Arlie Hochschild, a sociologist and author of 'Stolen Pride, Lost Shame,' delves into the economic struggles in rural America and their political implications. She shares insights from her time in Pikeville, Kentucky, where the decline of coal jobs and rising opioid issues have fueled a complex emotional landscape. Hochschild argues that while Trump taps into the pride and pain of these communities, his policies may not provide the tangible benefits they seek. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding these experiences to bridge political divides.
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insights INSIGHT
Downward Mobility in Rural Whites
White non-BA Americans have faced downward mobility economically while other groups have seen gains.
This demographic experiences social disruptions and higher rates of despair-related deaths.
insights INSIGHT
The Pride Paradox Explained
The pride paradox involves losing jobs, feeling devalued, and seeing others succeed.
This emotional loss deeply impacts identity and self-worth in affected communities.
insights INSIGHT
The Need for Acknowledgement
People crave acknowledgement of their struggles and humanity.
Politics exploiting this need contributes to emotional and cultural divides.
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Sociologist Arlie Hochschild has spent years talking with people living in rural parts of the country who have been hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs and shuttered coal mines. They’re the very people President Donald Trump argues will benefit most from his sweeping wave of tariffs and recent executive orders aimed at reviving coal mining in the US. But Hochschild is skeptical that Trump’s policies will actually benefit those in rural America. But Hochschild argues that Trump’s policies will only fill an emotional need for those in rural America.
In her latest book, Stolen Pride, Hochschild visited Pikeville, Kentucky, a small city in Appalachia where coal jobs were leaving, opioids were arriving, and a white supremacist march was being planned. The more she talked to people, the more she saw how Trump played on their shame and pride about their downward mobility and ultimately used that to his political advantage. On this week’s episode of More To The Story, host Al Letson talks with Hochschild about the long slide of downward mobility in rural America and why she thinks Trump’s policies ultimately won’t benefit his most core supporters.
Producer: Josh Sanburn | Editor: Kara McGuirk-Allison | Theme music: Fernando Arruda and Jim Briggs | Digital producer: Nikki Frick | Interim executive producers: Brett Myers and Taki Telonidis | Host: Al Letson Donate today at Revealnews.org/more
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