Updated: 9/30/24
In Fall 2024, I am teaching my “Sociology of Guns” seminar at Wake Forest University for the tenth consecutive academic year, dating back to the fall of 2015. A PDF of the course syllabus for Version 10.0 is available HERE.
The Conversation, a website dedicated to helping scholars reach broader audiences, recently gave me the opportunity to explain my “Sociology of Guns” class in their UNCOMMON COURSES series.
Over the years, I have posted a number of times on this blog about the seminar. This entry collects those earlier posts including many written by students in the class.
Fall 2024
- “I want to have an educated standpoint from which to develop an opinion” (Fall 2024 Student Range Visit Reflection #6)
- “Shooting isn’t just about pulling a trigger; it’s about control, focus, and responsibility” (Fall 2024 Student Range Visit Reflection #5)
- “My understanding of gun culture in America was affirmed during the field trip” (Fall 2024 Student Range Visit Reflection #4)
- “My general distaste for guns overall is dimmed each time I have used one” (Fall 2024 Student Range Visit Reflection #3)
- “I don’t know if this natural disposition to enjoy the range is good” (Fall 2024 Student Range Visit Reflection #2)
- “Guns are not inherently bad, but they must always be handled with extreme care” (Fall 2024 Student Range Visit Reflection #1)
- Student Gun Range Field Trip Reflection Essays for Fall 2024 Forthcoming
- Sociology of Guns: Downhill from Day 1
- “Sociology of Guns” Class Ver. 10 (Fall 2024)
Fall 2023
- “I Become a Mix of Nervous and Cautious When Handling Firearms” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #12)
- “What Is the Acceptable Number of Gun-Related Deaths?” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #11)
- “I Can’t Help But Consider the Ways Guns Have Been Abused Outside of the Gun Range” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #10)
- “My Trip to the Gun Range was Much More Enlightening than Informative” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #9)
- “Pulling the Trigger Certainly Seems to Hold a Different Weight Now” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #8)
- “The Range Experience Will Be One to Remember” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #7)
- “The Experience Caused Me to Feel More Conflicted and Confused About Guns” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #6)
- Sociology of Guns Class Field Trip to Gun Range Student Reflections (Light Over Heat #66)
- “The Experience at the Range Was Far More Cathartic Than I Had Initially Imagined” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #5)
- “I Personally Sit in a Weird Place When It Comes to Guns” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #4)
- “I Wasn’t Aware That Most of My Classmates Hadn’t Interacted with Firearms Before” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #3)
- “I Control What Happens Next, Which Can Be Very Scary As You Can’t Undo a Gunshot” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #2)
- Guns are “Exhilarating and Frightening” (Fall 2023 Student Range Visit Reflection #1)
- Sociology of Guns Student Range Field Trip Recap (Light Over Heat #65)
- Student Gun Range Field Trip Reflection Essays for Fall 2023 Forthcoming
- Sociology of Guns Student Range Field Trip Overview (Light Over Heat #64)
- “Sociology of Guns” Class Ver. 9 (Fall 2023)
- Different Core Writing Assignments in My Sociology of Guns Course
Fall 2022
- “I Am Grateful for This Experience That Forced Me to Get Uncomfortable (Fall 2022 Student Range Visit Reflection #7)
- “I Absolutely Loved It!” (Fall 2022 Student Range Visit Reflection #6)
- “My Previous Beliefs about Guns in the US Were Amplified” (Fall 2022 Student Range Visit Reflection #5)
- “The Gun Felt More Like a Dangerous Tool Instead of the Killing Machine I Thought It Was” (Fall 2022 Student Range Visit Reflection #4)
- A Singular Word to Describe My Experience at the Gun Range: Liberating (Fall 2022 Student Range Visit Reflection #3)
- “You Might Be The Last Person I Would Ever Expect to Do That” (Fall 2022 Student Range Visit Reflection #1)
- Student Gun Range Field Trip Reflection Essays for Fall 2022 Forthcoming
- Student Reflections on Field Trip to Gun Range, 2022 (Light Over Heat #38)
- Students’ One Word Responses to Gun Range Field Trip
- Show and Tell in Sociology of Guns Class
- Sociology of Guns Field Trip to Gun Range, 2022 (Light Over Heat #37)
- Light Over Heat #36: Sociology of Guns Seminar, Year 8
Fall 2021
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #8: I Just Could Never Understand This Great Excitement about Guns
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #7: There is Still More that I Would Like to Know to Make Informed Choices
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #6: Gun Culture is Much More Complex Than It Seems
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #5: My Mindset of Gun Reform Shifted from Legislative to More Conversational
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #4: Opinions About Guns Have Not Changed But Knowledge Has Increased
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #3: My Naivety Epitomizes Why Courses Like This are Necessary
