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

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  • David Yamane

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.

Suggested Citation

  • David Yamane, 2022. "Gun Culture 2.0: The Evolution and Contours of Defensive Gun Ownership in America," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 704(1), pages 20-43, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:704:y:2022:i:1:p:20-43
    DOI: 10.1177/00027162231156292
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Depetris-Chauvin, Emilio, 2015. "Fear of Obama: An empirical study of the demand for guns and the U.S. 2008 presidential election," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 66-79.
    2. Jessica Dawson, 2019. "Shall not be infringed: how the NRA used religious language to transform the meaning of the Second Amendment," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Bree J. Lang & Matthew Lang, 2021. "Pandemics, Protests, and Firearms," American Journal of Health Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 7(2), pages 131-163.
    4. David Yamane & Paul Yamane & Sebastian L. Ivory, 2020. "Targeted advertising: documenting the emergence of Gun Culture 2.0 in Guns magazine, 1955–2019," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Claire Boine & Michael Siegel & Craig Ross & Eric W. Fleegler & Ted Alcorn, 2020. "What is gun culture? Cultural variations and trends across the United States," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 7(1), pages 1-12, December.
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