America’s Gun Wars: A Cultural History of Gun Control in the United States

This book examines the controversies surrounding gun control, which are less about whether it works and more about whether the nation should prioritize traditional values of rugged independence or newer values of communitarian interdependence.

America’s Gun Wars contends that an understanding of America’s gun controversy cannot be found in statistics documenting the rise (or fall) of violent crime, or in examining trade-offs between societal needs and personal safety, or in following the political maneuvering of advocacy groups such as the National Rifle Association or Everytown for Gun Safety. At heart, the gun controversy is a values conflict involving how people see themselves and how they make sense of the world they live in. Understanding this controversy requires a deep analysis of the profoundly different cultures inhabited by pro- and anti-gun activists, lawmakers, and voters.

Written by a social scientist who has spent his life exploring how values and self-perceptions impact behavior, this book explores the origins and evolution of cultures in American society; the beliefs, experiences, and principles that guide the behavior of members in both camps; and the triumphs and failures that the two sides have experienced from colonial times to the present day.

Presents an unbiased analysis and explanation of the gun control/gun rights debate

Examines the controversy in a broad historical perspective, illustrating how large social forces and prominent personalities helped to shape differing attitudes and cultures

Explains the broader social context surrounding the debate, rendering the subject more easily understandable

Highlights chapter material with documents, making it a useful resource for academic discussion or further scholarly research