Why do people want to own firearms? What do guns mean to those who carry, use, and care for them? And how do firearms bring people together into divergent communities?

ARMIES is a research project that explores these questions by examining what firearms mean in everyday life. Through ethnographic fieldwork, we spend time with people who own and use guns, with a particular focus on groups, such as hunting clubs and rifle associations, that are often overlooked in public debate and academic research. Working across Brazil, Germany, and South Africa, we explore how firearms shape relationship, obligations, rituals, and senses of belonging.