Date of Graduation

5-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Sociology (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Sociology and Criminal Justice

Advisor/Mentor

Holyfield, Lori C.

Committee Member

Zajicek, Anna M.

Second Committee Member

Morimoto, Shauna A.

Keywords

Social sciences; Combat; Gender; Hegemonic; Masculinity; Roles; Women

Abstract

This study utilizes discursive data to examine how the strategic use of narratives inform policies that shape women's participation in military service overall and more specific, the current controversy over exclusion of women from participation in combat roles within the U.S. military. Specifically, I examine popular military newspapers, blogs and the Department of Defense 2012 Report regarding policies and regulations of female service members. In this study, I provide a sociological analysis of current military-cultural narratives and the institutional narrative discussing women's participation in combat roles in order to provide evidence of the current threat to the military form of hegemonic masculinity.

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