Guns and Contemporary Society: The Past, Present, and Future of Firearms and Firearm Policy [3 volumes]

by Glenn H. Utter (Editor)

Overview

This three-volume set examines various approaches to firearms, including constitutional and legal issues, public health and criminal justice concerns, and perspectives on personal safety and self-defense.

Recent mass shootings have led to renewed calls for additional legislation at the state and federal levels to address gun access and control. In this hard-hitting compilation, experts delve into various aspects of firearms in America—from gun control and gun rights to militia movements, to school-related shootings, and to the recent trends in gun ownership by women. Authors from varied backgrounds and viewpoints share their perspectives on the pros and cons of firearm ownership as all of the following: a constitutional right, a key instrument of self-defense, a guarantee of political freedoms, and as a major factor in crime and personal injury.

The reference is divided into three volumes. The first volume covers firearm history, legislation, and policy; the second volume explores public opinion, gun ownership trends, international laws, and self-defense; and the third considers popular debates about firearm policy, including concealed carry of firearms, terrorism and the ownership of firearms, background checks for purchasing guns, and stand-your-ground laws. The work concludes with an informed debate on gun policy between Richard Feldman, president of the Independent Firearm Owners, and Paul Helmke, former president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798216093510
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	12/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	976
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	7 - 17 Years

About the Author

Glenn H. Utter, PhD, is distinguished professor emeritus at Lamar University in Texas.
Glenn H. Utter is professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he has taught since 1969. His areas of instruction include American government and politics and classical and contemporary political thought. Dr. Utter received his B.A. in political science from the State University of New York at Binghamton, his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and his M.A. in philosophy from the University of London (Bedford College). He has served as the manuscript reviewer of two political science journals. Dr. Utter has authored the books Campaign and Election Reform, and The Religious Right: A Reference Handbook, and edited American Political Scientists: A Dictionary. He is also the author of numerous articles and book chapters.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Glenn H. Utter

Chapter One: Weapons in School
Ronald D. Stephens
Chapter Two: Concealed Carry of Firearms on University Campuses
Robert L. Spinks and Michael C. Powell
Chapter Three: Psychological Factors in Legal Firearms Usage
Glenn E. Meyer
Chapter Four: Terrorism and the Ownership of Firearms
Saundra J. Ribando and Amanda J. Reinke
Chapter Five: How Stand-Your-Ground Laws Hijacked Self-Defense
Mary Anne Franks
Chapter Six: Gun Violence Reduction Strategies
Sean Maddan
Chapter Seven: Background Checks for Purchasing Firearms
Glenn H. Utter
Chapter Eight: Seeking Common Ground: Perspective of a Gun Control Supporter
Paul Helmke
Chapter Nine: Seeking Common Ground: Perspective of a Gun Rights Supporter
Richard Feldman

Index
About the Editor and Contributors

What People are Saying About This

Robert J. Spitzer

"Gun policy ringmaster Glenn Utter brings together a highly impressive and eclectic array of contributors to this new work on the enduring gun debate. Any reader seriously interested in the latest and most thoughtful writing and research will be both impressed and educated by these contributions. And no one brings a more fair-minded sensibility to this task than Utter. This book is filled with must-reading for anyone interested in the evolution and consequences of gun policy."

Charles Lockhart

"Few scholars have the experience to combine the insights available in Utter’s three-volume tome. It adroitly provides the historical context surrounding firearms in the United States, superbly covers the remarkable breadth of current views regarding firearms, and closes with a path-opening analysis of possible future policy directions. No better single source on these matters can be found."

Editorial Reviews

"Summing Up: Recommended. All levels/libraries." - Choice

"Without exception, every chapter provides solid scholarly documentation and offers openminded, objective, and relevant evidence-based information about guns in contemporary society. . . . [A]ny reader should be able to glean information that will be useful, whether in commonplace discussions, public speaking and writing, or scholarly contexts (e.g., lectures in a classroom in schools and higher education)." - PsycCRITIQUES

From the Publisher