Gun laws and social impact in the United States

In the United States, the right of citizens to bear arms is stated directly in the second amendment of the constitution. While this amendment clearly sums up the legality of the matter, there exists many individuals and groups in the United States who believe there right to purchase guns and ammunition is in jeopardy. Rightfully so as debates about gun control have been coming up in the United States recently. With tragedies like the shootings at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado and at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, both with multiple fatalities, these gun control activists do have some grounds for discussing tightening the hold guns in the U.S.


Recently, a gun dealer in Maryland who had been planning on selling a gun with a new technology was allegedly issued threats if he sold the weapon out of his store. The technology in the gun prevents it from firing unless the owner wears an accompanying wristwatch. This technology is seen as a major threat to anti-gun control groups whom criticized the man who is an anti-gun control activist himself.


Gun control is a major issue in the U.S. In this post we will look at some of the issues going on and answer some of the following questions:

• Is gun control a violation of the 2nd Amendment?
• Is gun control a viable option in the United States?
• Do gun control Laws solve the problem?

This article found on JSTOR is a quantitative statistical analysis on the effectiveness of gun control laws. Using multiple variables, it compares the number of gun related fatalities in states with restrictions on firearms in place to those without any state regulation. The study finds that gun control has little to no effect on gun related fatalities.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3487348

This article found on JSTOR also uses quantitative statistical analysis to see if gun control legislation is the answer to reduction of gun related fatalities. In this article it is found that gun control does in fact lower the number of gun related fatalities, however the study also concludes that gun control is not enough. Socioeconomic factors as well as effectiveness of law enforcement also have an effect on gun related fatalities. The study suggests a need for legislation which covers a broad range of issues must be implemented in order to significantly reduce this issue.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3488101





 

from: fltimes.com

Photographer: Damian Dovarganes

Children holding up pro-gun control signs at a protest rally.

 

This is a video link to one of many gun control debates that can be found on youtube.com

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6q0GWLwoKg

 

This first link is to a fox news article which gives some information on the gun dealer mentioned above. This article also demonstrates the extreme nature of some anti-gun control activists in this heated controversy.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/03/maryland-gun-dealer-drops-plans-to-sell-smart-guns-after-backlash/

 

The next link is to a non-profit, non-partisan affiliated news, blogging, and scholarly articles website. It also has multiple videos where the debate over gun control is discussed by experts.

 

http://www.independent.org/issues/guncontrol/

 

 

 

Effects of Mass Media on Culture in the United States

People in the United States are constantly exposed to media throughout daily life. Exposure to mass media happens even if you do not mean for it too. It is on magazine covers at supermarkets, posted to  billboards along the streets, on television screens and cellular devices. A vast amount of this media, while marketing products, is creating and perpetuating pop culture. Whether you like it or not, you are going to encounter media to some extent daily. Is it a good thing to be so interconnected in the modern day that even this blog can be viewed by anyone around the world with access to the internet? How much of an effect does pop culture have in the United States? What does this instant communication do to cultural norms and fads in the United States? These are the questions I will explore and give insight to in this blog.


This article found on JSTOR is about the Mass Media and how it has effected Culture in the United States. The article makes several interesting conjectures; one of the most interesting being that Mass Media's standardization of information which is then exposed to the average consumer inhibits the potential for creativity and art. to flourish. This is one article from a large collection of published works call the Daedalus.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20026570

The next article was found on the American Sociological Review website. This Article discusses how social stratification in the United States has lead to the famous being considered as the elite. It discusses the true nature of mobility in the United States especially among the famous. Stating that once one has reached a certain tier of fame, the media and society both perpetuate that fame.

http://asr.sagepub.com/content/78/2/266.full



 

accessed on rollingout.com                                                  accessed on KicksUSA.com

On the release date of a new pair of Air Jordans made by Nike, multiple fights were reported at shoe stores around the country. The image on the left is of a fight happening outside of a footlocker where the sneakers were set to be released. The Sneakers on the right are Air Jordans.

This link is to a video clip found on youtube.com shows interviews with people on the street as well as gives information on the major companies which are in control of mass media in the U.S. The most interesting finding is that there are so few companies controlling such a large portion of media in the United States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ona0jYWa6s

This website link will take you to a website established by NOW which is the National Organization for Women. It shows what companies are in control of popular television programming. It also gives a brief background on the company.

http://www.nowfoundation.org/issues/communications/tv/mediacontrol.html

This link will take you to an article from Phys.org which has data on just how often people are exposed to media daily. The numbers are astonishing already and are projected to rise.



http://phys.org/news/2013-11-media-consumption-hours-dayper-personby.html

Deviant Communities in the United States

There are many groups in the United States which would fall under the definition of deviance. Some of these groups are very notorious and well renowned in the United States. Some of the most well known groups include:

• Klu Klux Klan/White Supremacist groups
• Bloods
• Krips
• Mexican Mafia
• Brown Pride 

While these are some of the more notorious gangs, there are many different sects of these groups as well as lesser known factions which exist throughout the United States.

