Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right

369 Pages·2016·1.95 MB·English

by  Arlie Russell Hochschild

6.25 × 9.5 SPINE: 1.1875
PraiSe fOr strangers in their own Land current affairs & Politics $27.95 u.S.
BeStSe LLing authO r Of the second shift
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“if the great political question of our time can be summarized in the two words,
‘donald trump,’ the answer is to be found in arlie russell hochschild’s brilliant new book. h S a r L i e r u S Se L L i
n strangers in their own Land,
hochschild, an eminent sociologist with a novelist’s storytelling skill, has crafted an absorbing
e t the renowned sociologist arlie russell
tale full of richly drawn, complicated characters who come bearing their own fascinating histories.
hochschild embarks on a thought-provoking
together they offer a compelling and lucid portrait of what had seemed a bewildering political r
i journey, traveling from her liberal hometown of
moment. a powerful, imaginative, necessary book, arriving not a moment too soon.” r h O c hS c h iL d Berkeley, california, deep into arch-conservative
a
—Mark danner, author of spiral: trapped in the forever war
Louisiana bayou country—an area in environmental
crisis, where many people suffer from poor health
n
“arlie russell hochschild journeys into a far different world than her liberal academic O and widespread poverty, enduring rates of edu-
enclave of Berkeley, into the heartland of the nation’s political right, in order to understand cation and life expectancy that are among the
g
w
how the conservative white working class sees america. with compassion and empathy, S t r a n g e rS country’s lowest. her mission is to do what so
she discovers the narrative that gives meaning and expression to their lives—and e few of us are able to do: truly listen to the other
which explains their political convictions, along with much else. anyone who n side in order to understand why they believe—and
wants to understand modern america should read this captivating book.” r feel—the way they do.
arLie ruSSeLL hOchSchiLd —robert B. reich, chancellor’s professor of public policy, university of california, Berkeley Over the course of five years, hochschild
L S
is one of the most influential sociologists of her i n t h e i r befriends pipefitters, plant operators, an auto
generation. She is the author of nine books, includ- “with the clear-headed empathy she is famous for, hochschild explored the central paradox a mechanic, a truck driver, telephone repairmen,
ing the second shift, the time Bind, the Man- of the political activists in the heart of ‘cancer alley’: they understand that the chemical i accountants, salesmen, building contractors, a
aged heart, and the outsourced self. three of and oil companies have destroyed their environment and sometimes their lives, but they n n postal worker, a school custodian, and a gospel
singer—and she attends fish fries, gumbo cook-offs,
her books have been named as new York times remain ardent defenders of free market capitalism. there could not be a more important

d O w n L a n d Pentecostal church services, and trump rallies;
notable Books of the Year and her work appears topic in current american politics, nor a better person to dissect it. every page—
visits schools, political party groups, and oil-
in sixteen languages. the winner of the ulysses every story and individual—is fascinating, and the emerging analysis is revelatory.”
soaked wetlands; and engages in long con-
Medal as well as guggenheim and Mellon grants, —Barbara ehrenreich, author of nickel and dimed and Living with a wild god
versations over cookies at kitchen tables and
she lives in Berkeley, california.
while looking through photo albums. She meets a
“in her attempt to climb over the ‘empathy wall’ and truly understand the emotional lives
a
tea Party supporter whose town was swallowed by
of her political adversaries, hochschild gives us a vital roadmap to bridging the deep divides
h r a sinkhole created by a drilling disaster, a pastor’s
in our political landscape and renewing the promise of american democracy. a must-read
wife who calls rush Limbaugh “my brave heart,”
for any political american who isn’t ready to give up just yet.” O L
and a homemaker who sees pollution as “the price
—Joan Blades, co-founder of Livingroomconversations.org, c i
we pay for capitalism.”
e
front cover image: sugar cane and refinery, Louisiana, 1998 (detail) Momsrising.org, and MoveOn.org h strangers in their own Land goes beyond

