Guns Unpacked

Guns Unpacked Season 2 launches September 8th!

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. 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.

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.

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 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.