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 First edition | |
| Author | Arlie Russell Hochschild |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Tea Party movement,Louisiana |
| Publisher | The New Press |
Publication date | 2016 |
| Awards | National Book Award Finalist |
| ISBN | 978-1-62097-225-0 (Hardcover) |
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right is a 2016 book by sociologistArlie Russell Hochschild. The book sets out to explain the worldview of supporters of theTea Party movement inLouisiana.
Hochschild's book was written after speaking to focus groups and interviewing Tea Party supporters. She focuses her efforts inLake Charles, Louisiana, inCalcasieu Parish. The bayou area has a high concentration ofpetrochemical plants as well as a high level of pollution in its waterways. Hochschild wanted to understand why there was little support for environmental regulation in this area, despite what would seem to be the self-interest of its residents. Hochschild's research led her to focus on the cultural values that led people to oppose government regulation. Prominent among these were their attitudes about taxes, their religious convictions, and challenges to their honor.
The core of the book is Hochschild's attempt to distill the worldview of Tea Party supporters, who formed part of the same constituency that heavily backedDonald Trump in the2016 U.S. presidential election. According to Hochschild, Tea Party supporters have reacted against the changing face of America in the last few decades. They perceive a situation where women, immigrants, and racial minorities have been "cutting in line" to achieve theAmerican Dream. They also feel as though some government officials (such as PresidentBarack Obama) have been waving these same groups to the front of the line through affirmative action programs and other kinds of support. As a result of these perceptions, the older, largely white, and disproportionately male supporters of the Tea Party increasingly feel, as Hochschild's title indicates, like strangers in their own land.