Military culture within the U.S military : A perspective from within, focusing on gender and the military brotherhood.

Abstract: Despite the picture portraying the U.S as a western, democratic and equal country, the U.S military has faced several downfalls when it comes to its female force, especially in relation to sexual assault. This study poses the question of how can western ‘model countries’ such as the U.S, promote democracy when its military institution seem to miss one of the central pillars to a democratic society that is equality. Furthermore, the study seeks to dive further into the military culture of the U.S military in order to understand if women adjust to the military culture or if the military culture adjusts to the influx of women. By examining narratives of male and female soldiers and veterans, who tell their stories online, this research is conducted as a case study, using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital and Judith Butler’s theory of performative gender as an analytical tool in order to recontextualize the findings and gain a further understanding of the military culture from an inside perspective. In conclusion, the study essentially confirms the notion of the military constituting a male centered culture, as well as a crowd oriented culture, which contributes to females adjusting to the culture rather than it adjusting to the influx of women. In addition to this, gender equality is perceived as something applied by actors from the outside when it is convenient or solely talked about with respect to physical capabilities. Ultimately, research in relation to the U.S military needs to include a focus on culture in order for it to change and become gender equal.