Guns Unpacked

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, Dr. Jennifer Carlson interviews Dr. Nora Gross, a sociologist, educator, documentary filmmaker, and assistant professor at Barnard College. They discuss Gross’s 2024 award-winning book, Brothers in Grief: The Hidden Toll of Firearm Violence on Black Boys and Their Schools, and examine how grief, rather than trauma, influences the education, emotional, and social experiences of Black boys in schools that have experienced repeated loss. This conversation is based on ethnographic research conducted at a Philadelphia high school. It examines how grief unfolds over time, how schools and systems respond to violence, and how youth create their own spaces for grief, care, and survival.

On this week’s episode of Guns Unpacked, we are joined by Toni Jensen, who teaches in the MFA program at the University of Arkansas, Institute for American Indian Arts. Her memoir, Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land, was named a Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalist and New York Times Editors' Choice book. In our conversation, Dr. Jensen details how her identity as a métis woman and firsthand experiences with violence have shaped how she perceives gun identity in America. Dr. Jensen explores the shift in gun identity from hunting to self-defense during the Reagan years and discusses how modern sensationalism associated with mass shootings leads people to overlook the role “we” play in gun violence. Dr. Jensen’s most recent book can be found here. More information on Dr. Jensen can be found here.

In this special episode of Guns Unpacked, we feature a live recording of the closing panel address at the BRIDGS Initiative’s first ever Guns in Society symposium hosted from January 30-31st, 2025. Dr. Alex Trimble Young opens the closing session by recognizing the many cosponsors, collaborators, and contributors to this symposium who made this event possible, which highlights the importance of scholarly collaboration in shaping the national conversation on guns and gun violence that currently grips the United States of America, and the critical role that the production of scholarly research plays in guiding the development and implementation of sustainable interventions and practices for the future.This event featured a presentation by Yasser Arafat Payne, Brooklynn K. Hitchens, and Darryl L. Chambers who discuss their 2023 hit book, Murder Town, USA : Homicide, Structural Violence, and Activism in Wilmington and how poor investment and structural violence create the perfect conditions for gun violence and the way in which communities and everyday Americans choose to respond.

In this special episode of Guns Unpacked, co-hosts Jennifer Carlson and Alex Trimble Young cover the highlights (and lowlights) of their work at the BRIDGS Initiative in 2025. In a conversation that ranges from the snarky to the emotional, they take on issues including the algorithmic censorship of gun-related content online to the state of gun studies as a field to the ubiquity of gun-related trauma in the contemporary United States.

In today’s episode of Guns Unpacked, we welcome Dr. Cedric Dark, an associate professor of history in the Henry J.N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Dark co-hosts the “This Day” podcast and is also the co-executive producer of “You Get a Podcast.” Today’s conversation examines Dark’s work, and his experience in public health. Dark dives deeper into perceptions of the NRA, but also public health as it relates to firearms, and uses his unique perspective to provide suggestions about policy. Dr. Dark also offers advice for people seeking to enter his field of work. For more of Dr. Dark’s work, visit here for his books and other writing.

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, we are joined by Emily Farris and Mirya Holman, who address the unique role of sheriff within the American justice system and the influence they possess in the world of politics, and how that role shapes US gun culture.Farris is an associate professor in political science, and core faculty member in comparative race and ethnic studies” at Texas Christian University. Mirya is an associate professor at Hobby School of Public Affairs at The University of Houston. They are co-authors of "The Power of the Badge: Sheriffs and Inequality in the United States” with the University of Chicago Press (2024). This conversation focuses on the topics of the duty of sheriffs, accountability, local elections, white conservatism, gun control, red flag gun laws, and the possibility of future research. And the significance sheriffs’ hold in the debate on gun culture and local power within America.

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, host Alex Trimble Young welcomes Wall Street Journal reporters Cameron McWhirter and Zusha Elinson, co-authors of American Gun: The True History of the AR-15 (2023). Their book traces the rifle’s invention by Eugene Stoner, its troubled military adoption, and its evolution into one of America’s most polarizing symbols. Today’s conversation explores the AR-15’s technological development, its transformation from a failed weapon of war into a cultural and political icon, and how both rights advocates and regulation activists have contributed to the mythology surrounding it. The guests also examine media coverage of mass shootings, the impact of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, and the future of regulation in a nation with more than 20 million AR-15s in circulation.

