Tekijät

• 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)

Asiasanat

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

Sisällön kuvaus

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.