Do Men and Women Integrate Guns into Risky Health Lifestyles in Young Adulthood?

Citation

Burdette, Amy M.; Lawrence, Elizabeth; Hill, Terrence D.; Taylor, Miles G.; & Dowd-Arrow, Benjamin (2023). Do Men and Women Integrate Guns into Risky Health Lifestyles in Young Adulthood?. Sociological Inquiry.

Abstract

In this paper, we use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and latent class analysis to assess the extent to which individuals integrate guns into broader health lifestyles. We also examine how these new health lifestyles differ for men and women. While men integrate guns with a variety of risk-taking behaviors, including smoking, heavy drinking, risky sexual behavior, and fast-food consumption, women do not. Our results are consistent with a gendered theory of gun ownership and health lifestyles. On the one hand, some men may use guns and other risky health behaviors to project hegemonic masculinity. On the other hand, some women may avoid guns and other elements of risky lifestyles to signify normative femininity. It is important for sociologists and public health scholars to focus more on how and why men are more likely to integrate guns into generally unhealthy lifestyles.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1111/soin.12555

Keyword(s)

firearms

Notes

https://doi.org/10.1111/soin.12555

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Sociological Inquiry

Author(s)

Burdette, Amy M.
Lawrence, Elizabeth
Hill, Terrence D.
Taylor, Miles G.
Dowd-Arrow, Benjamin

Year Published

2023

DOI

10.1111/soin.12555

Reference ID

10051