I have been told by more publishers than I can (or care to) count that there is no market for my book on American gun culture, Gun Curious: Understanding America’s Evolving Culture of Firearms. For some, there is no market for books on guns generally; for others, no market for my particular low-heat, balanced takeContinueContinue reading “What If I Thought of My Book as a Work of Art Rather Than a Commodity?”
Category Archives: Guns
“The Sociology of U.S. Gun Culture” Article Published and Available Free Online
In case you missed the announcement on my Gun Culture 2.0 blog, I am very happy to report that my second academic article on gun culture was published recently in the journal Sociology Compass (my first was on religion and gun ownership). Thanks to a generous grant from Wake Forest University’s ZSR Library and theContinueContinue reading ““The Sociology of U.S. Gun Culture” Article Published and Available Free Online”
Sociological Key Words: Guns, Gun Culture
The American Sociological Review was founded in 1936 as the official publication of the American Sociological Society. (The ASS was founded in 1906, and was apparently unaware of acronyms until 1959 when it changed its name to the American Sociological Association.) The ASR remains the flagship journal of the ASA, and is one of theContinueContinue reading “Sociological Key Words: Guns, Gun Culture”
Religion and Guns Research Digested in Academic Minute
For those of you who would rather listen to me explain my recent article on religion and guns in America than read it, you can do so thanks to WAMC Public Radio’s Academic Minute program, which is also available on the Inside Higher Education website. Or if you are a real glutton for statistical punishment,ContinueContinue reading “Religion and Guns Research Digested in Academic Minute”
Clinging to Their Guns and Religion?
Before I began studying American gun culture, I spent 20+ years studying American religion. So it is perfectly natural that I would try to bridge the two interests. It is also the case that people often connect religion and guns in America. This, too, makes sense because the United States today is one of theContinueContinue reading “Clinging to Their Guns and Religion?”
The Problem with Averages in Understanding Guns, Violence, and Crime: No One Lives in “The United States”
The problem with averages is that there is no “United States of America” when it comes to guns, violence, and crime, but many Americas. Some of these Americas – like my neighborhood in Winston-Salem – are more like our first world counterparts in the OECD, and some of them are more like the third worldContinueContinue reading “The Problem with Averages in Understanding Guns, Violence, and Crime: No One Lives in “The United States””
New Course for Fall 2015: The Sociology of Guns
I am excited to be teaching a new course in the fall semester, related to my new research project on American gun culture: Sociology 384: Special Topics Seminar – The Sociology of Guns. Course description follows the flier. COURSE DESCRIPTION Guns often have a spectacular presence in the American imagination, from George Zimmerman to Sandy HookContinueContinue reading “New Course for Fall 2015: The Sociology of Guns”
On the Ideal of Ethical Neutrality in Research on America’s Culture Wars
I am not sure what it says about me, but in my career as a sociologist, I have been drawn to some of the more controversial issues of my time. What James Davison Hunter way back in 1991 called “culture wars.” Culture wars, according to Hunter, are “struggles to define America,” and have been foughtContinueContinue reading “On the Ideal of Ethical Neutrality in Research on America’s Culture Wars”
Gun Rights versus Gun Control: On the Need to Understand Sampling Error in Reporting Statistics
Based on a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, we can be 95% confident that the actual gap in American’s attitudes toward protecting gun rights versus controlling gun ownership is as small as 0% and as large as 12%. Depending on where you stand on the issue, things might not be as bad asContinueContinue reading “Gun Rights versus Gun Control: On the Need to Understand Sampling Error in Reporting Statistics”
Live Tweeting PBS Frontline Episode “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA”
Thanks to a recommendation from my fellow sociologist of guns, Jennifer Carlson, I was asked by the digital content manager for PBS’s FRONTLINE to participate in live Tweeting before, during, and after the premier of their upcoming episode, “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA.” The episode airs at 10:00am Eastern Time on Tuesday, JanuaryContinueContinue reading “Live Tweeting PBS Frontline Episode “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA””