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 worldContinue reading “The Problem with Averages in Understanding Guns, Violence, and Crime: No One Lives in “The United States””
Tag Archives: Crime
Scrutinizing Claims About Guns in Homes as a “Risk Factor” for Homicide in the Home
Getting into the sociology of guns has been both fascinating and frustrating. The fascination comes from deeply immersing myself in something entirely new to me. The frustration comes in attempting to understand the reality of guns in a scholarly – that is, objective and nuanced – manner. In the sociology of guns, the line demarcatingContinue reading “Scrutinizing Claims About Guns in Homes as a “Risk Factor” for Homicide in the Home”
Reflections on My Reflections on Gun Culture Based on Site Statistics
Since November 2012, when I first started working in earnest on a new research project on American gun culture, I have tried to blog regularly at Gun Culture 2.0. I have been averaging about 5 posts a month since then, which is pretty good compared to my previous attempts at blogging (like on this blog).Continue reading “Reflections on My Reflections on Gun Culture Based on Site Statistics”
Ten Essential Observations on Guns in America by James D. Wright
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 areContinue reading “Ten Essential Observations on Guns in America by James D. Wright”
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 basedContinue 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: ThisContinue 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), WestContinue 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,Continue reading “Public Mass Murders and the Culture of Fear in America”
INjustice in the legal system
In class the other day, a student made a presentation on his desire to become a lawyer in order to ensure greater justice in the legal system. Among other things, we talked about people convicted of crimes they did not commit. Coincidentally, the New York Times ran a cover story over the weekend presenting theirContinue reading “INjustice in the legal system”
Duke Lacrosse
Although I doubted their innocence at the outset, thank goodness that justice was done in the end in the infamous Duke lacrosse case. It’s hard to imagine the disruption experienced by the Duke players and coach (exiled from Duke to Bryant College — whatever that is). I couldn’t help but marvel at how unique theContinue reading “Duke Lacrosse”
DAVID YAMANE 