© richard Misrach, courtesy fraenkel gallery, San francisco, Pace/
S r the commonplace liberal idea that many on the
Macgill gallery, new York, and Marc Selwyn fine art, Los angeles. “hochschild’s work has never been more timely or more necessary, from the
political right have been duped into voting against
c u
Originally published in Petrochemical america (aperture, 2012). resurgence of interest in emotional labor to this deep, empathetic dive into
their interests. in the “red” america she explores,
the heart of the right. strangers in their own Land does what few dare h S hochschild discovers powerful feelings—fear of
to do: it takes seriously the role of feelings in politics.” i S cultural eclipse and economic decline, a deep
—Sarah Jaffe, author of necessary trouble: americans in revolt L e resentment of the scorn of coastal liberals, and a
d L perceived betrayal by the federal govern-
THE NEW PRESS L ment—that override self-interest as liberals see
www.thenewpress.com it and help explain the emotional appeal of a
a n g e r a n d m o u r n i n g o n t h e a m e r i c a n r i g h t candidate like donald trump. what emerges is a
remarkable portrait of the country’s deep political
author photograph by Paige Parsons
divide and profound thoughts about a way forward
Jacket design by emily Mahon
a Journey to the heart of Our Political divide
for us all.
THE NEW PRESS
Strangers in Their Own Land_jacket.indd 1 06/23/2016 4:12 PM
STRANGERS
IN THEIR
OWN LAND
also by arlie russell hochschild
So How’s the Family? And Other Essays
The Outsourced Self: Intimate Life in Market Times
Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy
(co-editor)
The Commercialization of Intimate Life: Notes from Home and Work
The Time Bind: When Work Becomes Home and Home Becomes Work
The Second Shift: Working Families and the Revolution at Home
The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling
The Unexpected Community: Portrait of an Old Age Subculture
Coleen the Question Girl
S T R A NGER S
I N T H EIR
OW N L A N D
ANGER AND MOURNING ON THE AMERICAN RIGHT
Arlie Russell Hochschild
© 2016 by Arlie Russell Hochschild
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form, without
written permission from the publisher.
Requests for permission to reproduce selections from this book should be mailed to:
Permissions Department, The New Press, 120 Wall Street, 31st floor, New York, NY 10005.
Published in the United States by The New Press, New York, 2016
Distributed by Perseus Distribution
ISBN 978-1-62097-225-0 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-62097-226-7 (e-book)
CIP data is available
The New Press publishes books that promote and enrich public discussion and understanding of
the issues vital to our democracy and to a more equitable world. These books are made possible
by the enthusiasm of our readers; the support of a committed group of donors, large and small;
the collaboration of our many partners in the independent media and the not-for-profit sector;
booksellers, who often hand-sell New Press books; librarians; and above all by our authors.
www.thenewpress.com
Composition by dix!
This book was set in Fairfield LH
Printed in the United States of America
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
For
Harold and Annette Areno

And for
Willie, Wilma, Marylee, Mike T., Clara, and the General

Contents
Preface ix
PART ONE: THE GREAT PARADOX
1. Traveling to the Heart 3
2. “One Thing Good” 25
3. The Rememberers 39
4. The Candidates 55
5. The “Least Resistant Personality” 73
PART TWO: THE SOCIAL TERRAIN
6. Industry: “The Buckle in America’s Energy Belt” 85
7. The State: Governing the Market 4,000 Feet Below 99
8. The Pulpit and the Press: “The Topic Doesn’t Come Up” 117
PART THREE: THE DEEP STORY AND THE PEOPLE IN IT
9. The Deep Story 135
10. The Team Player: Loyalty Above All 153
11. The Worshipper: Invisible Renunciation 169
12. The Cowboy: Stoicism 181
13. The Rebel: A Team Loyalist with a New Cause 193
vii
contents
PART FOUR: GOING NATIONAL
14. The Fires of History: The 1860s and the 1960s 207
15. Strangers No Longer: The Power of Promise 221
16. “They Say There Are Beautiful Trees” 231
Acknowledgments 243
Appendix A: The Research 247
Appendix B: Politics and Pollution:
National Discoveries from ToxMap 251
Appendix C: Fact-Checking Common Impressions 255
Endnotes 263
Bibliography 317
Index 339
viii
Preface
When I began this research five years ago, I was becoming alarmed at the
increasingly hostile split in our nation between two political camps. To many
on the left, the Republican Party and Fox News seemed intent on disman-
tling much of the federal government, cutting help to the poor, and increas-
ing the power and money of an already powerful and rich top 1 percent.
To many on the right, that government itself was a power-amassing elite,
creating bogus causes to increase its control and handing out easy money
in return for loyal Democratic votes. Since that time both parties have split
their seams and Donald Trump has burst onto the scene, quickening the
pulse of American political life. I had some understanding of the liberal left
camp, I thought, but what was happening on the right?
Most people who ask this question come at it from a political perspective.
And while I have my views too, as a sociologist I had a keen interest in how
life feels to people on the right—that is, in the emotion that underlies poli-
tics. To understand their emotions, I had to imagine myself into their shoes.
Trying this, I came upon their “deep story,” a narrative as felt.
The subject of politics was a big departure for me but my close-up ap-
proach was not. In a previous book, The Second Shift, I focused on the
abiding question of how parents guard care and time for life at home when
both work outside it. I found myself sitting on kitchen floors in the homes of
working families, watching to see which parent a child called for, which par-
ent answered the phone, the relative gratitude each partner felt to the other.
ix