In my introduction to sociology class this week, I am discussing sociologist James D. Wright’s classic essay, “Ten Essential Observations on Guns in America” (from Society March/April 1995, reprinted in Guns in America: A Reader). Among his points: “There are 200 million guns already in circulation in the United States. . . . firearms areContinueContinue reading “Ten Essential Observations on Guns in America by James D. Wright”
Category Archives: Guns
Implications of Initial Foray into the Guns and Crime Research
Although part of me thinks it is hopeless to think that either side in the debate over whether more guns leads to more crime or less crime will yield any ground to the other, as an outsider I see some possible common ground in the scholarship. If I had to come to a conclusion basedContinueContinue reading “Implications of Initial Foray into the Guns and Crime Research”
My Initial Take on the More Guns, More or Less Crime Debate
In response to my post on Michael Glassner’s anti-gun sentiments in his “Culture of Fear” book, my fellow sociologist Matt Loveland pointed me to an article by economist Mark Duggan called “More Guns, More Crime,” published in the Journal of Political Economy in October 2001 (volume 109, number 5, pages 1086-1114). Duggan’s abstract reads: ThisContinueContinue reading “My Initial Take on the More Guns, More or Less Crime Debate”
The Most Rational Fear According to Michael Glassner: Guns
In a previous post I discussed sociologist Michael Glassner’s argument about the “culture of fear” that pervades America, especially the fear-mongering that takes place around very rare and anomalous events like public mass murders, especially at schools. In his book, Glassner uses the example of the 1997-98 string of school shootings in Pearl (MS), WestContinueContinue reading “The Most Rational Fear According to Michael Glassner: Guns”
Public Mass Murders and the Culture of Fear in America
The reader I am using for introduction to sociology this semester include an excerpt from sociologist Barry Glassner’s (relatively) famous book, The Culture of Fear (originally published in 1999, with a 10th anniversary edition in 2009, by Basic Books). Glassner’s basic argument is that Americans have an excessive fear of the wrong things. For example,ContinueContinue reading “Public Mass Murders and the Culture of Fear in America”
Concealed Carry Nation: Understanding Armed Citizens in 21st Century America
THE FOLLOWING IS A PROPOSAL I WROTE IN OCTOBER 2012 (PRE-SANDY HOOK) TO SECURE FUNDING FOR A RESEARCH PROJECT ON AMERICA AS A “CONCEALED CARRY NATION,” PART OF A LARGER PROJECT I AM INITIATING ON AMERICA’S GUN CULTURES. On July 20th of this year, James Holmes entered a midnight screening of The Dark Knight RisesContinueContinue reading “Concealed Carry Nation: Understanding Armed Citizens in 21st Century America”
My New Research on America’s Gun Cultures – From Tragedy to Understanding
In the fall of 2001, I received word that I would spend the 2002-2003 academic year at the University of Virginia’s Center on Religion and Democracy. I had a postdoctoral fellowship to work on my book, The Catholic Church in State Politics, which focused on the role of conferences of Catholic bishops in lobbying stateContinueContinue reading “My New Research on America’s Gun Cultures – From Tragedy to Understanding”