Abstract
Today, despite national campaigns and mass shootings, gun sales continue to rise. The majority of gun owners in the United States are men, and prior research has documented the complex relationship between masculinity and gun ownership. However, a majority of the research has remained on the micro level. In this article, we look at the effects of men’s unemployment on gun ownership. Using both national- and state-level Federal Bureau of Investigation background-check data as well as economic indicators, we find that worsening economic conditions for men (relative to women) lead to increases in gun sales. Moreover, this effect is exacerbated by the prevalence of guns in an area. We supplement these analyses with nationally representative survey data showing a strong relationship between perceptions of threat to men’s gender identities and opposition to laws limiting access to guns.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Sociological Forum |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - 1 Jan 2019 |
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Keywords
- crime
- gender
- gun ownership
- masculinity
- threat perceptions
- unemployment
Cite this
}
Sometimes (but Not This Time), a Gun Is Just a Gun : Masculinity Threat and Guns in the United States, 1999–2018. / Cassino, Dan; Besen-Cassino, Yasemin.
In: Sociological Forum, 01.01.2019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sometimes (but Not This Time), a Gun Is Just a Gun
T2 - Masculinity Threat and Guns in the United States, 1999–2018
AU - Cassino, Dan
AU - Besen-Cassino, Yasemin
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - Today, despite national campaigns and mass shootings, gun sales continue to rise. The majority of gun owners in the United States are men, and prior research has documented the complex relationship between masculinity and gun ownership. However, a majority of the research has remained on the micro level. In this article, we look at the effects of men’s unemployment on gun ownership. Using both national- and state-level Federal Bureau of Investigation background-check data as well as economic indicators, we find that worsening economic conditions for men (relative to women) lead to increases in gun sales. Moreover, this effect is exacerbated by the prevalence of guns in an area. We supplement these analyses with nationally representative survey data showing a strong relationship between perceptions of threat to men’s gender identities and opposition to laws limiting access to guns.
AB - Today, despite national campaigns and mass shootings, gun sales continue to rise. The majority of gun owners in the United States are men, and prior research has documented the complex relationship between masculinity and gun ownership. However, a majority of the research has remained on the micro level. In this article, we look at the effects of men’s unemployment on gun ownership. Using both national- and state-level Federal Bureau of Investigation background-check data as well as economic indicators, we find that worsening economic conditions for men (relative to women) lead to increases in gun sales. Moreover, this effect is exacerbated by the prevalence of guns in an area. We supplement these analyses with nationally representative survey data showing a strong relationship between perceptions of threat to men’s gender identities and opposition to laws limiting access to guns.
KW - crime
KW - gender
KW - gun ownership
KW - masculinity
KW - threat perceptions
KW - unemployment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85074830844&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/socf.12565
DO - 10.1111/socf.12565
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85074830844
JO - Sociological Forum
JF - Sociological Forum
SN - 0884-8971
ER -