This volume sets out an agenda for the social scientific study of Special Operations Forces in Western industrial democracies, using case studies from around the world.

1. Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Social Science: An Introductory Essay, Eyal Ben-Ari, Jessica Glicken Turnley, Kobi Michael PART I: The Emergence of Special Operations Forces 2. The Evolution of SOF and Rise of SOF Power, Bernd Horn 3. The Special Operations Forces Mosaic: A Portrait for Discussion, Emily Spencer 4. Warrior-Diplomats and Ungoverned Spaces: Narratives of Possibilities, Jessica Glicken Turnley PART II: Civilian Control and Public Imagery 5. Special Operations Forces (SOF) as the "Silver Bullet": Strategic Helplessness and Weakened Institutional and Extra-Institutional Civilian Control, Kobi Michael 6. "Unintended Acceleration": The Problematique of Civil-Military Relations of Special Operations Forces in the American Context, James Kiras PART III: Social Dynamics, Organizational Processes and Challenges 7. The Seaman's Council: A SOFish Way of Making Decisions, Tone Danielsen 8. Service Cultures and Collective Military Action: Successful Joint Operations by the Israeli Air Force and Special Operations Forces, Uzi Ben-Shalom and Yuval Tsur 9. Dutch Forward Air Controllers in Uruzgan: Aspects of Cooperation, Courage, Responsibility, Legitimacy and.... People Getting Killed, Wout Jansen and Sjo Soeters 10. In Search of Intelligence: The Dutch Special Forces in Mali, Sebastian Rietjens and Jelle Zomer 11. Aiming to Punch above Their Weight: The Belgian Special Forces, Delphine Resteigne 12. Integrating Men and Women within Naval Special Warfare Combat Teams, Deborah Gibbons, Alan Nelson and Jim Suchan PART IV: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and the Military Institution 13. The Self and the Mirror: Institutional Tensions and Canadian Special Operations Forces, Eric Oullet Chapter Fourteen: Zeev Drory, Eyal Lewin and Eyal Ben-Ari: Special Forces, Ethos and Technology: The Case of Israel's Haruv Reconnaissance Unit 15. Organizational Entrepreneurship and Special Forces: The First Isreali Helicopter Squadron and the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Matkal), Lior Brichta and Eyal Ben-Ari 16. The diffusion of innovation: SOF in Iraq, Rebecca Jensen PART V: Psychological Perspectives 17. Profiling the Swedish Ranger: Perceptions of Motivation, Profession and Risk and Safety Issues, Johan Osterberg, Marcus Borjesson, and Ann Enander 18. The Resilience of SOF Personnel, Irina Goldenberg and Mathieu Saindon PART VI: Setting (Special) Agendas 19. What is Special about Special Operations Forces?, Anthony King 20. A Social Scientific Agenda for the Study of SOF, Eyal Ben-Ari, Jessica Glicken Turnley, Kobi Michael