1. How is warfare and the military that applies war socially constructed?
The military requires a combined and cohesive force to wage war effectively and successfully. A force unified in identity and purpose. For a war campaign to be effective, every member of a combat force must identify with the collective and put the needs of that combat force above his own. This collective mentality is cultivated from the first day of boot camp where an individual will lose his first name, his choice of clothing, and his social status. With the suppression of self-identifying traits, the individual is accepted as part of a larger body that is the military identity. This identity is designed for obedience, self-regulation, and adherence to good order. To maintain this
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The goal around which war is constructed is to establish peace in the future. The relief and celebration associated with the end of warfare proves that warfare is not a natural state for human beings. The American military is constructed on the basis that war is the last option to be enacted, but the military must structure and train itself to meet that requirement if it is required. War is questionable morally and to conduct complete warfare, the soldier must hold his obligation to his fellow combatant’s lives higher then he holds his value of his enemy’s lives. The bond between combatants in a military force is cultivated in training and the suppression of individualism for the collective good, that bond is forged and solidified through the struggle and stress of combat operations. In my opinion, the United States military wages controlled warfare and maintains ROE and conduct guidance to restrict violence waged against civilians, especially women and children. This allows American military members a morality in (and after) warfare that places the long-term benefits of warfare above the short-term consequences of violence.
...am War is not just history but the fundamental part of our history. Therefore, it needs to be taken seriously. Only if we take it seriously, can we prevent ourselves from doing the same mistakes again. It also teaches how the war policies and authorities can blind us from the real reason behind the war. It is important to also know the enemy and plan accordingly. One can clearly see that higher technologies can go wrong when accompanied with failed strategies. Most important of the all it makes the readers reconsider their definition of just-war. Most important of all, “Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam” by Christian G. Appy teaches us how education and economic advantages can help us from facing the worst.
The United States Army is an important subculture within our society. It has many uniquely defining attributes, which separate it from the general culture and from the subcultures of the other branches of the military. The Army’s subculture is critical to the effective operation and discipline of the Army. The Army is critical to the survival of our country, our society, and our way of life. Only certain individuals are willing to accept the demands of this subculture to be soldiers in order to preserve our freedoms for their own, and future, generations.
Once it was different. When we went to the district commandant to enlist, we were a class of twenty young men, many of whom proudly shaved for the first time before going to the barracks. We had no definite plans for our future. Our thoughts of a career and occupation were as yet of too unpractical a character to furnish any scheme of life. We were still crammed full of vague ideas which gave to life, and to the war also an ideal and almost romantic character. We were trained in the army for ten weeks and in this time more profoundly influenced than by ten years at school (Remarque 25).
But in truth a true war story will stir great feelings, but may not contain a moral at all. In fact, a true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain men from doing th...
Historical events can play an important role in a person's life. In A Separate Peace, the whole atmosphere at the Devon School changed as World War II progressed. The boys either eagerly awaited the draft, enlisted in the area of war they wanted, or did not want to go at all. The students at the school created new activities for enjoyment since the customary past times could not be played due to a lack of materials. When a friend "returns" from the war, the boys at Devon got a real sense of what the war was like. The boys learned that going to war was not all fun and games like they had anticipated. The influence World War II had on the characters in A Separate Peace and on life at the Devon School was clearly depicted through their actions and activities.
“Wounded Platoon” is a documentary that delves into the severe effects of tours and post-traumatic stress on young individuals in the U.S. Army. This documentary mainly focuses on the psychological aspect of PTSD and the effects of war on the soldiers. However, looking at it from a sociological approach, it’s clear to see the role of group dynamics, teams and leadership in the behaviors of soldiers prior to their discharge from the war front.
A true war story is never moral. It does not instruct, nor encourage virtue, nor suggest models of proper human behavior, nor restrain ...
War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, written by the talented author Chris Hedges, gives us provoking thoughts that are somewhat painful to read but at the same time are quite personal confessions. Chris Hedges, a talented journalist to say the least, brings nearly 15 years of being a foreign correspondent to this book and subjectively concludes how all of his world experiences tie together. Throughout his book, he unifies themes present in all wars he experienced first hand. The most important themes I was able to draw from this book were, war skews reality, dominates culture, seduces society with its heroic attributes, distorts memory, and supports a cause, and allures us by a constant battle between death and love.
and Drill Instructors see Boot Camp. Why did he pick the Marines as his topic? Attracted to the Corps perception and morale, Thomas E. Ricks expresses the Marines as the only service still upholding its honor and tradition. Due to society changing into a commercial society with a “me” attitude, civilians focus on how they can splendor themselves with material items—never looking at the big picture at all that we can accomplish as a team if we give our heart and soul to life. Team means everyone on earth, for we are the people that provide for one another with peace and prosperity.
But, drafted or enlisted, the recruit had to look forward to the same period of basic training, when individual differences were supposed to be discarded to make way for the new group identity and goals. In Knowles' novel, this transition from a small prep school to military service looms as a big adjustment, one that proves too much for one Devon student.
The marching of the boots upon the mud of the war zone, bullets flying left and right, the sound of victory is the ultimate goal. Looking through history, there are clearly different stages of war. At first war can be seen as a glorified act of patriotism in which transforms into the harsh reality of the downfall of soldiers. The institutional idea that glories the beautiful act of nationalism was created through “The Soldier”, by Rupert Brooke, and “the Gettysburg Address” read by Abraham Lincoln, greatly contrasts the brutal reality shown in “They” written by Siegfried Sassoon. Although all three works are similar in viewing war as transformative, they all vary in the stages in which it will affect the people involved.
The two distinct approaches to the study of war provide a lens of analysis, one practical and focused on the physical realm, the other philosophical and focused on the moral and mental realms. We have two different schools of thought regarding the nature and purpose
One thing obviously has not changed: war is still an ongoing part of the life of a nation. The United States especially has been involved in so many wars and conflicts from its formation that one begins to wonder whether it has become embedded in American society. According to Sun Tzu, “Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Way (Tao) to survival or extinction. It must be thoroughly pondered and analyzed”. Sun Tzu stated that there are five factors to take into account when considering who will come out of a conflict victorious. These are: The Tao, Heaven, Earth, the generals and the laws for military organization and discipline. These five overarching themes f...
World War I, an event which changed the geopolitical makeup as well as the attitudes of the world, consisted of people killing other people. In fact, every war is made up of people. In the day to day lives of civilians today, whether watching the news or reading a history book, the personal aspect of wars, particularly, is lost to many people. The notion that every soldier is a human being with likes, dislikes, talents, families, and favorite foods would certainly be acknowledged on a multiple-choice test, but practically it seems to be forgotten. Books like An American Soldier in World War I¸ however, help ground the massive geopolitical turmoil involved in a war like the Great War in the reality of humanity. The book’s goal is to look at
War has been around for centuries. From the time modern civilizations began, war has played an integral part in human history. It shaped the world into the modern world we live in. War has been said to be a great motivator, for example, the Great Wall of China was built to fend off the attackers from the north. However, the negative aspects of war far outweighs any positive effects it might have. The destruction of civilizations, cities and countries, mass killings of men, woman and children alike, the disastrous effect it has on economy and the after effects of war can last for centuries.