The Postmodern Military: Armed Forces after the Cold War - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195133293 ISBN 13: 9780195133295

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1999

Synopsis

The end of the Cold War has brought about momentous changes within the armed forces in Western societies. The Postmodern Military examines these changes by presenting a general theoretical model of national military transformation--what the editors define as the "postmodern" military. The modern military that emerged in the nineteenth century was associated with the rise of the nation-state. It was a conscripted mass army, war-oriented in mission, masculine in makeup and ethos, and sharply differentiated in structure and culture from civilian society. The postmodern military, by contrast, loosens the ties with the nation-state, becomes multipurpose in mission, and moves toward a smaller volunteer force. It is increasingly androgynous in makeup and ethos and has greater permeability with civilian society. This book examines contemporary civil-military trends by looking at the militaries of the United States and twelve other Western democracies. An international team of leading military sociologists assesses the postmodern thesis in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Postmodern Military provides students and defense professionals with a foundation on which to base organizational and personnel policies. It also gives the general reader an opportunity to learn what life is really like in today's military and how it is both the same and different around the world.

About this title

About the Author

Charles C. Moskos is Professor in the Department of Sociology at Northwestern University.
John Allen Williams is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago.
David R. Segal is Director of the Center for Research on Military Organization and Professor in the Department of Sociology and the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland.

Review

"A timely concept splendidly executed...brings to bear an arsenal of the highest-caliber insights. This is one of the few genuinely-worthwhile books on contemporary military affairs...highly recommended!"-Ralph Peters, author of Fighting for the Future

"It has been said that no great power has reformed its military absent a major military defeat. This book offers a blueprint, a compass, and hope for 21st Century America to avoid this fate. It should become central in a post-Cold War debate over the future of the American military."-Gary Hart, Co-chair, U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century and former member, Senate Armed Services committee

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0195133293
• ISBN 13: 9780195133295
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304
• Editor: Moskos Charles C., Williams John Allen, Segal David R.