Hochschild’s Stranger’s in Their Own Land Part I is all about the Great Paradox. The Great Paradox for Hochschild is why do red states dislike and not want federal government help and funds, when statistically speaking they are doing poorer than blue states in things such as “[wealth], teen mothers, more divorce, worse health, more obesity, more trauma-related deaths, more low-birth-weight babies, and lower school enrollment” (pg. 8). Hochschild especially focuses on the fact that the people in these states are worried about their terrible “industrial pollution” (pg. 9), yet do not vote or endorse policies and politicians that would attempt to have stricter environmental regulations.
Her first chapter is mainly about her travelling to Louisiana, …show more content…
What is strange to Hochschild though is the fact that even though Lee is “an ardent environmentalist” (pg. 26) he still leans more to the right and his “biggest beef was taxes” (pg. 35). Within this chapter the reader learns that Lee feels as though it is more of the community’s job/duty to help those in need out and not the government. Chapter Three is where Hochschild writes about how not only the environment suffered, but so did the plants, animals, and people that were all inside of it. Although there are people who remember how it used to be they also remember the federal government’s failure to fix it (pg. 46) and its failure to regulate the right people (pg. 52). Here Hochschild learns something detrimental: “People on the right seemed to be strongly moved by three concerns- taxes, faith, and honor” (pg. 47). Those who remembered simply stated that they were not worried about the environment because “‘God made it in the beginning … He fixes it himself…so it don’t matter how much man destroys it’” (pg. 53). In Hochschild’s fourth chapter she goes over how two political candidates in Louisiana make promises and talk about what the people want to hear, basically having the same speeches, yet neither of them talk about their policies to …show more content…
One thing I was struck by when reading this text was when Hochschild wrote about how the gap between the right and the left had widened and so far shows no sign of growing smaller (pg. 7). I feel as though this is one of the major problems that is threatening our democracy today. Although, we have previously discussed this with Sullivan and Purdy’s pieces, I think Hochschild shines a new and illuminating light on this issue. It is different to read quotes from people living in these “red” states than it is to read it from an academic article. Hochschild does an amazing job with putting the reader into these places and encouraging them to imagine themselves in the “forgotten” people’s shoes. I find myself persuaded by some of their predicaments and agreeing with certain opinions and then being totally baffled at the next one. For instance, I am slightly persuaded in how a small community might sometimes provide for its members better than the government can (pg. 36). This was something I truly had no concept of before. Although, I still completely and utterly do not understand how these people can live in this environment of what sounds like utter pollution and still argue that there should be no environmental government regulation. I have truly tried to be unbiased and imagine myself in their place, but like Hochschild herself it still remains a mystery to me.
Her first chapter is mainly about her travelling to Louisiana, …show more content…
What is strange to Hochschild though is the fact that even though Lee is “an ardent environmentalist” (pg. 26) he still leans more to the right and his “biggest beef was taxes” (pg. 35). Within this chapter the reader learns that Lee feels as though it is more of the community’s job/duty to help those in need out and not the government. Chapter Three is where Hochschild writes about how not only the environment suffered, but so did the plants, animals, and people that were all inside of it. Although there are people who remember how it used to be they also remember the federal government’s failure to fix it (pg. 46) and its failure to regulate the right people (pg. 52). Here Hochschild learns something detrimental: “People on the right seemed to be strongly moved by three concerns- taxes, faith, and honor” (pg. 47). Those who remembered simply stated that they were not worried about the environment because “‘God made it in the beginning … He fixes it himself…so it don’t matter how much man destroys it’” (pg. 53). In Hochschild’s fourth chapter she goes over how two political candidates in Louisiana make promises and talk about what the people want to hear, basically having the same speeches, yet neither of them talk about their policies to …show more content…
One thing I was struck by when reading this text was when Hochschild wrote about how the gap between the right and the left had widened and so far shows no sign of growing smaller (pg. 7). I feel as though this is one of the major problems that is threatening our democracy today. Although, we have previously discussed this with Sullivan and Purdy’s pieces, I think Hochschild shines a new and illuminating light on this issue. It is different to read quotes from people living in these “red” states than it is to read it from an academic article. Hochschild does an amazing job with putting the reader into these places and encouraging them to imagine themselves in the “forgotten” people’s shoes. I find myself persuaded by some of their predicaments and agreeing with certain opinions and then being totally baffled at the next one. For instance, I am slightly persuaded in how a small community might sometimes provide for its members better than the government can (pg. 36). This was something I truly had no concept of before. Although, I still completely and utterly do not understand how these people can live in this environment of what sounds like utter pollution and still argue that there should be no environmental government regulation. I have truly tried to be unbiased and imagine myself in their place, but like Hochschild herself it still remains a mystery to me.