In today’s episode of Guns Unpacked, we welcome Dr. Michelle Phelps, a professor of Sociology at the University of Minnesota. Phelps is an expert on probation, criminal justice reform, and the politics of policing. Her first book is titled Breaking the Pendulum: The Long Struggle Over Criminal Justice, which is co-authored by Philip Goodman and Joshua Paige and published by Oxford University Press in 2017. Phelps joins us today to discuss her book, The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America. Today’s conversation examines Phelps’s work, and how she ties her work involving the politics of policing in America into violence and police abolition. Phelps also provides insight into her research timing and process, detailing important moments from her work, as well as the real-world impact of police abolition policy. For more of Dr. Michelle Phelps, visit the links here and here for her background and writing.

This episode of Guns Unpacked features Jan Dizard, Professor Emeritus of American Studies at Amherst College, a pioneering thinker about hunting, gun culture, and the environment. Dizard authored groundbreaking works such as Going Wild, Mortal Stakes, and Hunting: A Cultural History (MIT Press, 2022, co-author Mary Zeiss Stange). The interview represents his work on hunting, his exploration of the cultural construction of nature, and the convergence of conservation and gun culture. Recorded in February, we believe this was Dizard's last public interview before passing away in June 2025.

In today’s episode of Guns Unpacked, we welcome Dr. Gerald D. Higgenbotham, an assistant professor of public policy and psychology at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Dr. Higgenbotham examines contemporary cognitive policies and how they influence repressive history through racism and collective power. Today’s conversation dissects “Firearm Psychology,” a term frequently used by Higgenbotham to make sense of the nuance and intricacies of gun ownership. Higgenbotham also provides commentary on the racialization of gun rights, collective power, and perceptions of safety through the public eye. Higgenbotham also tackles these issues from a historical perspective, providing a framework of how this history impacts the world today. For more of Higgenbotham’s work and background, links to publications and distinctions can be found here.

Guns Unpacked season 2 launching September 8th!

Guns Unpacked Season 2 launches September 8th!

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, we are joined by Dr. Metzl, a psychiatrist and sociologist who examines gun violence and mental health. Dr. Metzl also serves as the Director of the Center for Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University. We discuss his 2024 book, What We’ve Become, which examines the Waffle House mass shooting in Nashville, Tennessee in 2017. Our conversation takes us through the intricacies of the "Dickey Line," the shortcomings of public health responses to gun violence, and Dr. Metzl's own position in the gun debate. You can purchase his book What We've Become from the ASU CSGS "Books for a Better Gun Debate" bookshelf on bookshop.org.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Emine Fidan Elcioglu, a sociologist at the University of Toronto. Dr. Elcioglu talks to us about her in-depth ethnographic fieldwork studying the politics of migration in Arizona, focusing on anti-immigrant and pro-immigrant groups that mobilized at the border. Her work opens up new insights and new questions regarding the relationship between gun politics and the politics of migration. You can purchase her book Divided by the Wall from the ASU CSGS "Books for a Better Gun Debate" bookshelf on bookshop.org.

Dr. Micheal Sierra-Arévalo is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin Department of Sociology. From 2020 to 2023 served on the Public Safety Commission for the City of Austin. Today, we discuss Dr. Sierra-Arévalo's extensively researched The Danger Imperative: Violence, Death, and the Soul of Policing. Using in-depth interviews and rich ethnographic observations, Dr. Sierra-Arévalo breaks down how the danger imperative is driving police culture and violence within the United States.You can purchase his book The Danger Imperative from the ASU CSGS "Books for a Better Gun Debate" bookshelf on bookshop.org.

Dr. Ieva Jusionyte, the Watson Family University Associate Professor of International Security and Anthropology at Brown University, joins us in this episode of Guns Unpacked. We discuss her new book, Exit Wounds: How America’s Guns Fuel Violence Across the Border, which examines the flow of guns from the United States to Mexico and the impact on gun violence and gun culture across borders. Dr. Jusionyte gives us insight into the cultural and historical context of guns in Mexico, the connections between gun politics and immigration, and how the availability of US guns shapes migration.You can purchase Exit Wounds from the ASU CSGS "Books for a Better Gun Debate" bookshelf on bookshop.org.