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #2: I Have Expanded My Understanding of Guns
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #1: Forced to Look at Other Sections of the Gun Community
- Sociology of Guns Ver. 7.0 Is In The Books, Student Final Reflections Coming
- Permission of Instructor Information for Sociology of Guns Seminar
- Student Research Topics for Sociology of Guns (Fall 2021)
- I Am Glad I Shot the Guns But Am Not Eager to Do It Again (Fall 2021 Student Range Visit Reflection #8)
- It Was a Positive Experience to Experiment with Firearms in a Safe and Controlled Environment (Fall 2021 Student Range Visit Reflection #7)
- I Came Into This Experience with a Very Negative View of Guns (Fall 2021 Student Range Visit Reflection #6)
- I Find It Disturbing that Guns are So Accessible (Fall 2021 Student Range Visit Reflection #5)
- Guns Can Be Understood and Respected as Dangerous, Useful, and Recreational (Fall 2021 Student Range Visit Reflection #4)
- Exhilarating Normalcy (Fall 2021 Student Range Visit Reflection #3)
- Mixed Emotions and Complicated Views (Fall 2021 Student Range Visit Reflection #2)
- I’m Surprised This Trip and Class is Allowed (Fall 2021 Student Range Visit Reflection #1)
- Student Gun Range Field Trip Reflection Essays for Fall 2021 Forthcoming
- Sociology of Guns Field Trip to Gun Range, September 2021
- Sociology of Guns, Version 7.0 (Fall 2021)
- Sociology of Guns Module 11: Guns and Liberalism
- Sociology of Guns Module 10: Police Use of Force
- Sociology of Guns Module 9: Criminal Homicide and Injury
- Sociology of Guns Module 8: Gun Injuries, Suicide, Rights and Responsibilities
- Sociology of Guns Module 7: Gender, Sexuality, and Guns
- Sociology of Guns Module 5: Race and Guns
- Sociology of Guns Module 4: The Concealed Carry Revolution
- Sociology of Guns Module 3: Gun Culture 2.0, the Great Gun Buying Spree of 2020+, and the Changing Face of Gun Owners
- Sociology of Guns Module 2: Guns Are Normal, Normal People Use Guns
- Sociology of Guns Module 1: Field Trip to Gun Range
- Prepping for Sociology of Guns Ver 7.0
Fall 2020
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #8: I Recognize the Topic is Much More Nuanced
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #7: Guns are as Complex as Any Other Issue
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #6: I Completely Stripped Down My Stance
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #5: Education Really Does Have the Power to Change Lives
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #4: Gun Ownership Cannot Be Reduced to One Type of Individual
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #3: Confusion and Annoyance as an Opportunity to Learn
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #2: A Good Way to Start Bridging the Divide
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection #1: Changing Demographics and Changing Opinions
- Wrapping Up Sociology of Guns, 6th Edition (Fall 2020)
- Liberals Own Guns, Too!
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Guest Speakers: Michael Sodini and Rob Pincus of Walk the Talk America (WTTA)
- Overview of Negative Outcomes with Guns for Sociology of Guns Seminar (Fall 2020)
- Soc of Guns Seminar Guests Tiffany Johnson and Aqil Qadir on Broadening the 2A Tent
- Guest Lecturer John Johnston: No One Needs a Gun Until They Do
- Student Range Visit Reflection #11: I Am Still Struggling to Come to Terms with Enjoying My Experience
- Student Range Visit Reflection #10: I Have Always Viewed Gun Ownership as a Normal Part of Life
- Student Range Visit Reflection #9: I Was Surprised By How Much I Enjoyed the Feeling
- Student Range Visit Reflection #8: Under No Circumstances Should a Gun Be in the Hands of a Typical Citizen
- Student Range Visit Reflection #7: The Power I Felt Behind the Gun Was Unsettling
- Student Range Visit Reflection #6: I Found the Competitive Nature of the Shooting Very Appealing
- Student Range Visit Reflection #5: I Learned That I Was Capable of Safely Handling a Weapon
- Student Range Visit Reflection #4: Becoming More Comfortable Around Firearms
- Student Range Visit Reflection #3: A Strange Mixture of Emotions
- Student Range Visit Reflection: Fear of the Unknown
- Student Range Visit Reflection: Fear to Fun
- Sociology of Guns Student Range Visit Reflection Essays
- Sociology of Guns Student Field Trip to the Range, Year 6
- Teaching the Sociology of Guns, Year 6 Syllabus
Spring 2019
- Sociology of Guns Class Student Final Reflection #6
- Sociology of Guns Class Student Final Reflection #5
- Sociology of Guns Class Student Final Reflection #4
- Sociology of Guns Class Student Final Reflection #3
- Sociology of Guns Class Student Final Reflection #2
- Sociology of Guns Class Student Final Reflection #1
- Sociology of Guns Class Final Student Reflections Forthcoming
- Final Student Range Visit Reflection: A Liberal, Anti-Gun Perspective
- Student Range Visit Reflection #6: A Canadian POV on an American Gun Range
- Student Range Visit Reflection #5: Respecting Weapons and Trusting Others
- Student Range Visit Reflection #4: As Seen Through European Eyes
