I was interested to learn recently about the SOUL Study — SOUL here standing for SOial gUn cuLture. The terrible acronym here, unfortunately, is matched by the poor quality of the survey being fielded. Although I am particularly sensitive to those who say they are studying American gun culture, here I think an objective analysis … Continue reading
I was interested to see The New Yorker covering American kids who use guns safely and lawfully, with photos by Sharif Hamza. It included a photo of the well-known Cheyenne Dalton and the less well-known Joaquin Elizondo. Of course, The New Yorker can’t discuss guns without discussing gun violence. And in this case, writer Dana … Continue reading
While I was at the Rangemaster Polite Society Tactical Conference on the outskirts of the outskirts of Little Rock last weekend, I received an interesting interview request. A reporter wanted to talk about guns being left in bathrooms, after two guns were found in a short period of time in bathrooms at the University of … Continue reading
Not what I wanted to do this morning, but when I saw a fellow sociologist Tweet about a New York Times story on “How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries,” I couldn’t help myself. According to the Times, “Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. In some countries, the process … Continue reading
I have posted a number of times before about the Pew Research Center’s 2017 survey of gun owners. The report, America’s Complex Relationship With Guns, ought to be studied closely by all involved in the current wave of our ongoing debates over guns in American society. As people debate whether to raise the minimum age … Continue reading
I had a difficult but illuminating interaction recently with a scholar who I like and whose work I appreciate. He posted a comment on Twitter in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting that I didn’t think reflected his best sociological imagination with respect to guns and violence. I responded by saying so. He … Continue reading
For my Sociology of Guns class tomorrow, I am re-reading some reports on national surveys of firearms owners. I have written a number of times before about the statistics derived from these surveys and their problems. At 22%, I believe the 2015 National Firearms Survey underestimates the actual rate of personal firearms ownership in the … Continue reading
