In spite of all the attention that has been devoted to men's identity in recent years, the links between men and the military have until now remained unquestioned, and thus unexplored. This groundbreaking volume deconstructs the traditional stereotypes of military identity and makes a strong case for a plurality of identities within a range of theoretical and empirical contexts. Drawing on various disciplines-including sociology, anthropology, ethnography, human geography, and feminist epistemology-the contributors consider the ways in which military masculine identities are created and sustained in the armed forces and the societies in which they operate. Though mainly focused on the British army, this volume explores universal issues such as violence among military communities, the identity of women in the military, and the treatment of conscientious objectors.

Considers the ways in which military masculine identities are created and sustained in the armed forces and the societies in which they operate.

Foreword: On Men, Women, Militarism, and the Military by Jeff HearnIntroduction: Putting Men and the Military on the Agenda by Paul R. HigateThe Roots of Military Masculinity by Marcia KovitzNo More Heroes: Masculinity in the Infantry by John Hockey"Soft Clerks" and "Hard Civvies": Pluralizing Military Masculinities by Paul R. HigateLocating Military Masculinities: Space, Place, and the Formation of Gender Identity and the British Army by Rachel WoodwardThe Home Guard in Britain in the Second World War: Uncertain Masculinities? by Penny Summerfield and Corinna Peniston-BirdViolence in the Military Community by Deborah HarrisonMasculinity in Work and Family Lives: Implications for Military Service and Resettlement by Samantha Regan de BereThe State and Military Masculinity by John HoptonConscientious Objectors in the Great War: The Consequuences of Rejecting Military Masculinities by Lois BibbingsThe Popular Press and the Creation of Military Masculinities in Georgian Britain by Robert McGregorThe Militarization of Masculinity in the Former German Democratic Republic by Andrew BickfordMilitarism and Masculinity as Keys to the "Jewish Question" in Germany by Gregory A. CaplanThe Military and Masculinities in Israeli Society by Uta KleinConcluding Thoughts: Looking to the Future by Paul R. HigateBibliographyIndex