Collected Posts on Sociology of Guns Seminar (Updated 10/22)

In Fall 2022, I am teaching my “Sociology of Guns” seminar at Wake Forest University for the eighth consecutive academic year, dating back to the fall of 2015. A PDF of the course syllabus for Version 8.0 is available HERE.

Over the years, I have posted a number of times on this blog and my older Gun Culture 2.0 blog about this seminar. This entry collects those earlier posts — from both blogs — including many written by students in the class.

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)
• “I Surprised Myself with My Openness and Enjoyment of the Activity” (Fall 2022 Student Range Visit Reflection #2)
• “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

Sociology of Guns range field trip, Fall 2022. Photo by Sandra Stroud Yamane

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

Sociology of Guns student at range, Fall 2021. Photo by Sandra Stroud Yamane

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

Sociology of Guns student preparing to shoot at ProShots Range, 2018.

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)

Sociology of Guns student learning how to operate an IWI Tavor bullpup rifle.

Spring 2017

• Sociology of Guns Seminar, Take 3
• Sociology of Guns Class Field Trip to ProShots Range

Richard Talbert of ProShots Range explains ATF Form 4473 to Sociology of Guns students in 2018.

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)

Sociology of Guns guest Craig Douglas running use of force Experiential Learning Lab

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