Gun Culture 2.0: The Evolution and Contours of Defensive Gun Ownership in America

David Yamane

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2022, vol. 704, issue 1, 20-43

Abstract: I trace the evolution of gun culture in the U.S., starting with the prehistorical normality and significance of projectile weaponry among Homo sapiens , then turning to the largely practical use of firearms as tools in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Early Republic eras (ca. 1607–1850). I highlight the emergence of Gun Culture 1.0, which centered on sport hunting, recreation, and collecting and was the core of American gun culture from approximately 1850 to 2010. I then show the roots of Gun Culture 2.0, which began in the 1960s and 1970s and centered on self-defense. I use various indicators to document that, by 2010, armed self-defense had become the core of American gun culture. In the penultimate section of the article, I use the great gun-buying spree of 2020+ to show the diversity that exists within Gun Culture 2.0, a theme that carries over to the conclusion, where I consider possible future directions of gun culture.

Keywords: guns; firearms; gun culture; concealed carry; self-defense; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:704:y:2022:i:1:p:20-43

DOI: 10.1177/00027162231156292

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