An explorative analysis of the perception of guns and gun laws in Azerbaijan using a mixed-methods approach

ABSTRACT Despite being a post-conflict society, Azerbaijan now enjoys relatively low levels of gun crime and firearm ownership. Adopting a data triangulation approach, this study explored the attitude of the self-select sample (n = 589) in Azerbaijan on guns and gun laws regulating the acquisition of guns, in addition to qualitative interviews. The majority of the participants were content with the current restrictive gun control policies and legislation. Firearms were viewed mostly as an instrument for hunting and self-defence. Qualitative interviews among experts and respondents with experience of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (n = 19) largely supplemented the findings obtained through the online survey and provided in-depth insights into the meanings attached to firearms. This explorative study contributes to our understanding of the gunscape in the post-communist and post-conflict society that does not suffer from a gun epidemic. From a comparative perspective, the perceptions of Azerbaijani respondents indicate the absence of “conflict mentality” observed in some other conflict-stricken regions, as well as an extremely limited degree of cultural acceptance of guns as honourable and symbolic items to possess.