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Political, ideological, and ethnic conflicts have resulted in countless deaths, the creation of millions of refugees, the destruction of livelihoods, and widespread human suffering, to say nothing of the economic destruction. This book examines institution building and security sector reform in conflict states by analyzing eighteen case studies covering eleven countries and six decades. With regard to institution building, there is an analysis of four democratic levers-elections, the legislature, the executive, and devolution--focusing on how the structure and function of these political institutions contribute to the management and reduction of conflict and to the consolidation of fragile democracies. Concerning security sector reform, there is an analysis of how military, police, and intelligence institutions are reformed in states that are coming out of conflict-states that are moving beyond settlement. Some of the conflicts in this study are ongoing (Palestine), while others have been resolved (Spain, South Africa), while still others are in a peace-building or immediate post-conflict stage (Northern Ireland).
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 both shapes the military and can be wielded by it. Culture, as a force, has the power to influence how soldiers remember battle and how women are treated within the ranks. As a factor, it 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 culture can be deployed to improve armed forces at home and in military engagements abroad.
In Unconventional Combat, Michael A. Messner illuminates the current generational transformation of the US veterans' peace movement, from one grounded mostly in the experiences of older, White men of the Vietnam War era, to one increasingly driven by a young, diverse cohort of post-9/11 veterans. In particular, he focuses on six veterans of color--mostly women who identify as queer--to show how their experiences of sexual and gender harassment, sexual assault, racist and homophobic abuse during their military service shapes their efforts to transform the veterans' peace movement.
As the military and intelligence communities re-tool for the 21st century, the long and contentious debate about the role of social scientists in national security environments is dividing the disciplines with renewed passion. Yet, research shows that most scholars have a weak understanding of what today's security institutions actually are and what working in them entails. This book provides an essential new foundation for the debate, with fine-grained accounts of the complex and varied work of cultural, physical, and linguistic anthropologists and archaeologists doing security-related work in governmental and military organizations, the private sector, and NGOs. In candid and provocative dialogues, leading anthropologists interrogate the dilemmas of ethics in practice and professional identity. Anthropologists in the SecurityScape is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand or influence the relationship between anthropology and security in the twenty-first century.
Warfare in the 21st century is far different than warfare throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Conventional warfare was about kinetic force and bending an adversary by might and strength. Skills valued were those related to mastery of weapons and placing ordnance on target. Courage and valor were defined by conflict, militaries were distinct from the population, and occupation was an enduring stage of war. Contemporary warfare, besides continuing to be an exercise in military strength, is composed of missions that depend on skills to forge interpersonal relationships and build sustainable partnerships with a host of actors that once had no voice or role in conflict’s duration or conclus...
In response to the irregular warfare challenges facing the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005, General James Mattis—then commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command—established a new Marine Corps cultural initiative. The goal was simple: teach Marines to interact successfully with the local population in areas of conflict. The implications, however, were anything but simple: transform an elite military culture founded on the principles of "locate, close with, and destroy the enemy" into a "culturally savvy" Marine Corps. Culture in Conflict: Irregular Warfare, Culture Policy, and the Marine Corps examines the conflicted trajectory of the Marine Corps' efforts to institute a radical culture policy into a military organization that is structured and trained to fight conventional wars. More importantly, however, it is a compelling book about America's shifting military identity in a new world of unconventional warfare.
Military personnel operate in culturally complex environments around the world. Detailed knowledge about current cultural patterns in a particular place can be hard to come by, especially in times of change or disruption. This book provides basic overviews of general concepts and skills that can be used in any situation to build understanding and interact effectively. The concepts and skills presented were developed by an interdisciplinary social science team at Marine Corps University. The authors designed this book to be used by both curriculum developers and military personnel.
"With the ongoing institutionalization of culture-related programs in military Services, the availability of regional and culture-specific education and training, as well as opportunities for building language skills, have improved dramatically since the early 2000s. Equipping military personnel with culture general concepts and skills arose through ad hoc coordination among social scientists and military personnel starting around 2006. The intent was-and is-to complement the regional, culture-specific, and language approaches already in place or being developed. Culture general concepts and skills help make learning about a new area easier, enhance personnel's ability to apply regional and culture-specific knowledge, and improve their ability to interact and operate effectively in culturally complex situations"--
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"With the ongoing institutionalization of culture-related programs in military Services, the availability of regional and culture-specific education and training, as well as opportunities for building language skills, have improved dramatically since the early 2000s. Equipping military personnel with culture general concepts and skills arose through ad hoc coordination among social scientists and military personnel starting around 2006. The intent was-and is-to complement the regional, culture-specific, and language approaches already in place or being developed. Culture general concepts and skills help make learning about a new area easier, enhance personnel's ability to apply regional and culture-specific knowledge, and improve their ability to interact and operate effectively in culturally complex situations"--