Arlie Hochschild and Crossover Issues

arlieMy highlight for the week was KQED Forum’s interview September 2 with Arlie Hochschild, author of Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right. What I appreciated most was Hochschild’s use of the phrase, “crossover issues.” That term seems to hit the nail on the head.

Hochschild, a Berkeley progressive, spent five years interviewing Republicans in Louisiana. She turned off her judgmental “alarm system,” really listened, tried to feel they way they feel, and found ways to bridge the divide because “empathy does not make our judgment cloudy.”

She was surprised that most of the people were very willing to talk, are much less strident than Fox News (which they follow closely), are disturbed by extreme polarization, and are also, as is she, looking for cross-over issues.

My takeaway is that the people she interviewed are driven by two factors. First, they feel condescending liberals on the coasts disrespect them for their life-style choices, such as preparing dinner for their husbands. Second, they feel the federal government is indifferent to their economic condition and the pollution being inflicted on their environment by large corporations.

Examples of potential crossover issues mentioned on the program include:

  • Campaign finance reform
  • Addressing global capitalism and getting industry to stay
  • Environmental pollution

Hochschild’s main message, however, is : “Build an empathy bridge so we talk respectfully to one another and don’t polarize more. There are many people on the other side eager to do it.”

One Response to Arlie Hochschild and Crossover Issues

  1. Pingback: Crossover Conversations | Wade's Wire

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.