Semester of Graduation
Spring 2024
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Geography and Anthropology
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Despite being a controversial and potentially hazardous product, firearms sell at record-breaking numbers in the United States. One of these sales peaks coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and significantly changed the firearms market. Understanding what factors lead to firearms purchases is vital to understanding the firearms market as a whole. To accomplish this, I am utilizing theory and methods from both anthropology and media studies to research firearms purchases at all levels, from the manufacturer to the gun store and finally to the consumer. To understand the companies producing firearms, I conducted a thematic analysis of the advertising in several firearms magazines. To see how firearms and those who obtain them change one another I employed Actor-Network Theory and Cyborg Theory. To understand the consumer and gun stores, I conducted a series of interviews at three separate gun stores across Louisiana. Finally, I narrowed my focus by analyzing firearms that fit into the category of 'Gun Culture 2.0' as defined by Yamane et. al. (2020) to point to the growing focus on tactical rifles and handguns marketed towards self-defense.
Date
1-22-2024
Recommended Citation
Aguila, Kane, "Why Own a Gun? An Ethnographic Perspective on Gun Culture in Louisiana." (2024). LSU Master's Theses. 5918.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/5918
Committee Chair
Helen Regis