The Changing Meaning of Small Arms in Nuer Society
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12337299 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Arild Skedsmo (United Nations Children's Fund India, corresponding author), KWONG DANHIER, HOTH GOR LUAK |
| Year | 2003 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 57-67 |
| Publication date | 2003-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | African Security Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1024-6029 • E-ISSN: 2154-0128 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10246029.2003.9627251 |
| OpenAlex | W2040252464 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 2 |
The economic value, social status and symbolic meaning of small arms are particular and temporal in nature. This is demonstra ted through a historical account of the dynamics of cultural change and adaptation in Nuer society. Specifically, the article shows how attitudes towards small arms shif ted over time from a positive valuation of guns as prestigious objects, to ambivalence between the need for protection and the experience of increased local lawlessness and violence. More generally, it demonstrates how weapon-rela ted activities can only be fully understood when seen against a specific cultural background. Even if the display, use and circulation of weapons appear to carry cross-cultural references, typically as expressions of power and masculine identity, the meaning is always primarily local. Therefore, strategies to reduce the destructive impact of small arms through demand side programs, based on voluntary participation, can only be carried out successfully if built on an in-depth understanding of a particular cultural context
Ambivalence · Epistemology · Lawlessness · Meaning (existential · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Gender Studies · Gun Ownership and Violence Research · Law · Military History and Strategy · Psychology · Social Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.06 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2008 - 2008 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |