Youth
A closer view of the event group photograph.

What I want a listener to consider

When a choice appears personal, what conditions make it possible? Who provides the time and care that allow another person to remain available for work? These are questions I want to keep studying.