Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

Sociology

First Advisor

Krista Cline

Second Advisor

Conor O'Dea

Abstract

Masculinity is perceived internally and by others, often leading those who feel they lack masculinity to compensate for it, especially in a society that often reinforces attributes associated with masculinity. One of the ways to compensate for a lack of masculinity is to own guns. The dominant reason for this avenue is that guns are symbols of power and are wielded by those who have a lot of power, prestige, and knowledge. Previous research has drawn this connection between perceptions of masculinity throughout history and how people display their masculinity by analyzing various surveys, past events of mass shootings and war, as well as understanding more recent concepts such as “Incels” and how they engage with their own masculinity. This study analyzed secondary data through the 2024 General Social Survey that measures the patterns of social issues from year to year such as gun ownership and use. There were trends in the resulting data that showed that perceptions of masculinity do play a role in gun ownership, however the extent is unknown. This research provides a base for future studies that seek to understand this relationship, as it breaks away from gender as an indicator for gun ownership, to create a broader scope of how social teachings, like masculinity, impact gun ownership.

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