Representing the American rifleman: how the NRA built and maintained a national community of gun owners

In the United States, the concept of “guns” conveys many symbolic meanings. However, nothing has been as influential in making meaning for guns as the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). The NRA is a powerful force in conservative politics, “gun rights” lobbying, and the wider “gun culture.” It makes meaning and provides political access for millions of American gun owners. Previous scholarship on the NRA has tended to neglect the discursive processes that may explain its power. The role of the NRA as a media producer and social institution is particularly understudied, and no media form has been more central to the NRA’s success than magazines. Therefore, this dissertation conducts an interpretive analysis of 100 issues of the NRA’s flagship magazine, the American Rifleman. Over the course of a century’s worth of issues, this contract magazine’s written, visual, and formulaic elements are examined to understand the NRA’s meaning making capabilities.This dissertation argues that the NRA is a meso-level communication institution. Through the power of media, it constructed a specific representation of the “American” gun owner, built a constituency out of this representation, and subsequently mobilized it to act. Historical context plays a major role in explaining the evolution of NRA discourse over time. Ultimately, this study helps us understand how institutions influence community building and political mobilization, illuminating how meso-level institutions and other non-political representatives use media in pursuit of social and political change. This dissertation also contributes to the growing body of literature studying conservative media culture and meaning making on the ideological right.

Grantor dc:publisher

Temple University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Rzicznek, Zachary

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Molyneux, Logan

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Fernback, Jan
• Mindich, David T. Z., 1963-
• Baym, Geoffrey
• Peck, Reece, 1979-

• Communication
• Conservatism
• Culture
• Mobilization
• National Rifle Association
• Politics
• Representation
• Media and communication

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://scholarshare.temple.edu/handle/20.500.12613/12207

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/12207