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Gun Control

This paper analyzes the fact of debating over the gun control around the globe with an eye

to sociological perspectives. Much research has been conducted so far in order to find out what

sociological theories play important role making people taking one side of the debate showing

their behavior towards guns, its effects and some policies deciding to have the extent of gun

control. It has been revealed that those who keep it have much negative attitude towards society

increasing their aggression and lack of control on theory aggression. On the contrary, much study

has been conducted for the people who feel that some policies must be decided in order to carry

guns and not loosing control that government has to design such policies that citizens may not feel

awkward towards it.

Gun control, therefore, has become an increasing concern for people all over the world.

Some may demand that government should take strict measures and design strict control policies

because according to them this is a root cause of sudden shootings at different places specifically

at schools, malls, stores, etc. increasing the terrorism. However, in this essay it has been deeply

discussed what social aspects are involved in gun control, how adversely it affects the society, and

what could be done in the future.

There is no doubt that the main focus of this essay is the individuals’ attitudes towards gun.

It is however evident that by keeping guns for a longer time relatively gives more chances that

people starts feeling positive towards it. Since we are living in such a society or era where we find
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negativity easily than positivity, we are surrounded with many of the violent video games, TV

serial, movies and these are the real sources to provoke a person to carry gun with him. Definitely

when a person carries gun with him, it becomes easier for him to have superior complex and he

becomes over confident, he tries to face any conflict comes his way and strives to solve it through

bullets which is indeed life threatening (Crisp & Turner, 2010). It is quite vivid that many

individuals of our society finds it their pride and status symbol holding a gun with them and for

them guns to be considered as a object which is ‘sacred’ (Lifton, 1999). As appeared in the Journal

of Social Psychology, guns are the power for people and they are considered to be stronger with

their guns, another reason to feel positive about carrying a gun (Cookie & Poodifoot, 2000). Since

the world is majorly male dominant in its nature, therefor it is easily understood that males carry

more guns than females; however, this ratio is changing with the changing need of trends. One

study shows that in US females carry more guns than in United Kingdom (Cookie & Poodifoot,

2000). However it cannot be denied that it is quite difficult to decide whether gun control be more

strict or it should be restricted by all means because it is evident from many research studies that

carrying guns adversely affect on the behaviors of individuals than those who do not. It is greatly

found that people with guns have been more aggressive in nature and violent than those who do

not carry it.

Many psychologists are of the view that even presence of a gun can contribute to the violent

behaviors in individuals so it is not necessary that a person must possess aggressive nature.

Leonard Berkovitz and Anhony LePage, in 1967, conducted a research study which provided fact

to believe that when a person is frustrated, it leads him to anger and the ultimate reaction is

evidently aggressiveness. They conducted this study on 100 male students of a college in which

these students were put under a problem solving situation and afterwards, were given electrical
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shocks, then were confined in a rom with no other thing than a table on which a revolver was there.

They were also asked to fill out a questionnaire which provided guidance about how they are

feeling and some of them made fires from the revolver lying on the table. Therefore, it became

evident that not only the aggressive nature but the presence of gun is also the factor motivating

people to be aggressive and may be more violent sometimes taking lives of their on or may be

somebody else’s (Crisp & Turner, 2010). Another example would be great from Jamaica (in 1974)

that when the act of keeping guns was amended with a view that it is rather illegal to keep a gun

in civiliens ownership made it clear that crime rate was subsequently lowered in the region

reducing it to the 14% of homicide, rape ratio dropped to 32%, robbery and other like robbery

decreased to the level of 25% to 37% (Diener & Crandall, 1979).

It is not doubtful that citizens want to be safe yet there is another side of the population

who feel that some policies of strict regulations must be designed and be abided by everyone

instead of making it illegal to keep guns (O’Hara, 2013). Therefore, it can be added that strict

control over carrying a gun is a way to prevent people to hurt themselves or others yet it does not

seem to work like it because in every society there is always a back door open to find out something

in black. While looking at the Conflict theory which was developed by Karl Marx, it is found that

every society is always in a state of competition due to any conflict. This theory implies that

p[people who possess more wealth and resources would be in the position to protect and collect

those resources for future whereas those without such resources would be doing anything to obtain

them.it means that there is always some kind of conflict going on in the society. It is rather

unfortunate to find out that those who keep guns legally are to face most tragic endings of their

lives because such legal weapons are easily stolen and can be used by others with no restriction

because it is legally licensed (Tversky & Khaneman, 1973; Crisp & Turner, 2010).
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Therefore, it is well-understood fact that the availability of gun is the real factor of

negativity and adverse effects because it is easier for a person to shoot when a gun is in the hands

or available to him no matter legal or illegal. That’s why people are taking the scenario of keeping

guns with them so seriously and it has been a concerned debate since long all around the world

that what policies to gun control be designed in order to make sure that no matter whatever the

nature a person possess, he must not be available with a gun so to take any violent action

unnecessarily (Payne & Riedel Jr., 2002). This must be made restricted that no individual will take

keeping guns as a symbol of being more powerful than the laws and regulations and they may not

be to have greater sense of superiority complex over others that whenever they may find any

situation aggressive, they start using their guns (Ropeik, 2012).