Data consistently shows that firearm violence affects minority populations disproportionately. In the 1970s, firearm injury related death was the 13th leading cause of death in America. The problem has only worsened, costing the US economy almost $230 million a year and is now the second-leading cause of injury related death. Gun violence should be considered a public health crisis given its costs in terms of morbidity, mortality, and economics, but also can be considered a social determinant of health as it contributes significantly to minority populations’ medical histories and health outcomes. Homicide is the leading cause of death in Black males between the ages of 15 and 34, with 91% of these deaths being the result of firearm injury. However, the way gun violence is portrayed in the media inaccurately generalizes White populations fulfilling the victim role while Black populations in the criminal role. The media considers shootings involving Black populations as “commonplace,” and therefore these incidents receive less attention from media sources. The constant impact of firearm violence places on healthcare providers is also significant, as the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder is three times higher for trauma surgeons than the general population. Many healthcare organizations have recognized the devastating impact of firearm injury by coming out with position statements, developing patient education and advocacy resources, and community engagement initiatives to help support populations most affected. While more is to be learned in terms of research about the impact of this public health issue, we need to take a multifaceted approach to work towards equitable care for our most vulnerable populations. / Urban Bioethics

The following thesis will merge the field of legal studies with the field of Science, Technology, and Society, and will focus on issues surrounding the gun control debate. The goal is to ultimately bring new light to this hot- button legal topic through the use of STS scholarship. STS tools and theories, which have previously been absent from most gun control discussions, have much to contribute to the discourse in terms of motivating the need for gun control, fully understanding the user-gun relationship, breaking down misconceptions about the technology and its role in society, and further understanding the complex societal network within which guns exist in America. This will begin first with a discussion of the legal history and background of firearms in the United States, and will be followed by an STS analysis of technological agency and somnambulism as they can be applied to guns. Following this, the Actor Network in which firearms in America are imbedded will be explored, in order to better understand why they have been so difficult to regulate. Although this thesis will be heavily policy and law-focused, the aim is not to propose any specific new policy, but instead to use STS to conceptualize gun issues from a new perspective that will allow misconceptions and blockades to be confronted head-on.