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Political Science General

On Target

Gun Culture, Storytelling, and the NRA

by (author) Noah S. Schwartz

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Aug 2022
Category
General, Criminology, General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781487546618
    Publish Date
    Aug 2022
    List Price
    $85.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781487548445
    Publish Date
    Oct 2022
    List Price
    $34.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781487551957
    Publish Date
    Aug 2022
    List Price
    $34.95

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Description

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is an important actor in the American gun debate. While popular explanations for the group’s influence often focus on the NRA’s lobbying and campaign donations, it receives lesser attention for the mass mobilization efforts that make these political endeavours possible.

 

On Target explores why the NRA is so influential and how we can understand the group’s impact on firearms policy in the United States. The book looks at how the NRA both draws upon and shapes historical meta-narratives regarding the role of firearms in America’s national identity and how this is part of a larger effort to expand the community of gun owners. Noah S. Schwartz demonstrates how the NRA portrays a vision of the past through events such as its annual meeting; communications such as American Rifleman magazine and NRA TV; and points of contact including the National Firearms Museum.

 

Based on fieldwork in Indiana and Virginia, including participant observation at NRA events and firearm safety classes, thematic analysis of audio-visual material, and interviews with NRA executives and members, On Target sheds light on the ways in which the NRA tells stories to build and mobilize a politically motivated network of gun owners.

About the author

Noah S. Schwartz is an assistant professor of Political Science at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Noah S. Schwartz's profile page