Strangers in Their Own Land

by

Arlie Russell Hochschild

The Psychological Program Term Analysis

General Honoré’s term for the oil industry and the Louisiana state government’s campaign to make citizens believe that the environment is worth sacrificing because oil is the key to creating jobs and economic growth in the state. In reality, only about 10% of Louisianans work in the oil industry, which Dr. Paul Templet argues has provided little measurable economic benefit to the state.

The Psychological Program Quotes in Strangers in Their Own Land

The Strangers in Their Own Land quotes below are all either spoken by The Psychological Program or refer to The Psychological Program. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Trust, Empathy, and Political Progress Theme Icon
).
Chapter 16 Quotes

Louisianans are sacrificial lambs to the entire American industrial system. Left or right, we all happily use plastic combs, toothbrushes, cell phones, and cars, but we don't all pay for it with high pollution. As research for this book shows, red states pay for it more—partly through their own votes for easier regulation and partly through their exposure to a social terrain of politics, industry, television channels, and a pulpit that invites them to do so. In one way, people in blue states have their cake and cat it too, while many in red states have neither. Paradoxically, politicians on the right appeal to this sense of victimhood, even when policies such as those of former governor Jindal exacerbate the problem.

Related Characters: Arlie Russell Hochschild (speaker), Bobby Jindal
Page Number: 232
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Psychological Program Term Timeline in Strangers in Their Own Land

The timeline below shows where the term The Psychological Program appears in Strangers in Their Own Land. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4 – The Candidates
Trust, Empathy, and Political Progress Theme Icon
Government Regulation and Individual Freedom Theme Icon
The Environment and the Economy Theme Icon
Personal Identity and Emotional Self-Interest Theme Icon
...clean up their environment,” he responds that he thinks of them as “captives of a psychological program ” that touts oil’s potential to create jobs without considering its downsides. To help create... (full context)
Trust, Empathy, and Political Progress Theme Icon
Government Regulation and Individual Freedom Theme Icon
The Environment and the Economy Theme Icon
Personal Identity and Emotional Self-Interest Theme Icon
...such things as gun violence, car accidents, or toxic pollution.” She wonders whether the “ psychological program ” Honoré sees at work is the true explanation for Louisianans’ politics—perhaps people don’t hate... (full context)
Chapter 5 – The “Least Resistant Personality”
Trust, Empathy, and Political Progress Theme Icon
The Environment and the Economy Theme Icon
Personal Identity and Emotional Self-Interest Theme Icon
...wonders whether people with the “least resistant personality” are more easily influenced by the “ psychological program ” Honoré described, but then considers that this may be “too easy an idea,” one... (full context)