Military sociology is a subfield within sociology. It corresponds closely to C. Wright Mills's summons to connect the individual world to broader social structures. Military sociology aims toward the systematic study of the military as a social group rather than as a military organization. This highly specialized sub-discipline examines issues related to service personnel as a distinct group with coerced collective action based on shared interests linked to survival in vocation and combat, with purposes and values that are more defined and narrow than within civil society. Military sociology also concerns civil-military relations and interactions between other groups or governmental agencies.
Theory and methodology Military sociology reflects the diversity of methods employed by sociology itself. These include large-scale data analysis, participant observation, social network analysis, survey research, comparative history, case studies etc. The methods of military sociology also include philosophical perspectives and arguments.
Contemporary military sociology Contemporary military sociology is primarily a result of the World War II and Cold War. These events initiated the systematic study of military sociology, though it stands to reason that the relationship between the military and society would predate these events. The dismantling of the Soviet Union, the trauma of the terrorist attack on 11 September 2001 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq also dramatically affected the field of military sociology. There are numerous topics within military sociology and its scope is not exclusively limited to the military institution itself or to its members. Military sociology encompasses areas such as civilian-military relations and the relationship between the military and other military groups or governmental agencies. Other topics within military sociology include:
The dominant assumptions held by those in the military Military members' willingness/motivation to fight Unionization in the military Military professionalism Transition of veterans to civilian life The increased utilization of women The military industrial-academic complex The military's dependence on research The institutional and organizational structure of military
Military as a society
Military as profession Two leading scholars, Samuel Huntington and Morris Janowitz, influence the notion of military professionalism in military sociology. Political scientist, Huntington argued that there should be a high degree of autonomy within the military profession over military matters, because civilians did not possess the necessary corporate quality or expertise to oversee military matters. He called this objective control. Janowitz, on the other hand, asserted that the role of the military in modern society was so complex, and with such high stakes that the duty of the professional soldier went well beyond the execution of violence. The elite of the military had an obligation to maintain stable international relations, and this required management expertise and political skills in addition to the classical military officer skillset. Janowitz was concerned that the military profession could become a self-perpetuating, self-serving clique. Therefore, it was important that the military be socially representative of the citizen it served. According to Sam C. Sarkesian and Robert E. Connor, the military profession holds the view that it is a unique profession. There are six key elements that are paramount in shaping the character of the military profession:
The profession has a defined area of competence based on expert knowledge; there is a system of continuing education designed so as to maintain professional competence The profession has an obligation to society and must serve it without concern for remuneration It has a system of values that perpetuate professional character and establish and maintain legitimate relationships with society There is an institutional framework within which the profession functions The profession has control over the system of rewards and punishments and is in a position to determine the quality of those entering the profession
Military as an occupation Shortly after the United States ended conscription and initiated the All Volunteer Force, sociologist, Charles Moskos introduced the Institutional/Occupational model of military organizations. He asked whether the military should be seen as more of an occupation rather than an institution. Although the military still retains institutional principles (patriotic values, historic traditions, etc.) the military is becoming oriented to the principles of business and economics and can be fairly categorized as a profession. This can be explored in relating to other professions in the grouping of power and compensation. There are different ranks within the military, granting some people more power. Many young people look to the military for compensation benefits and the opportunity to attend college without enormous loans. Moskos used the United States as his point of reference. The militaries of countries such as France, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, and Australia also have elements of institutionalism. Moskos's model has influenced the scholarship of enlistment/reenlistment, which looks at how occupational and institutional factors shape a recruit's enlistment intention or the reenlistment decisions of active duty personnel.
Recruitment practices
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