Doctoral
research.

The dissertation

The Social Construction of Firearm Meaning in 2022 Hollywood Films: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Liberty University · School of Communication and the Arts · Doctoral Dissertations and Projects, item 8871.

Research abstract

How do mainstream American movies assign meaning to firearms—and what messages recur across different types of stories?

This qualitative content analysis examined firearm representation in prominent 2022 Hollywood films. Grounded in social construction theory, the research also drew on semiotics and social learning theory. Scene-level analysis examined the narrative roles of firearms, how characters used them, the meanings attached to them, the consequences shown, and how these patterns differed across genres.

Overall, the study found that firearm imagery could signal authority, competence, conflict, danger, and changes in identity. The meaning depended on how each film presented the characters and their actions. This is a concise overview; the official abstract and full study are available in the university repository.

Selected findings

• Repeated firearm appearances can normalize their presence across everyday fictional settings.
• Stories connect armed action—or deliberate refusal to use a firearm—with heroism and power.
• Firearms frequently appear as a mechanism for resolving narrative conflicts.
• Films frame the morality of firearm use differently through characters, consequences, and sympathy.
• Firearms sometimes act as symbols of gender and identity transformation.

Cite this research

Suggested repository citation:

Research links