Mission accomplished? Gender Equality in the Military

An analysis and comparison of the institutionalization of Gender Equality in the German Bundeswehr and the United States Armed Forces

Jennifer Wrobel

• Publisher: GRIN Verlag
• Year: 2009
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9783640489145
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Marriage & Family Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject Sociology - Relationships and Family, grade: 1,3, Ruhr-University of Bochum, course: Gender and Organization, language: English, abstract: Ever since women have entered the professional world, constructions and notions of gender and gender equality have become relevant – not only do they reflect changes and developments in society but also have had a deep impact on (and the change of) organizations. It seems that gender equality has presented a challenge for all kinds of organizations – but in not other organization, gender has been as central and (as it seems) as difficult to handle as in the military. The military has always been an organization in which social perceptions and constructions of gender have been prevalent – it is one of the last institutions where the monopole of power has throughout rested with men (Gabbert 2007, 17, Seifert/Eifler 1999, 7). It is an organization where hegemonial masculinity and related concepts such as power, violence and hierarchy have been produced, reproduced and become institutionalized as a dominant structuring feature. [...] Up to now, this seems to have changed: many women in several countries are serving in the military now and are not confined to certain positions anymore; they are allowed to serve at arms and in combat and thus face the same requirements as well as the same career prospects as their male comrades. This change is the result of a long-lasting and difficult process which was brought about by several developments; most of all, it reflects overall cultural and societal changes and pressures. Laws and quotas concerning and securing gender equality have been enacted and instances such as equal opportunity commissioners have been established in the military in several countries. But does this really mean that gender equality in the military is really completely achieved and has become an institution? In how far has gender equality been institutionalized? These questions lead to the central question of this paper: can the "mission" of the institutionalization of gender equality in the military be regarded as "accomplished"? [...) For which reasons is gender equality established? Which factors influence or impede the process of institutionalization? How is it organized, how is it represented, and in how far is it really implemented, internalized and realized? And in the end: how is the present state of the institutionalization of gender equality to evaluate? I argue that the "mission" of gender equality in the military only can be seen as "accomplished" if…