Gun Culture 2.0 Updated: 9/1/26
I taught my Sociology of Guns seminar at Wake Forest for ten years in a row, from 2015 to 2024. In year ten, I still enjoyed it but was not quite as excited as I was in year one. So, I took 2025 off. This fall I’m back teaching the course for the 11th time and my excitement has returned.
I am posting about the class on my (still free) Light Over Heat Substack now, rather than on this blog, but I will be posting links here so I can keep this repository alive. It includes all of my posts about the seminar, as well as the very popular gun range field trip reflections written by students in the class.
Here is a PDF of the course syllabus for Version 11.0.
Course Overviews
- The Reload Podcast: “Teaching a College Course on Guns in America” (2026)
- The Conversation, “Uncommon Courses” series: “Taking students to the range to learn about gun culture firsthand” (2023)
Fall 2026
- The Word Cloud Gap (Substack)
- The Calm Before the Range (Substack)
- What I’m Making My Students Read (Substack)
- Where Do You Go From Here (Substack)
- Do “Stand Your Ground” Laws Allow You to “Shoot First and Ask Questions Later”? (Substack)
- Showing Up Isn’t Enough (Substack)
- Curiosity Isn’t Just a Vibe. It’s an Assignment (Substack)
- There’s No Substitute for Showing Up in Sociology of Guns (Substack)
- AI Is a Tool and a Weapon: My updated class policy on use of generative artificial intelligence takes both seriously (Substack)
- An Invitation to Gun Curiosity: The Motivation for my Sociology of Guns Seminar Redesign (Substack)
- Sociology of Guns Is Back! And Redesigned Around Questions (Substack)
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
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