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Global gun cultures are found in places such as the United States, Honduras, Australia, Canada, the Philippines, Germany, and Switzerland. "Gun culture" is defined as the attitudes, feelings, values, and behavior of a society, or any social group, in which guns are used. Among the most discussed - according to some, unique - global gun cultures is that of the United States.

Gun cultures in North and Central America

Gun cultures in the United States

The term "gun culture" in the United States has historical and political connotations. In 1970, historian Richard Hofstadter used the phrase "gun culture" to describe America's long-held affection for guns, embracing and celebrating the association of guns and America's heritage. In 1995, Robert Spitzer (political scientist) said that the modern American gun culture is founded on three factors: the proliferation of firearms since the earliest days of the nation, the connection between personal ownership of weapons and the country's revolutionary and frontier history, and the cultural mythology regarding the gun in the frontier and in modern life.

Gun cultures in Europe

Switzerland

The Swiss gun culture was born of its diminutive size and geopolitical location. Historians say Switzerland avoided German invasion during World War II because its men were armed and trained. In Switzerland compulsory militia conscription and rifles (but not ammunition) in the home of all militia members reflect a relatively positive view of firearms. Although Swiss firearm restriction laws are on par with many other European countries in terms of requiring a legally valid reason for owning firearms, and although open carry is generally disallowed, militiamen carrying their small arms to and from military bases is not an unfamiliar sight.

United Kingdom

There is no gun culture in the United Kingdom in the American (U.S.) sense. The civilian, U.K. gun culture is represented by shooting sports.

Gun cultures in Oceania

Australia

Although anglo settlers used guns to defeat Indigenous Australians in 19th century, much as westward-bound pioneers did to defeat Native Americans, the similarities end there, according to journalist Phillip Knightley. Land grabs pitted Americans not only against natives, but against each other. "In contrast," says Knightley, "Australians are basically a social people and have developed a car culture rather than a gun one." He says guns in Australia are traditionally farmers' tools.

New Zealand

In New Zealand, the minimum age for possessing a firearms or gun license is 16. At this age, one may legally own a gun. New Zealanders can also own fully automatic weapons with a license, though this is restricted to collectors and security personnel.

Gun cultures in Asia

Japan

A gun culture in the Western sense never developed in Japan. According to David Kopel, weapons there "always were, and remain today, the mark of the rulers, not the ruled." He wrote: "In short, while many persons may admire Japan's near prohibition of gun ownership, it is not necessarily true that other nations, such as the United States, could easily replicate the Japanese model. Japan's gun laws grow out of a culture premised on voluntary submission to authority, a cultural norm that is not necessarily replicated in Western democracies."

Pakistan

Gun ownership, especially in the mountainous northwest, is part of traditional Pakistani culture. Rifles are handed down from generation to generation for hunting and for celebratory fire. In the 21st century, increases in terrorist threats, and particularly in urban kidnappings, extortions, and robberies, has lead to an increase in civilian demand for guns for self-protection.

Gun cultures in Africa

Gun cultures in South America

References

1. "Global Gun Cultures". Thomson Reuters. 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
2. Collins English Dictionary. Collins. 2014 http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/gun-culture. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Fisher, Max (December 15, 2012). "What makes America's gun culture totally unique in the world, in four charts". Washington Post. Washington D.C. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
4. Hofstadter, Richard (October 1970). "America as a Gun Culture". American Heritage Magazine. 21 (6). American Heritage Publishing. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
5. Spitzer, Robert J. (1995). The Politics of Gun Control. Chatham House Publishers.
6. Bachmann, Helena (December 20, 2012). "The Swiss Difference: A Gun Culture That Works". Time. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
7. "The British Association for Shooting & Conservation". BASC. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
8. Knightley, Phillip (January 1, 2000). "Gun culture" (blog). Retrieved January 26, 2014. Knightley also says that the mythic Australian western, Mad Max, is about cars more than guns.
9. Kopel, David B. (1993). "Japanese Gun Control". guncite.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
10. Wonacott, Peter (January 6, 2009). "For Middle-Class Pakistanis, a Gun Is a Must-Have Accessory: With Kidnappings and Violence on the Rise, Demand for Weapons Permits Grows". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 26, 2014.

External links

• Collins English Dictionary definition of gun culture
• Open fire. Understanding global gun cultures.

See also

• History of the firearm
• Overview of gun laws by nation

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