This course will explore the history of the Second Amendment, the laws and court challenges involving firearms in America, the social determinants of gun ownership as gun policy support, and the polarization of politics surrounding firearms. We will cover topics such as how religion is associated with firearms, how gun laws are historically racialized, how guns are related to fear, and how militias and other groups organize to support gun rights. Moreover, we will examine health research to explore the risks and benefits of gun ownership for both society and the individual. Class size limit: 150.
Suggest Reading:
Citizen Protector by Jennifer Carlson
Articles:
Gun Ownership and Fear by Dowd-Arrow, Hill, and Burdette 2019
Happiness is a Warm Gun? Gun ownership and happiness in the United States (1973–2018) by Hill, Dowd-Arrow, Davis, and Burdette 2020
Gun Ownership and Sleep Disturbance by Hill, Dowd-Arrow, Burdette, and Hale 2020
Armed Resistance to Crime: The Prevalence and Nature of Self-Defense with a Gun by Kleck 1995
