Strangers in Their Own Land

"I like physics and chemistry because no matter how complicated systems get, you can always reduce them to simple laws. I may not know what every air molecule or water droplet in the atmosphere is doing, or how they interact with each other, but in isolation, I know exactly which physical laws they must obey. There is no equivalent for human beings. People act irrationally, they go against their own best interests, they have biases. And, unfortunately, people are the biggest uncertainty in climate change. Will we curb greenhouse gas emissions, or will it be business as usual? “People are the biggest uncertainty in climate change” Strangers in Their Own Land is a frustrating but important book. Hochschild is a Berkeley sociology professor who leaves her liberal bubble to talk to rural Lousianans. The whole thing is told through the lens of environmental protection: the people of Louisiana have seen the destruction of their beloved hunting, fishing, and swimming grounds. Many of them suffer health effects directly linked to pollution. Yet, their suspicion of government solutions and devotion to conservative principles means they reject any regulation. Hochschild argues that all social groups have a “deep story”: a narrative that makes the complicated world make sense. The only way to talk to each other is to understand and engage with this deep story. So when we talk about climate change, we sometimes assume people will be swayed by one more graph, one more coherent argument. But that’s not how people work. More facts don’t change minds, and deeply held views don’t always dictate behaviour. I know what a column of air does when you heat it up. I have no idea what people do when they get heated up. And that’s the biggest climate uncertainty. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount ."

"I chose Strangers in Their Own Land— and put it first on my list—because Arlie Hochschild is a brilliant writer and a sociologist of great empathy and insight. Although the book was written before Trump was elected president, it goes a long way toward explaining him, and more specifically toward explaining why people embraced him. Hochschild writes about people who live in the bayous of Louisiana. They’re conservative, despite the likelihood that their lives are arguably worse because of the Republican policies that Trump has embraced and advanced. Specifically, she talks about the fact that these folks live in an area deeply threatened by dumping, pollution, poisoned fish, undrinkable water and skyrocketing incidences of cancer. It’s the opposite of self-interest for the people Hochschild writes about to support politicians whose environmental policies have created the crisis they’re facing. “Over the year that I spent on The Art of the Deal , I felt a growing sense of despair and discomfort” Ultimately, this book is about the power of emotion over reason, which is why I chose it. Trump may be the most aggrieved person on the planet. There are many millions of Americans who feel aggrieved. They believe that minorities and immigrants are skipping to the front of the line, to use Hochschild’s phrase, unfairly and at their expense. Hochschild’s understanding of the inner experience of people who represent Trump’s base is what makes this such an important book. Absolutely. Even though he inherited something like $400 million in his 20s, he feels aggrieved every day, all day long. So, he taps into that feeling among voters."