The end of the Cold War augurs momentous changes within armed forces in Western societies. Clarification of these changes is the purpose of The Postmodern Military. The armed forces of the United States and those of other Western developed democracies are moving toward a postmodern format. The modern military that fully emerged in the nineteenth century was associated with the rise of the nation-state, war oriented in mission, a conscripted mass army, masculine in makeup and ethos, and sharply differentiated in structure and culture from civilian society. The postmodern military, by contrast, undergoes a loosening of the ties with the nation-state, becomes multipurpose in mission, moves toward a smaller volunteer force, is increasingly androgynous in makeup and ethos, and has greater permeability with civilian society. The Postmodern Military assesses contemporary civil-military trends by first looking at specific areas in the U.S. military. Then, an international team of leading military sociologists assesses the postmodern thesis in twelve countries (Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the UK).
This book provides the student and defense professional with a foundation on which to base organizational and personal policies. It also has much to tell the general reader about what life is really like in today's military and how it is both the same and different around the world.