- Student Range Visit Reflection #3: A Newfound Respect
- Student Range Visit Reflection #2: Shooting is Fun But Targets are No Joke
- Student Gun Range Reflection: Getting a Better Grasp of an Unknown Aspect of Gun Culture
- 2019 Sociology of Guns Seminar Gun Store and Range Field Trip
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Field Trip to the Gun Range
- Teaching the Sociology of Guns to the Gun Curious
- Sociology of Guns Seminar v5.0, Spring 2019
Spring 2018
- Sociology of Guns Seminar at Wake Forest University, Take 4, Spring 2018
- Sociology of Guns Gun Range Field Trip 2018
- Range Day Reflections from Sociology of Guns Seminar, Spring 2018
- Sociology of Guns Student Field Trip Reflection Essay 1
- Sociology of Guns Student Field Trip Reflection Essay 2
- Sociology of Guns Student Field Trip Reflection Essay 3
- Sociology of Guns Student Field Trip Reflection Essay 4
- Sociology of Guns Research Topic Selections – Spring 2018 Class
- Sociology of Guns Guest Speaker – John Johnston
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection Paper, 2018 (1 of 5)
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection Paper, 2018 (2 of 5)
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection Paper, 2018 (3 of 5)
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection Paper, 2018 (4 of 5)
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection Paper, 2018 (5 of 5)
Spring 2017
Fall 2016
- Sociology of Guns, Round 2, Fall 2016
- Sociology of Guns Seminar, Version 2.0, Fall 2016
- James Wright – Ten Essential Observations on Guns in America
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Field Trip to Gun Range
- My Students are Pretty Awesome . . . And Know Me Well!
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection Paper (1 of 4)
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection paper (2 of 4)
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection Paper (3 of 4)
- Sociology of Guns Seminar Student Final Reflection Paper (4 of 4)
Fall 2015
- Starting to Teach the Sociology of Guns This Semester
- Sociology of Guns Class Day at the Range
- Student Reflection on the Role of Guns in Society
- Another Student Reflection on the Role of Guns in Society: Problem with the Status Quo
- Third Student Reflection: The Multifaceted Role of Guns in Society
- Student Reflection 4 – The Ethicality of Guns: Perspectives from a Southern Pacifist and Vegetarian
- Hope for Better: A Romantic Libertarian Student Reflection on Guns in Society
- Student Reflection 6 on the Role of Guns in Society
- Student Reflection 7 on the role of Guns in Society — A View from the Mountaineer State
- Student Reflection on the Protective Role of Guns in Society
- Final Student Reflection: From Cool to Protective, A Changing View of Guns in Society
- Gun Shop Guest Speaker in Sociology of Guns Class
- Looking Back on My Sociology of Guns Seminar
- Domestic Militarization: How Paramilitary Policing is Subverting the Citizenship of Black Americans by Hayden Abene
- Student Final Reflection Papers for Sociology of Guns Seminar
- End of Class Student Reflection on the Complicated Nature of a Highly Charged American Issue
- Second End of Class Student Reflection on Guns in Society
- Third End of Class Student Reflection on the Role Guns Should Play in Society
- Fourth End of Class Student Reflection on the Role Guns Should Play in Society
- Fifth End of Class Student Reflection on the Role Guns Should Play in Society
- Sixth End of Class Student Reflection on the Role of Guns in Society
- Seventh and Final End of Class Student Reflection on the Role Guns Should Play in Society
- On Education, Persuasion, and the Limits of Empirical Evidence in Shaping Beliefs about Guns
Gun Culture 2.0 
[…] A page containing links to dozens of posts from the first 9 years of the course, which I will continue to update over the course of this […]
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[…] am teaching my Sociology of Guns seminar at Wake Forest University for the 10th consecutive year this semester, dating back to 2015. The highlight of the course for […]
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[…] my Sociology of Guns class today we will be considering the first two of James Wright’s “Ten Essential […]
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[…] The field trip is historically a highlight of the course for students and the reflection essays are among the most popular items I post to my blogs every year (previous student reflections can be found on my Sociology of Guns collected posts page). […]
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[…] Reflections from previous semesters of Sociology of Guns are available HERE. […]
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[…] Reflections from previous semesters of Sociology of Guns are available HERE. […]
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[…] Reflections from previous semesters of Sociology of Guns are available HERE. […]
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[…] Reflections from previous semesters of Sociology of Guns are available HERE. […]
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