Books]([Category:)
Read July 2017.
Thoughts:
- Within American culture, there are many different intersecting cultures like the world’s biggest Venn diagram. Honor culture, which seems similar to that culture in the Balkans or the Middle East, seems to be one of the circles in the diagram. I live in a circle called “don’t let other people’s stupidity affect your mental headspace,” which as far as I can tell does not overlap the Honor Culture circle.
- Bold move calling out some of the poor working class for being unable to hold down a job, but yet feeling like a victim of external forces rather than a victim of one’s own choices. This is not a popular position, but the author is unafraid to call it like he sees it.
- By the end of the book, the author’s conclusions seem to be the following:
- There is no easy solution to the struggle of America’s working class
- The reason this struggle perpetuates is not only because of a lack of material wealth and jobs, but also because of a lack of knowledge about how to get ahead, and also due to elements of the culture which make upward mobility more difficult and less likely.
- The author was able to escape this trap in part due to incredibly hard work, but also thanks to support he received from his grandmother, grandfather, and sister, an advantage which many of his peers didn’t have.
- Whether or not it is their “fault,” “hillbillies” must take responsibility for addressing the problems they face, because an ex machina solution isn’t coming.