Gun Violence and Public Life

Ben Agger is the author of many previous books on Media and Critical Theory, including Postponing the Postmodern: Sociological Practices, Selves, and Theories (2002). Timothy W. Luke is University Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Virginia Tech University, where he is also Program Chair, Government and International Affairs. Among his recent books is There Is a Gunman on Campus: Tragedy and Terror at Virginia Tech.

"The thrust of the book, which emphasizes school and spree killings, is to look beyond gun control legislation, because "we have to change 'everything' radically" to reduce gun violence...The chapters about the lack of gun control in response to massacres go well beyond the usual discussion of lobbying to explore the deep meaning of gun ownership in the US...Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above." —CHOICE “A timely book, Gun Violence and Public Life is distinctive because it examines sociological correlates and civic consequences of gun violence in the culture and society at large instead of dwelling on single horrific incidents…[It] contributes to a broad substantive national conversation about men who open fire, politicians who demonize or deify weapons, the rise of culture of greater incivility, a public who understands little about its obligation as citizens, and a perpetual politics of division. The authors do not shy away from inconvenient truths, but begin the process of learning from them.” —Sir Read-A-Lot “A savvy and realistic book about the distinctive U.S. gun-shooter-rampage problem. Scholars here probe beyond superficial news coverage of recent mass shootings to examine their foundations in gender (masculine), racial (white), age (young), mental health (depressed), and culture (militaristic), giving attention also to gun-accessibility.” —Joe Feagin, Texas A&M University, Co-author of Latinos Facing Racism “Gun Violence and Public Life is an essential resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the social roots of gun-related violence. Contributors to the volume examine causes that are too often overlooked: class, race, militarism, and masculinity. Any hope of solving the problem of gun violence depends on having the conversations that this book so usefully informs and urgently demands that we undertake.” —Michael Schwalbe, author of Manhood Acts: Gender and the Practices of Domination “Ben Agger and Tim Luke have compiled a diverse set of essays addressing critically from different perspectives one of America’s most serious and controversial problems. Engaging American gun violence historically, legally, comparatively, and conceptually, the collection does not cheerlead for gun control or gun rights, but explores the topics soberly and incisively and provides resources to enrich national discourse about them.” —Robert J. Antonio, The University of Kansas

• Preface; Chapter 1 Gunplay and Governmentality, Timothy W. Luke; Chapter 2 Guns, Crime, and Political Institutions, Matt Qvortrup; Chapter 3 Homicide in Canada and the United States, Bill O’Grady; Chapter 4 The Usual Suspects, Jaclyn V. Schildkraut, Glenn W. Muschert; Chapter 5 Guys and Guns (Still) Amok, Douglas Kellner; Chapter 6 Beyond Alienation and Anomie, Mark P. Worrell; Chapter 7 Fear, Punitive Anger, and Guns, Robert L. Young; Chapter 8 Ethos of the Gun; Chapter 9 Policing the Second Amendment, Jennifer Carlson; Chapter 10 There Is a GunMAN on Campus, Michael Kimmel, Cliff Leek; Chapter 11 Men Who Kill, Ben Agger;