Strangers in their own land
by Arlie Russell Hochschild · first published 2016
47% recommend47% neutral5% critical
Why HN recommends it
Sociologist's interview-based account of why many rural Louisiana residents back politicians and policies that harm their own environment and economy; useful for understanding conservative voters' values.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"In Strangers in Their Own Land, the renowned sociologist Arlie Hochschild embarks on a thought-provoking journey from her liberal hometown of Berkeley, California, deep into Louisiana bayou country--a stronghold of the conservative right. As she gets to know people who strongly oppose many of the ideas she famously champions, Hochschild nevertheless finds common ground and quickly warms to the people she meets--among them a Tea Party activist whose town has been swallowed by a sinkhole caused by a drilling accident--people whose concerns are actually ones that all Americans share: the desire
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2011–2026What's the matter with Kansas?
Thomas Frank, Mireya Hernández Pozuelo, Slavoj Žižek
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 238 recommend · 23 mention8 recommend · 238 recommend
2007–2026Free to choose
Milton Friedman, Rose D. Friedman
Recommended by 21 · mentioned by 4121 recommend · 41 mention21 recommend · 4121 recommend
2016–2026Hillbilly Elegy
J. D. Vance
Recommended by 16 · mentioned by 5116 recommend · 51 mention16 recommend · 5116 recommend
There's a good treatment of the politics of Louisiana's environmental catastrophe in "Strangers in Their Own Land": https://www.amazon.com/Strangers-Their-Own-Land-Mourning/dp/... The author talks to a lot of people in the state about the conflict between loving the outdoors (outdoor sports/hunting/recreation are…
on “The Louisiana Environmental Apocalypse Road Trip” ↗Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild. Good book on the topic, specifically around why it continues.
on “Cancer Alley” ↗Not directly about Trump but this will help you understand the foundation. Strangers in Their Own Land By Hochschild
on “Any good books on why Trump has so much support in America?” ↗There is an amazing book about this. The author interviewed hundreds of people down in Alabama to get an idea of how they felt about these things. Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_in_Their_Own_Land The gist of it is that people think short term. They can…
…almost 40 years ago: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1987/02/23/atchafalaya If you want to learn more about Louisiana's paradoxical culture around the environment, read Arlie Russell Hochschild's "Strangers in Their Own Land".
on “A Louisiana gas plant sea wall shows challenges of flooding, energy demand” ↗I'll second "A Guide To The Good Life", and would like to suggest "What's The Matter With Kansas" by Thomas Frank as a companion piece to "Strangers In Their Own Land."
on “YC's Winter Reading List” ↗You would get a lot from reading "Strangers in Their Own Land". A sociologist goes to southern Louisiana to talk to people to try to learn why the group of people who is often most directly impacted by pollution is also so often vocally anti-regulation. I grew…
on “Trinidadian fishers film ‘half-hearted’ oil spill clean-up” ↗…what I believe in in terms consistent with the target audience's values. The latter requires understanding different value systems well enough that you can speak to them credibly. I thought the book "Strangers in Their Own Land" [1] is a great example of that, where a self-described hippie Berkeley professor finds common cause about environmental destruction with people in blood-red Louisiana. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strangers_in_Their_Own_Land
on “Good, Kind, Caring People Became the Bad Guys” ↗There's a really interesting book that became about this because of an accident of timing and the author's research it's called Strangers in Their Own Land. The author was writing about a specific region of louisiana that is all three of farther right than the norm even for a US rural area, more polluted than almost anywhere, and having a local culture…
on “America Is Backsliding Toward Its Most Polluted Era” ↗…liberal culture that is in opposition to the religious conservative culture of the area, so it often gets actively rejected even though poor people in Louisiana are the ones who suffer for their choice. "Strangers in Their Own Land" is an excellent social science book if you want to know more about the area.
on “Banning lead in gas worked. The proof is in our hair” ↗The book “Strangers in Their Own Land” covers similar ground.
on “Starbase, LA” ↗I'm not sure that is true. When I read Arlie Hochschild's Strangers in Their Own Land it focused on a largely white community in Louisiana, where practically everyone had first-hand experience of harms to people and the environment from local chemical industry pollution. The town and its…
on “U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Plans to Tie Its Own Hands” ↗…article from a Danish newspaper where they cover the reasons as to why people would want to vote for someone like Trump. They interview Arlie Russell Hochschild who has written two books on the topic: "Strangers in Their Own Land" and "Stolen Pride". One explanation from Hochschild is that you have a group of disenfranchised votes, who see "everyone else" get to "jump the line" for help. Not only do they get to jump the line,…
on “Trump wins presidency for second time” ↗…many of YC's favorite books relate to: - religion (Going Clear, Zealot, Finding God in the Waves) - war and oppressive policy (War in a Time of Peace, Silence Once Begun) - conservative lifestyle (Strangers in Their Own Land, Hillbilly Elegy) The first two are explicitly prohibited topics of discussion on this site, and the third is implicitly discouraged.
on “YC's Winter Reading List” ↗My disagreement with the placement of "Strangers in Their Own Land" is basically that it really is well loved by Mother Jones[1], NYT[2], etc. but not at all liked by the people it claims to report on[3]. I guess if you hold liberal beliefs and want some reinforcement,…
on “YC's Winter Reading List” ↗