Publication Date

2015

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Hannagan, Rebecca J. (Rebecca Jean)

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Political Science

LCSH

United States--Armed Forces--Women; United States--Military policy; Political science; Gender studies; Military studies; Women and the military--United States; Women soldiers--United States; Sex discrimination against women--United States

Abstract

This project investigates the gender integration policies of the U.S. Military between 1980 and 2013. I argue that gender integration policies highlight male service members and create a status of privilege. Policies enacted during the 1980s and 1990s recognized that in a technologically advanced military, more women could be used to fill roles previously reserved for men, yet women were prevented from filling every position and in some cases, faced discrimination. Male privilege was perpetuated through gender integration policy that used specific kinds of language, thus reinforcing the preferred masculine or male identity in the military. While in other instances, gender privilege was less evident, indicating acceptance of more gender neutral roles or equally representative of male and female service members. Consequently, the policies of the military generally set up a system where it is easier to follow "a path of least resistance" as opposed to challenging gender privilege (Johnson 2010, 80). The gender integration policies of the military tend to privilege the male soldier while reinforcing the dominant masculine identity of the institution. This may be done at the expense of the female soldier as well as unit cohesion and effectiveness. By using a hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry of 46 personal interviews, I provide evidence to support that the identities of the men and women who serve in the military may be impacted by gender integration policies.

Comments

Advisors: Rebecca J. Hannagan.||Committee members: Christina Haynes; Andrea Radasanu.

Extent

221 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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