Preparing for Peace: Military Identity, Value Orientations, and Professional Military Education

by Volker Franke

Overview

Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. military forces have participated in an increasingly complex array of military operations, from disaster relief and peacekeeping to deadly combat. The unique nature of many of these missions calls into question what it means to be a soldier and may require adjustments not only in military doctrine, but also in the military's combat-oriented warrior identity. Franke examines the extent to which individuals who will lead U.S. forces in the 21st century are prepared cognitively to shift among mission requirements.

Using survey methods, Franke explores the social, political, and professional attitudes and values of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. By comparing cadets' responses across classes, he assesses the effects of military socialization on their commitment to the military's dual-mission purpose and their cognitive preparation for combat and non-combat assignments. By developing a dynamic model of social identity, Franke extends the applicability of social identity theory from the experimental laboratory environment to a genuine social field setting. Assessing the dynamic relationship between identity, values, and attitudes for identifications that are normatively meaningful to respondents, he illustrates the importance of individuals' identification with social groups for their behavioral choices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275963385
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/30/1999
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)
Lexile:	1540L (what's this?)

About the Author

VOLKER FRANKE is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Western Maryland College. He also serves as Director and Managing Editor of the Maxwell/SAIS National Security Studies Case Studies Program. Franke's articles have appeared in Armed Forces and Society, The Jourbanal of Political and Military Sociology, and The Jourbanal of Conflict Studies.

Table of Contents

Foreword by The Honorable Sean O'Keefe
Preface
Global Security after the Cold War
Resolving Identity Tensions
Military Identity: Old Ammo in New Weapons?
Duty, Honor, Country: The West Point Experience
Learning Peace: Value-Orientations of West Point Cadets
The Social Identity of West Point Cadets
Professional Military Education: From Student to Officer
Warriors for Peace: Socializing Military Leaders for Shifting Roles
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

Franke (political science, Western Maryland College) explores conflict between the compatibility of traditional military culture and contemporary missions. He examines both the military culture and the new missions the armed forces are confronting, analyzing the disposition, training, and perception of aspiring military leaders compared to the challenges the military has encountered in the post- Cold War period. He suggests that preparation for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions is a function both of the socialization process and military training. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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