Culture and the Soldier

Countries have instituted polices to make their armed forces more inclusive, and soldiers now undergo cultural awareness training before they see active duty. Policy makers and military organizations agree that culture is important. But what does “culture” mean in practice, and how is it important? Drawing on case studies from Europe and North America, Culture and the Soldier answers these questions by examining how culture – defined as reproduced identities, values, and norms – both shapes the military and can be wielded by it. In Part 1, scholars and practitioners show how culture, as a force, can influence how soldiers remember battle and adjust to civilian life; how women are treated within the ranks; and how causalities are viewed and treated inside and outside the military. In Part 2, they show how culture, as a factor, can be leveraged by militaries in a range of ways, from preventing cultural dislocation among soldiers in Afghanistan to mounting propaganda campaigns in support of totalitarian regimes. By bringing to light the ways in which culture is influencing military organizations and modern combat, this volume offers provocative insights into how cultural awareness and culture can be deployed to improve armed forces at home and in military engagements abroad

H. Christian Breede is an assistant professor of political science and associate chair of the Public Administration program at the Royal Military College of Canada. He is coeditor (with Stéfanie von Hlatky) of Going to War? Trends in Military Interventions, author of The Idea of Failed States, and has operational experience with the Canadian army in Haiti and Afghanistan. He is cross-appointed with the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University and is also the deputy director of its Centre for International and Defence Policy.Contributors: Stéphanie A.H. Bélanger, Andy Belyea, Vanessa Brown, Pierre Jolicoeur, Frédéric Labarre, Shaohan Lin, Iryna Lysychkina, James R. McKay, Alan Okros, Robert A. Rubinstein, Joel J. Sokolsky, Stéfanie von Hlatky, Corri Zoli.

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• UBC Press Culture and the Soldier book Paperback 248 pages