As I discussed previously, my Sociology of Guns seminar’s field trip to the gun range is always a highlight of the course. This year was no exception. The field trip has two components: A mandatory classroom introduction to firearms/safety and a voluntary opportunity to shoot guns on the range. In recent iterations of the course,Continue reading “Student Gun Range Reflection: Getting a Better Grasp of an Unknown Aspect of Gun Culture”
Author Archives: David Yamane
2019 Sociology of Guns Seminar Gun Store and Range Field Trip
My Sociology of Guns seminar’s annual field trip to the gun range is such a highlight that I sometimes wonder if I should do it at the end of class rather than the beginning. The class really is all down hill after visiting the range. This semester my 15 students and I once again madeContinue reading “2019 Sociology of Guns Seminar Gun Store and Range Field Trip”
Why Surveys Underestimate Gun Ownership Rates in the U.S.
I concluded a recent post saying if anyone ever asks you how many gun owners there are in America, you can tell them AT LEAST: 40% of households in America have guns in them and 30% of individuals in America personally own a gun. Saying AT LEAST is crucial here, because these figures underestimate theContinue reading “Why Surveys Underestimate Gun Ownership Rates in the U.S.”
Sociology of Guns Seminar Field Trip to the Gun Range
One of the best places to satisfy gun curiosity is at the gun range. So the highlight of my Sociology of Guns seminar at Wake Forest University each year is a field trip we take to a local range. There students get a first exposure to what guns are, how they work, and what itContinue reading “Sociology of Guns Seminar Field Trip to the Gun Range”
What Percentage of Americans Own Guns? Minimum Estimates
No one knows what percentage of the U.S. population actually owns guns. As with religion, the federal government does not keep official records or collect statistics on gun ownership. So we depend on surveys conducted by organizations like the Gallup Poll, Pew Research Center, NORC/General Social Survey, and others. Those surveys often produce different estimatesContinue reading “What Percentage of Americans Own Guns? Minimum Estimates”
Teaching the Sociology of Guns to the Gun Curious
One place I often meet gun curious people is in the Sociology of Guns seminar I teach at Wake Forest University. As I have for the past four academic years, I am currently teaching the seminar this semester. A PDF of the current syllabus is available, as are my dozens of posts on previous year’sContinue reading “Teaching the Sociology of Guns to the Gun Curious”
Who Are The Gun Curious?
The U.S. population breaks down roughly in thirds – Current Gun Owners: 27 to 33% Not Currently But Possible Gun Owners: 33 to 39% Not Now and Not Ever Gun Owners: 30 to 36% Americans are politically divided by the issue of guns. But as with other “culture wars,” the fighting is often undertaken byContinue reading “Who Are The Gun Curious?”
Welcome to the Gun Curious
My name is David Yamane. I am a sociology professor at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I also own and use guns. In this blog I write about guns and gun culture in the United States from my perspective as a blue bubble academic who was introduced to firearms in his forties.
Gun Curious 