SURVIVALISM

noun (Lifestyle and Leisure) (War and Weaponry) The practising of outdoor survival skills as a sport or hobby. Etymology: Formed by adding the suffix -ism to survival in the sense 'the ability to survive under harsh or war-like conditions'. History and Usage: Survivalism as a word for the pastime of perfecting survival techniques or survival skills dates only from the second half of the eighties, although survival (in the sense of acquiring and using these skills) had started to become a popular pastime during the seventies. At first this developed through such channels as territorial army training and other military reserves, 'outward bound' courses, etc., but by the early eighties people were beginning to pursue it as a hobby in its own right; such a person became known as a survivalist from about 1982 onwards. The growth of survivalism as a hobby was already causing some public concern because of the proliferation of dangerous weapons with which it was associated when, in August 1987, a keen survivalist called Michael Ryan ran amok in the town of Hungerford in Berkshire (southern England), shooting and wounding people apparently at random, and eventually shooting himself. Fourteen people were killed outright and two died later as a result of their wounds. The circumstances of this incident were, of course, unique, and do not reflect upon survivalism as a whole; however, the public perception of survivalists was no doubt affected by it, and indeed many only became aware of the hobby at all because of this tragedy. Soldier of Fortune is a...militaristic publication packed with vitriol and ordnance...It has...touched a nerve with many Vietnam veterans as well as with survivalists who want to arm themselves to the teeth. New York Times 15 Oct. 1982, section A, p. 12 Apart from the growth of martial arts clubs, much of this self-arming is taking place under the auspices of...the newish and very fast-growing fad called Survivalism. Spectator 27 Sept. 1986, p. 9