Study title

University of Texas at Austin Student Survey on the Campus Carry Gun Legislation 2019

Dataset ID Number

FSD3690

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3690
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3690

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• University of Turku. The John Morton Center for North American Studies
• Heiskanen, Benita (University of Turku. The John Morton Center for North American Studies)
• Butters, Albion (University of Turku. The John Morton Center for North American Studies)
• Kestilä-Kekkonen, Elina (University of Tampere. Faculty of Management)
• Kähkönen, Lotta (University of Turku. The John Morton Center for North American Studies)
• Ruoppila, Sampo (University of Turku. Department of Social Research)

Abstract

The survey charted the views of students of the University of Texas at Austin on the Campus Carry Gun Legislation (SB-11), which came into force on 1 August 2018. The data were collected as part of the 'Gendered Gun Politics of "Campus Carry"' research project, funded by the Academy of Finland's Research Council for Culture and Society.

First, the respondents were asked to share their opinions on the Campus Carry law and the right to carry concealed handguns on college campuses. Further questions examined whether the respondents thought faculty or students should be able to bring concealed handguns to class, whether they felt safe with students carrying concealed handguns in class, and whether they thought the presence of concealed handguns affected the atmosphere of the classroom. The respondents' opinions were also charted on, for example, whether the Campus Carry law could be overturned by activism, whether the law affected the likelihood of gun violence and other violent crime on campus, and whether the job of defending campuses should be left to professionals.

Next, various statements regarding self-defence, Second Amendment rights, and training for gun safety in the context of the Campus Carry law were presented to the respondents. The effects of the law on daily life on campus were surveyed with questions on, for example, whether the respondents had ever noticed anyone carrying a concealed handgun on campus, whether the law had affected their daily manoeuvring on campus, and how openly they could share their opinions on Campus Carry. Participation in and opinions on activism around Campus Carry were also examined. Views on campus safety in general were charted next, and the respondents were asked what characteristics they thought affected vulnerability to violence on campus the most (e.g. age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability). Questions also examined whether the respondents had been victims of violent crime on- or off-campus.

Finally, the respondents were asked whether they were members of the NRA or owned firearms, and if yes, why they owned firearms (e.g. hunting, hobby, self-protection). The respondents' carrying habits were charted, and they were asked whether there had been any firearms in their childhood home. Opinions on various topics, such as the death penalty, legal abortion, and gender-neutral bathrooms were also surveyed.

Background variables included the respondent's age group, department of study, political affiliation, religion, number of years lived in Texas, ethnicity/race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

Keywords

assault; crime and security; educational buildings; higher education institutions; legislation; offences; students (college)

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Social change (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Legislation and legal systems (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Higher and further education (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Individual datasets

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• University of Turku. The John Morton Center for North American Studies

Funders

• Academy of Finland. Research Council for Culture and Society (310568)

Time Period Covered

2019

Collection Dates

2019-02-07 – 2019-03-04

Nation

United States of America

Geographical Coverage

Texas, Austin

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Students of the University of Texas at Austin

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Probability

The survey was administered in 23 courses ranging from small seminars to large lectures. The sample (n=1,204) was representative of the degree student population of the University of Texas at Austin in terms of field of study, gender, ethnic background, and age.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: English.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Number of Cases and Variables

112 variables and 1248 cases.

Data Version

1.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

To prevent identification of respondents, variables Q45 denoting age, Q44 denoting department of study, and Q46 denoting years lived in Texas were categorised at FSD. Additionally, information on department of study was removed for respondents who responded "Black" or "Mixed" to question Q47 (ethnic/racial identity). Variable Q43 denoting the respondent's year in school, variables Q19 and Q20 that contained open-ended responses, and all other open-ended responses of the type "other, please specify" were removed from the data.

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

University of Turku & Heiskanen, Benita (University of Turku) & Butters, Albion (University of Turku) & Kestilä-Kekkonen, Elina (University of Tampere) & Kähkönen, Lotta (University of Turku) & Ruoppila, Sampo (University of Turku): University of Texas at Austin Student Survey on the Campus Carry Gun Legislation 2019 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2023-08-02). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3690

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Butters, Albion M. (2021) Fear in the Classroom: Campus Carry at The University of Texas at Austin. Texas Education Review 9, no. 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/11418.

Butters, Albion M. (2021) Beyond Argumentum in Terrorem: The Contested Rhetoric of Campus Carry. Journal of American Studies 55, no. 2. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021875820001395

Ruoppila, Sampo & Butters, Albion M. (2021) Not a "Nonissue": Perceptions and Realities of Campus Carry at The University of Texas at Austin. Journal of American Studies 55, no. 2. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021875820001425

Butters, Albion (2023). Articulations of power: Guns on campus and the protests against them. Suomen Antropologi: Journal of the Finnish Anthropological Society, 47(1). https://doi.org/10.30676/jfas.98628

Benita Heiskanen, Albion M. Butters and Pekka M. Kolehmainen (eds.), Up in Arms: Gun Imaginaries in Texas, Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2022.

Butters, Albion (2023). Shifting Lines of Force: Campus Carry and Power at The University of Texas at Austin, European Journal of American Studies 18, no. 2. https://doi.org/10.4000/ejas.20186

Benita Heiskanen (2020). Un/Seeing Campus Carry: Experiencing Gun Culture in Texas. European Journal of American Studies 15, no. 2. https://doi.org/10.4000/ejas.15817