Gun-related consumption and
South Africa's gun culture
Did you
know?
In one
week, 750 people play splatt-attack, a conflict simulation game in
which team players compete against one another by shooting paintballs
with air guns, at one of the 5 splatt-attack playing fields in the
Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area.
Consumers
have a choice of over forty plastic toy guns sold at 86% of toy shops
and 74% of grocery and appliance chain stores in the Greater Johannesburg
Metropolitan Area.
1 120 replica
toy guns, also called BB or non-powder guns, were bought as children's
toys in the Greater Jo'burg Metro Area in 1997. This is despite America
viewing these 'toys' as a public health hazard because the velocity
of pellets shot by them is equivalent to guns requiring a license.
Is
shooting guns more than fun?
Clearly, guns have a high entertainment value for people, particularly
children. But is shooting guns nothing more than fun, or is it conveying
another message? Gun Free South Africa, recently addressed this question
by exploring the link between gun-related consumption and South Africa's
gun culture.
South
Africa's gun culture
Referring to South Africa's gun culture describes more than the
estimated 13 million firearms in this country, 5 million owned
by the South African Police Service and National Defence Force
and 4 million each legally and illegally
owned. It also includes a situation in which guns are socially
accepted and seen as integral to life. Guns have saturated South
Africa to such an extent that its citizens are no longer shocked
by their proliferation, and associated violence, including 30 firearm-related
deaths a day. In short, South Africa's gun culture refers to more
than the pervasiveness of guns and gun violence in South Africa.
It also describes the tolerance displayed by South Africans to
this gun proliferation.
Reflecting and reinforcing South Africa's
gun culture
In the Gun Free South Africa study, the prevalence and popularity
of gun-associated products and activities is an indicator of
such permissiveness. While their widespread availability and
use have contributed to South Africa's gun culture, this link
is often not recognised. Rather such products and activities
are viewed as harmless, the emphasis being on their entertainment
value. So, how can buying or using gun-associated products like
war toys, including toy guns and computer, and play station
games involving shooting, or engaging in gun-related activities
like splatt-attack and arcade games contribute to a gun culture?
The Gun Free South Africa study identifies three ways in which
this occurs.
Legitimisation
Firstly, gun-associated consumption legitimises guns. This normalisation
of guns is found in a number of gun-related products and activities,
for instance BB or non-powder guns, which so closely mimic authentic
firearms that they are also called replica toy guns. By playing with
these guns, children are desensitised to the dangers they pose seeing
them as toys rather than the dangerous weapons they are. Their close
mimicry of authentic weapons also means that children are unlikely
to be able to distinguish between the two, perceiving an authentic
weapon as another toy.
This normalisation
of guns, and gun-ownership is often coupled with a reinforcement
of gender stereotypes. For instance, masculine associated attributes
like speed, skill and accuracy in shooting activities are rewarded,
and armed males are portrayed as "the defenders" of defenceless
women. Where gender stereotypes are challenged, gun-ownership is
still encouraged. This is clearly demonstrated by referring to
Lara Croft of Tomb Raider fame, the best-selling computer game
in South Africa in 1997.
Lara Croft
is portrayed as a sexy soldier, being tough and competent, but nevertheless
retaining her femininity. And women identify with her. Being a
break from the cliché of macho main characters, they see
her as a female gun-wielding Indiana Jones, likely to blast away
anyone harassing her. As such, she legitimises female gun-ownership
by glorifying the power guns imply in a patriarchal society where
violence is perpetrated against women.
However,
as often occurs, this glosses over the dangers of guns, for instance,
Lara's guns are never used against her.
Romantisation
Secondly, gun-related consumption romanticises guns. This glorification
is apparent in a number of consumables, particularly those
involving an "us versus them" mentality which justifies the blasting away of
"the other".
This message
is implicit in a toy gun called the Alien Pistol, a popular Christmas
gift in 1997. Its futuristic, brightly coloured appearance and "Real
Human Voice" saying "Attention, Drop Your Gun" seems at first to
refer to an invasion of threatening, gun-wielding out-of-space aliens.
Yet the implication of a 'human-alien' war is an issue of concern
when located within South Africa's present climate of xenophobia.
'Aliens' in this context are dehumanised, with South Africans blaming
them for various ills including taking jobs, drug-trafficking and
car hijackings (Handmaker, 1998). The solution? An Alien Pistol to
blow your problems away. However, this glorification of guns fails
to acknowledge that gun ownership often amounts to a feeling of security
rather than actual safety, particularly as 2 700 guns are stolen
from legal gun-owners monthly, in other words 90 a day.
Trivialisation
Finally, gun-associated consumption trivialises the lethality of
guns, portraying them instead as entertaining and amusing. Examples
of this are the Bubble Gun which ridicules the deadly capacity
of bullets, shooting large coloured bubbles instead, or water
guns whereby, in the words of one toy-shop owner, children can
experience killing someone while only drowning them. Another
example of trivialisation is found in splatt-attack.
Splatt-attack's
mimicry of actual combat is apparent from referrals to it as
war gaming, from the accessories used in play including camouflage
gear, "squadbusters" which are paint filled hand-grenades, as
well as paintballs described as "liquid death". In addition,
players are urged to "shoot a buddy", and its close simulation
of conflict situations means that it is popular for training
security personnel. Despite this mimicry of actual combat, it
is extremely popular for children's birthday parties, seen as
an energetically amusing option.
Recommendations
Clearly, the availability, purchase and use of gun-related products
and activities has contributed to South Africa's gun culture by normalising
and glorifying guns or by belittling their destructive power. Because
'familiarity breeds consent', message being conveyed is that guns
are an acceptable means through which to resolve conflicts. Is this
what we want children to learn? The challenge confronting us is how
to replace this culture of guns and violence with one of peace. So,
what can you do? Below are a number of suggestions:
Teach children
that playing with gun-related products is not just fun, because
such play reflects and strengthens South Africa's gun culture.
This would entail discussions with children as they are shown the
ways in which gun-related products and activities legitimise,
glorify and belittle guns and associated violence.
Promote
educational as opposed to military toys. This can be done in a number
of ways, for example, by encouraging schools to become war toy free
zones by banning war toys, or by rewarding children's play with toys
that promote pro-social behaviour such as co-operation, turn-taking,
helping and sharing. In this way a secure environment is created for
children, free from intimidation, both real and in play Arrange a
toy gun hand-in in which children can actively participate in an effort
to reduce the number of guns in South Africa. In addition, this could
be seen as an opportunity to teach children that guns often make people
feel safer without actually being safer Children need to be taught
creative responses to conflict, in contrast to the current message
that guns and violence are a solution. We, as role models to children,
have an influential role in showing children that there are alternatives
available.
For more
information about this study, its findings and recommendations, contact:
Claire
Taylor
Gun Free South Africa
PO Box 31532
Braamfontein
2017
Telephone:+27 (11) 403-4590
E-mail: gunfree@wn.apc.org