Guns, Gun Cultures, and Gun Violence in American History

Catalog description

This course traces the development of gun cultures and gun-related policy and law in the United States from the colonial era to the present. Students will be expected to synthesize perspectives from social history, ethnography, public health, criminology, policy analysis, and legal scholarship. They will also engage the critical examination of popular culture and media representations of guns and gun violence. Particular emphasis will be placed on changing views about the authority of the government to intervene in the manufacture, ownership, and use of guns, as well as the best way to balance individual and collective interests in a pluralistic society.