2016

Thursday, October 13th

6:30pm

Arlie Russell Hochschild: “Strangers in their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right”

You are invited to meet author Arlie Russell Hochschild “Üat the corner of empathy and analysis to unveil the “deep story” motivating the Trump voter. “ÜCelebrate her new book,

Strangers in their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right / A Journey to the Heart of Our Political Divide

Why would denizens of one of the poorest”Ü, “Ümost polluted states in the nation, Louisiana, be overwhelmingly in favor of Donald Trump, who has promise”Üd”Ü to “Ü”get rid of” “Ü the E”Ünvironmental Protection Agency “Üand cut taxes on corporations and the rich? It’s not about economic self interest, it’s about what Arlie Hochschild calls emotional self interest “Ü (a needed phrase that ought to take off in the media.) Specifically, “Üamong the tea-party people of Louisiana, it’s wounded pride “Übecause her subjects”Ü feel “Üthat coastal liberals “Üha”Üve”Ü made them “Üinto”Ü strangers in their own land, watching helplessly as “Übig government generously aid”Üs”Ü minorities and women “Üwhile leaving them out.

To bridge the ҆emotional ҆divide, Hӆochschild spent the last five years doing fieldwork in Lake
Charlesӆ, ҆ӆLouisiana, seeing the world through Cajun eyesӆ, while documenting soaring rates of pollution, poor health, and low life expectancy. ҆ӆBack in Berkeley, where she is a preeminent UC based sociologist, Hochschild distilled her findings through her deep academic knowledge. She ҆now ҆brings ҆us ҆a report rich with empathy and sorrow for ҆her confidants, riddled with disagreement and frustration, and elevated by ҆theӆ wisest social science theory ҆available combined ҆ӆwith the ҆real ҆feelings of people she came to know as friends. ҆It is a consummate demonstration of what great sociology can accomplish, and should deepen all of our upcoming conversations about Trump voters.

What can journalists learn from this kind of work? ҆Besides her beautiful writing, two thingsӆ stand out: ҆one is the importance of immersive work ҆ofӆ far greater depth than journalists usually ҆engage inӆ. The other is that we cannot write about ҆societyӆ in deӆtailӆ without hanging our observations on some kind of theoretical structure; to interrogate our mode of analysis is as important as doing the fieldwork itself. Come meet a master of theoretical ҆construction ҆as well as empathӆic ҆communication with her subjects.ӆ Understand how sociology can infuse journalism with depth and fresh vitality.

Books will be available for purchase from Mrs. Dalloway’s Bookstore.

Click here to RSVP for the event.

LOCATION

Library - North Gate Hall

Get directions to Library - North Gate Hall