{"id":106310,"date":"2023-01-24T23:11:03","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T05:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/78949-2\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T17:16:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T17:16:22","slug":"sociology-of-mass-shootings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/sociology-of-mass-shootings\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Sociology Help Us Understand the &#8220;Why&#8221; of Mass Shootings?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-110078 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-3926747-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Person holding a white gun while their arm is wrapped in yellow caution tape\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-3926747-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-3926747-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-3926747-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-3926747-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-3926747-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-3926747-scaled.jpg 1707w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In eight days, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation\/california-mourns-after-3rd-mass-shooting-in-8-days\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">three mass shootings<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> occurred in California, totaling 19 deaths and many injuries. The violence is not isolated to California. A CNN article\u2019s headline read, \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/01\/23\/politics\/mass-shootings-in-2023-what-matters\/index.html\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Three weeks and 39 mass shootings. This is America in 2023<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u201d In just the first three weeks of 2023, there have been 39 mass shootings in the U.S. As these tragedies unfold, Americans ask, \u201cWhy?\u201d There is no single answer. Lone shooters often take their own lives or are killed by law enforcement, leaving many unanswered questions. Even if the shooters are arrested and brought to court, it is still challenging to understand the \u201cwhy\u201d behind the mass shootings. The Netflix series <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/tudum\/articles\/dahmer-monster-ryan-murphy-series-one-billion-hours-viewed\"><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story<\/span><\/em><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> has surpassed the billion-hour viewing mark, making it the most-watched. A significant reason for the show\u2019s success is that viewers want to know the \u201cwhy\u201d behind the serial killings. Netflix\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/consequence.net\/2022\/10\/mindhunter-netflix-why-its-good\/2\/\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mindhunter<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> is another series that delves into the \u201cwhy\u201d of real-life notorious serial killers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Let\u2019s pause a moment to consider how the discipline of sociology might assist in answering the \u201cwhy\u201d behind the 39 mass shootings this year and the high-profile serial killings. Remember that <strong>sociology<\/strong>\u00a0is\u00a0<em>the scientific study of social relationships, institutions, and societies<\/em>. Therefore, approaching the \u201cwhy\u201d requires using the scientific research method to produce the desired outcomes and maintain the integrity of the process. More specifically, sociologists would employ the eight steps of the scientific method.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-110080 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-markus-winkler-1430818-19835563-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Scrabble tiles spelling out &quot;methodology&quot;\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-markus-winkler-1430818-19835563-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-markus-winkler-1430818-19835563-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-markus-winkler-1430818-19835563-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-markus-winkler-1430818-19835563-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-markus-winkler-1430818-19835563-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Step 1: Define the Question or Problem<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Step 2: Review the Literature<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Step 3: Develop Hypotheses<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Step 4: Choose a Research Design and Methods<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Step 5: Collect the Data<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Step 6: Analyze the Data<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Step 7: Develop Conclusions<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Step 8: Report Results and Pose New Questions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What questions would you want to ask about mass shootings?\u00a0<em>Why has there been an increase? Can cultural, economic, and social patterns help explain mass shootings? Why are there more mass shootings in the U.S. compared to Western European countries?<\/em>\u00a0Hint: one reason is the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/11\/07\/world\/americas\/mass-shootings-us-international.html\">astronomical number of guns<\/a>\u00a0in the U.S. compared to Europe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Would you like to venture a\u00a0<strong>hypothesis<\/strong>,\u00a0<em>an educated guess about a relationship between two or more situations, events, or factors<\/em>? How about, \u201c<em>When there is an economic downturn, mass shootings increase<\/em>.\u201d Does <strong>anomie<\/strong>,\u00a0<em>the breakdown of social values, norms, and order resulting in social instability<\/em>, lead to individuals experiencing stress and hopelessness, thus leading to more mass shootings?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-110081 size-medium alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-6203470-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"A blue pulse-monitoring chart on a black background\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-6203470-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-6203470-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-6203470-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-6203470-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-6203470-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/uitac.com\/inthenewsblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/01\/pexels-cottonbro-6203470-scaled.jpg 1706w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Which research design would be the best fit? The <strong>quantitative research design<\/strong>, <em>data collection using systematic and numerical measures to generalize across groups of people<\/em>, or the <strong>qualitative research design<\/strong>, <em>data collection using interviews and fieldwork, observation, photos, texts, and other subjective measures<\/em>. It might be difficult to gain access to mass shooters in prison to conduct interviews. Therefore, using existing data might be more accessible, quicker, and cost-effective. A review of the literature would find a 2021 article titled \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/chapter\/10.1007\/978-3-030-89373-6_6\">Quantitative Analysis of Mass Shootings in Central and Eastern Europe<\/a>.\u201d This article would help evaluate a cross-cultural comparison between the U.S. and Europe.<\/p>\n<p>What do you think you would learn (your conclusions) about the \u201cwhy\u201d for the increase in mass shootings in the U.S.? Is it related to economics? Guns? Mental health issues? By following the 8 steps of the scientific method, you would ensure <strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">validity<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">the extent to which a study measures what it claims to measure<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, and\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">reliability<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">the extent to which a study yields the same result on repeated studies<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Ideally, the results of your research would be used by policymakers to develop new policies to reduce the cultural, economic, and social factors contributing to the increase in mass shootings. We may never understand all of the \u201cwhys,\u201d but by using the scientific research method, we will get closer.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b><i>Thompson is a co-owner of <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/uitac.com\/\"><span class=\"s2\"><b><i>UITAC Publishing<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a><b><i>. UITAC\u2019s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable, and socially responsible online course materials.<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p dir=\"auto\">Images used in this blog:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/person-holding-yellow-and-white-labeled-paper-3926747\/\">Person Holding Yellow and White Labeled Paper<\/a>&#8221; by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/@cottonbro\/\">cottonbro studio<\/a> is licensed on <a href=\"http:\/\/pexels.com\/license\">Pexels<\/a>.\u00a0This image has not been altered.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/the-word-methodology-spelled-out-with-scrabble-tiles-19835563\/\">The word methodology spelled out with scrabble tiles<\/a>&#8221; by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/@markus-winkler-1430818\/\">Markus Winkler<\/a> is licensed on <a href=\"http:\/\/Pexels.com\/license\">Pexels<\/a>. This image has not been altered.<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/chart-on-black-background-6203470\/\">Chart on Black Background<\/a>&#8221;\u00a0by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/@cottonbro\/\">cottonbro studio<\/a> is licensed on <a href=\"http:\/\/pexels.com\/license\">Pexels<\/a>.\u00a0This image has not been altered.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In eight days, three mass shootings occurred in California, totaling nineteen deaths and many injured. The violence is not isolated to&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":110080,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[186,54,182],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deviance-and-crime","category-research-methods","category-terrorism-and-fear"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Can Sociology Help Us Understand the &quot;Why&quot; of Mass Shootings? - In The NEWS Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sociology&#039;s role in understanding mass shootings: Explore the &quot;why&quot; behind these tragedies. 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