A Sociological Perspective on Small Arms Proliferation in South Africa

Abstract

Gun violence symbolises the crisis in South Africa’s social order, just as the gun is a symbol of South Africa’s failure to build a secure society. This high level of violent crime and conflict linked to the proliferation of guns threatens the consolidation of democracy in South Africa. Yet much of the literature on small arms proliferation focuses on questions of supply while neglecting questions of demand. This chapter argues that the field needs a more holistic approach. Guns are not value-neutral, ahistoric technologies. People will only be weaned off firearms when it is understood why they are attached to them. This understanding requires a fresh sociological approach, with a focus on the Kalashnikov assault rifle, which explores the social meanings and identities connected to small arms. A a control policy that ignores the historically and socially constructed meanings attached to firearms will not be effective; one must instead alter the allegiances and identities which underlie acts of gun violence.