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As we watch the news, we find that stories of school shootings are being reported more frequently. Read the following journal article entitled: Expressions and Projections of Evil in Mass Violence, by Nurmi and Oksanen (2013). The authors conducted a study after two school shootings in Finland. They were interested in the perception of neighboring residents and how residents tried to explain/rationalize the actions of the shooter.
One of the most important aspects of any journal article is to understand the way in which the data were collected. If we understand the methodology, we will know whether the results are reliable, valid and credible. After you read this article, do the following:
1. Critique the authors’ work – list strengths and weaknesses of the argument and of their method of studying the problem
2. Give your opinion on the findings (were they important, useful, in what way? was the study worthless? interesting? how? etc.)
Since there have been many cases of mass school shootings in the U.S., such as the 2018 shooting at the Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, the arguments about gun safety have become even more intense. What does social science research indicate about these arguments? Does the research evidence support some arguments more than others? Which ones and how?