Abstract
Much of violent behavior in society is caused by pattern of socialization in society. This chapter salvages sociological theory and practice to examine the rise of culture of violence in Africa with particular reference to Nigeria. The chapter submits that in Nigeria and much of Africa, the social and political construction of state and society—in particular, the manipulation of power, the usurping of the state, the rise of violent sub-cultures and ideologies that seek to challenge the state—have conspired to give rise to a violent culture that feasts on the proliferation of small arms. Institutions in both the formal and informal sectors of society have, over the years, fortuitously given rise to a culture that is tolerant of gun-wielding, violence, and crime. The chapter submits that the solution lies in return to civic culture that is built around the institutions of socialization, but superintended by the state.
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Umar, A., David, N.A. (2021). Socialization, Culture of Violence and Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation in Africa. In: Tar, U.A., Onwurah, C.P. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Small Arms and Conflicts in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62183-4_17
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