GUN SHOWS, GUN COLLECTORS AND THE STORY OF THE GUN: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH TO U.S. GUN CULTURE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Jimmy D. Taylor, B.S. M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2008 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor Timothy Jon Curry Professor Paul Bellair _________________________________ Professor Steven Lopez Advisor Graduate Program in Sociology ABSTRACT The following dissertation explores the symbolic meaning of guns, and the ways in which the meaning of gun ownership, as well as the symbolic meaning imbued in individual guns influences aspects of social interaction. This ethnographic research effort applies thick, descriptive methods of observation and grounded theoretical techniques to this largely unexplored aspect of U.S. gun culture. A total of 52 interviews of varying length were conducted with a range of gun owners in venues that included gun collectors’ homes, shooting events, and public gun shows in the Midwest. Subjects were asked to share the stories of their guns, and explore the value of guns in their collections. The data reveal some interesting patterns, which are not limited to the following: 1) Guns, as an aspect of culture, or product of social interaction, are rich with symbolic values; 2) For many gun owners, the value placed on guns is far more emotional in nature than monetary; 3) The value ascribed to guns by their owners appears to influence the way in which gun owners interact with their guns as well as their social audience; 4) Gun owners recognize a unique type of stigma associated with these cultural products, and respond through a complex series of stigma management techniques; and 5) U.S. gun culture involves a series of deference and demeanor-filled rituals; rituals pertaining to being the gun owner, the gun user, and possibly even the gun as an object of near-worship. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I dedicate this dissertation to my family and friends for their continued support throughout this process. This list is far from complete, but I would surely never have survived even the first draft of a single chapter without the love of my wife Katie Taylor, the non-stop amusement of my sons Graham and Charlie, the lifetime of encouragement from my parents Toni and Charles, the insightful advice and patience of my Chair Tim Curry, the suggestions and receptive ear of Paul Bellair, the much-needed guidance of my friends and colleagues Leon Anderson, Bob Shelly, Ed Rhine, Martin Schwartz and Ann Tickamyer; and, certainly not last by any stretch of the imagination, the openness and willingness of my many gun-owning informants. Without each of you, there would be no acknowledgments page, as there would have been no completed project. iii VITA June 15, 1973. Greenville, TX 1991. B.S. Criminal Justice Texas A&M University 1999. M.A. Sociology Ohio University 1996 - 1999. Teaching Associate/Instructor, Ohio University 1997 - 1999 Manager of Criminal Background Investigations, The Wackenhut National Research Center 1999 – 2003 Technology Association Manager (Non-Academic) 2003 – Present Graduate Associate/Instructor, The Ohio StateUniversity 2005 - Present. .Visiting Assistant Professor, Ohio University Dept. of Sociology 2007 - Present. .Senior Lecturer (part-time), Tiffin University Online Master of Criminal Justice Program FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Sociology Criminology iv TABLE OF CONTENTS P a g e Abstract. ii Acknowledgments . .iii Vita . iv List of Tables. viii List of Charts. ix List of Images. .x Chapters: 1. Introduction. .1 2. Toward Grounded Theoretical Considerations. .5 “Normal” Gun Ownership. .5 Guns as Gender Expression. .. .. .6 Guns and Masculine Privilege. .9 Performing Gender. 14 Managing and Negotiating Emotions. 18 3. Review of Gun Literature. .22 Cultural and Subcultural Explanations. .23 Fear Loathing and Love Hypotheses. 26 v Socialization Into Gun Use. .31 Warrior Narratives. .33 Gun Control, Law and Order and Public Safety . .35 4. Methods. 44 Data Analysis. .49 Credibility. 53 Human Subjects Consideration. 55 5. Considering Popular Culture and Popular Literature . .56 Availability and Core Content. .59 Guns and Music. .73 Gun Lyric Sources. .75 Guns: The Badass/Masculinity Factor. 78 Gun as High Comedy?. .82 Guns as a Ritual Site. .84 Protecting the Masculine Center of Guns in Music. .86 6. A Day at The Gun Event. 91 Schedule of Events Attended . 99 What Can You Expect to Find at Your Local Gun Show? . .100 Paranoia . .102 Vendor Rules . .103 Patron Safety. 104 Inclusion. 105 Symbolic Usurption. 108 Guns: A Masculine Symbol of Power . .113 Media Images as an Institutional Influence. 115 Protecting the Masculine Center of Guns. 117 Deference and Demeanor-Based Gun Rituals. 118 Celebrating the Gun . 121 Presenting Ritual . 121 Talking Up The Gun . 126 Naming The Gun . .131 Retiring The Gun . .132 Guns as Emotional Cathexis . 133 Guns as Cathartic . 136 Gun Cleaning: A Private Ritual . 140 7. Management of Suspect Identities. 147 Stigmatization . 151 vi Managing Stigma. 153 Individual Stigma Management Strategies. .154 Passing and Avoidance. .154 Disclaimers and Techniques of Neutralization. .155 Collective Stigma Management Strategies. .160 Dramaturgical Stereotype Busting. 160 Transcendence and Idiosynchracy Credit. .164 In Group Strategies. .166 Normalizing Fear. 166 Condemning the Condemners. .168 Trading on Stigma. .170 Warrior Narratives and Badassitudes. 173 Conclusions .. .. 177 8. Discussion and Implications. .181 List of References. .187 Appendices. .197 Appendix A. Semi-Structured Interview Schedule. 198 Appendix B Subject Consent Form. 200 Appendix C Glossary of Gun Terms . 204 Appendix D Approach Script . 206 Appendix E Me Out in the Field. .207 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 3.1 Tracking New Federal Gun Law Legislation from 1791 to 1994. ..