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Why do so many working-class white Americans support policies that are killing them? That's the question at the heart of sociologist and psychiatrist Jonathan Metzl's new book, 

Using case studies, Metzl looks at how cultural issues associated with "whiteness" encourage voters to adopt political views — like gun rights or opposition to the Affordable Care Act — that literally undermine their health.


MPR News host Kerri Miller spoke to Metzl about what he found during the six years he spent talking to white people in the Midwest and South, asking about their political choices and contrasting that with their lived reality.

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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Why are working-class whites willing to die rather than support policies that could benefit them? Jonathan Metzl's book, "Dying of Whiteness," examines the grim consequences of right-wing policies -- even for the white voters they promise to help.

When dogma turns toxic

Jonathan M. Metzl, author of 'Dying of Whiteness'

When dogma turns toxic

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