Dr. Jesenia Pizarro joins us in this episode of Guns Unpacked to dive into the complex dynamics of gun homicide. Dr. Pizarro is an ASU professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, a member of the Homicide Research Working Group, and a board member and recently elected President of the Research Society for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms. This episode explores her perspectives on gun violence, especially gun homicide and intimate partner violence, from a transdisciplinary perspective. Learn more about Dr. Pizarro and her extensive expertise in firearms violence here.

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, Dr. Samantha Simon, an Assistant Professor in the School of Government and Public Policy and the School of Sociology, joins us from the University of Arizona. Dr. Simon discusses her new book Before the Badge: How Academy Training Shapes Police Violence, which examines the effects of police training on officers. She also discusses her experiences while researching for the book, a year-long process of ethnographic fieldwork at four police training academies.You can purchase her book Before the Badge from the ASU CSGS "Books for a Better Gun Debate" bookshelf on bookshop.org.

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, we are joined by Dr. David Yamane, a sociology professor at Wake Forest University, to discuss his book, Gun Curious: A Liberal Professor's Surprising Journey Inside America's Gun Culture. Dr. Yamane shares his journey into gun studies and becoming a gun owner as a lifelong liberal. He explains the evolution of gun culture, its contemporary focus on self-defense, and what the future may hold. We also explore his experiences navigating gun debates from various perspectives and his thoughts on bridging the conversation between opposing camps.You can purchase his book Gun Curious from the ASU CSGS "Books for a Better Gun Debate" bookshelf on bookshop.org.

Dr. Alexandra Filindra, associate professor of political science and psychology at the University of Illinois in Chicago, joins us to discuss her new book, Race, Rights, and Rifles: The Origins of the NRA and Contemporary Gun Culture. Dr. Filindra examines the NRA's beginnings and how ideologies of citizenship intersect with support for guns . She explains how historical links between militia service, political rights, and social exclusion evolved into contemporary beliefs that animate gun ownership today. We also explore the contrasting “inclusive civic republicanism” mindset, which values diversity, community service, and reducing militarism.You can purchase her book Race, Rights, and Rifles from the CSGS "Books for a Better Gun Debate" bookshelf on bookshop.org.

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, we are joined by Dr. Coker, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Connecticut College. We discuss his research on the intersections of mental health, gun violence, and community trauma, particularly among African American youth. He also explains the need to focus on the root causes of gun violence, the importance of community involvement in research, and the importance of changing how universities work with communities affected by gun violence.Dr. Coker currently is the co-editor of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, a journal of the American Psychological Association, and welcomes research on topics related to guns and gun violence.

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, we are joined by Dr. Amy Cooter, the Director of Research academic development and innovation at the Center on Terrorism, Extremism and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute, to talk about her recent book Nostalgia, Nationalism and the US Militia Movement. Dr. Cooter discusses the militia movement, its political significance, and the role of firearms training. She also explores the links between conspiracism and white supremacy, especially the impact of social media and cultural stereotypes. Dr. Cooter emphasizes the role of nostalgia and masculinity for militia members and its ability in unifying conservative factions and the complexities involved with addressing militia activities.You can learn more about her work at https://www.amycooter.com/ and purchase her book through the ASU Center for the Study on Guns in Society's "Books for a Better Gun Debate" Shelf at Bookshop.org.

In this episode of the Guns Unpacked podcast, we are joined by Dr. Curtis Austin, an associate professor in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University. Dr. Austin discusses his book Up Against the Wall, which examines the origins and legacy of the Black Panther Party and the complex dynamics of race, violence, self-defense, and power in the US. He also discusses the FBI COINTELPRO program, the tactics deployed against the Black Panthers, the ongoing impact on contemporary political discourse, and the San Francisco 8.You can learn more about his work here and purchase his book through the ASU Center for the Study on Guns in Society's "Books for a Better Gun Debate" Shelf at Bookshop.org.

In this episode of Guns Unpacked, we are joined by Dr. Drew McKevitt, the John D. Winters Endowed Professor of History at Louisiana Tech University, to discuss his recent book Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture and Control in Cold War America. Dr. McKevitt examines the connections between gun culture and capitalism, extending back to post-WWII geopolitics, that contribute to contemporary gun politics. Dr. McKevitt also clarifies the global implications of gun violence, reframing gun violence as a humanitarian issue and addressing the root causes of gun violence.You can learn more about his work at https://andrewcmckevitt.com/ and purchase his book through the ASU Center for the Study on Guns in Society's "Books for a Better Gun Debate" Shelf at Bookshop.org.

Launching August 30!