Guns and Contemporary Society: The Past, Present, and future of Firearms and Firearm Policy: Background to the Current Debate Over Firearms; Cultural Issues Related to Firearms in the United States; Current Controversies and Policy Recommendations, Vols. 1-3

Résumé

The topic of gun rights and gun control continues to attract the attention of a large segment of the population, composed first of those who, motivated by self-defense concerns, interest in gun collecting, participation in sports and hunting, and the all-around love of firearms (so-called hoplophilia), avidly defend the right to keep and bear arms; and second of those who, due to their concern for such unfortunate consequences of the presence of firearms as accidental and intentional gun-related injuries and deaths, and perhaps a general dislike of firearms as dangerous instruments (often called “hoplophobia”), strive to place greater restrictions on firearm purchases and possession. The larger portion of the U.S. population tends to support, rather mildly, various limitations on firearm ownership and use, although the proportion of the general population supporting gun rights has tended to increase in recent years. The essays in this volume provide in-depth treatments of the more significant contemporary issues, including firearms trafficking (the illegal gun trade), recent court decisions involving the right to keep and bear arms, the import and export of firearms and the United Nations Small Arms Treaty, the relationship between suicide and the availability of firearms, guns in the public schools, proposals to permit concealed carry of firearms on college and university campuses, the legal use of firearms for self-defense (including stand-your-ground laws and their consequences), the domestic threat of terrorist attacks and the availability of firearms to those on the terrorist watch list, and the effectiveness of criminal background check policies in reducing crime rates. A major objective of these essays is to encourage consideration of policies that may gain common agreement among gun rights supporters and those advocating certain additional gun control measures. These detailed treatments of important topics are valuable to a wide readership, including researchers; teachers; students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels; public officials; law-enforcement personnel; and the general reader interested in gaining a further understanding of the issues. The contributors represent a wide variety of backgrounds, including various academic fields, constitutional law, and public policy. They focus on three basic subject areas: the historical background to the importance of guns in contemporary society and the significance of the so-called gun culture; the current political and cultural issues involving firearm policy; and policy recommendations. The authors offer detailed treatments of the subjects, providing a wealth of information that the reader will find useful. While recognizing the sobering reality of interest group politics, the authors provide new insights into the topics and offer novel perspectives from which to view issues and possible policy alternatives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) ÉTATS-UNIS ARME-FEU CONTRÔLE-ARME