I find it interesting to study why people might choose or prefer a lifestyle many try to avoid all together. Some questions I hope to answer and explore include:

• Why do young people join deviant groups?
• What would a person gain by joining such a group?
• Is their any specific race, gender, ethnicity, or culture that is more prone to associate with such groups?

The first link shared here is a research article from JSTOR which addresses these questions. Why do young people choose to affiliate with gangs? What is the perceived benefit of gang affiliation? This study also explores gender and ethnicitiys role in choosing to affiliate with gangs.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/189781

The next link leads to yet another article from JSTOR. This article delves into the economic benefits of gang association. It also goes into further detail on how gangs are operating in the modern day. One major point of the article is how focus on money in gangs is leading to more violence and expansion.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1147588

 
This picture was published in The Tennessean and taken by John Partipilo. Gangs often use tattoos as symbols of affiliation.

This video is a snippet from a popular television show called gangland. The clip shows how one deviant group operates and gives interviews from members within the group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca-pkWvgHwE

This website was created by a non-profit organization that helps at-risk youth find alternatives to gang affiliation.

http://www.gangfree.org/gangs_why.html

This website provides detailed information on why young people join gangs as well as the risks involved with such affiliation.

http://www.ojjdp.gov/jjbulletin/9808/why.html

References

 

Andersen, M. L., & Taylor, H. F. (2013). Sociology: the essentials (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

 

Joe, K. A., & Chesney-Lind, M. (1995, August). "Just Every Mother's Angel": An Analysis of Gender and Ethnic Variations in Youth Gang Membership. Gender and Society, Vol. 9, 9(4), 408-431. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from JSTOR.

 

Hagedorn, J. M. (1998). Gang Violence in the Postindustrial Era. Crime and Justice, 24, 365-419. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from JSTOR.

 

Rijt, A., Shor, E., Ward, C., & Skiena, S. (2013, April). Only 15 Minutes? The Social Stratification of Fame in Printed Media. American Sociological Review, 78(2), 266-289. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from JSTOR.

 

Jacobs, N. (1960). Introduction to the Issue "Mass Culture and Mass Media". Daedalus, 89(2), 273-277. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from JSTOR.

 

Kwon, I. G., Scott, B., Safranski, S. R., & Bae, M. (1997, January). The Effectiveness of Gun Control Laws: Multivariate Statistical Analysis. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 56(1), 41-50. Retrieved May 4, 2014, from JSTOR

 

http://www.gangfree.org/gangs_why.html

 

http://www.ojjdp.gov/jjbulletin/9808/why.html

 

http://www.nowfoundation.org/issues/communications/tv/mediacontrol.html

http://phys.org/news/2013-11-media-consumption-hours-dayper-personby.html

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/03/maryland-gun-dealer-drops-plans-to-sell-smart-guns-after-backlash/

 

http://www.youtube.com

 

http://www.independent.org/issues/guncontrol/

 www.rollingout.com

www.kicksUSA.com

www.fltimes.com

www.tennessean.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allow me to indtroduce myself...

My name is Nick Pica I am a 19 year old undergrad at the University of Idaho in Moscow. I have many hobbies but for the most part I like anything that involves the great outdoors. I have enjoyed my time here at the University of Idaho but will be happy to graduate. After graduation, I will hopefully be able to move somewhere warm.

I am a sophomore in credits and am currently studying engineering. I really enjoy my major. I have focused mostly on hard sciences so far. That being said I am interested in sociology due to the important role it plays in all of our lives.

Which leads us to the point of this blog. In this blog, I will discuss two important, relevant topics which have been selected from two different chapters in my sociology book. I will research and discuss these topics from an objective viewpoint and hopefully with the help of your comments, further expand my knowledge and ability to accept multiple standpoints on sociological issues and topics. Thank you for your time, I am excited to begin.



 
I chose these photos because I see one specific link between them. No matter the differences in color, size, gender, culture, or religion, Everyone in the photo to the right are human beings. This is analogous to the image on the left, a cluster of crayons. Just because there is a wide variety of color or use, does not change that they are all crayons. Each being equally important as all the others. That is my sociological standpoint.