In the following bachelor thesis I want to examine the impact of the deployment of drones on the interpretation of maleness, configuration of Gender structures and hierarchy between different masculinities within the US military. I argue that while there has always been technological advance altering how wars are fought, the introduction of drones has brought another quality to this development. It allowed the total removal of the executing soldier from the operating site and thereby erased any imminent danger to the pilot completely. With the ascent of these technological advanced methods to fight wars traditional warfare is as much in the decline as the need for heroic fighter jet pilots is. More and more missions are carried out by remotely controlled drones that are better served by a precise, calculating computer than by venturesome and sometimes reckless soldiers.
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Considering the above, I expect the removal of pilots from the battlefield to have a potential impact that exceeds the directly involved soldiers by far, as they formerly symbolized a hegemonic masculinity within military structures. It is my hope that the elaboration on the expected shifting dynamics between different masculinities helps to better understand and ultimately dismantle the patriarchal system of the military.
As outlined above I would like to conduct research to further clarify and link the decline of traditional warfare with a shift in the intra-gender matrix of different masculinities utilizing Connell's categorization and various theoretical clarifications that have been made on the field of Men Studies leading to the following question:
How does the employment of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) in the military have an impact on (hegemonic) masculinity?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. State of research: A different approach
3. ‘Men’s Studies’ and the critique of masculinity
3.1. Connell’s theoretical framework
3.2. Axes of Analysis
3.3. Different Masculinities
3.4. Expansions
3.5. Methodical clarifications
4. Technological development in the military
4.1. The emergence of drones
5. Interpretations of militarized masculinity
5.1. Risk in the face of danger – The aviator
5.2. Responsible and resourceful – The drone pilot
5.3. Comparison
6. Conclusions
Research Objectives and Themes
The thesis examines how the deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) within the US military influences the interpretation of maleness and the configuration of gender structures. The primary research question investigates how this shift in military technology impacts hegemonic masculinity and the intra-gender hierarchy among soldiers.
- The theoretical foundation provided by Raewyn Connell regarding gender hierarchies and hegemonic masculinity.
- The technological evolution of warfare and the transition from traditional, risk-prone combat roles to remotely piloted drone missions.
- A comparative analysis of the self-conception and masculine performance of traditional jet fighter pilots versus drone operators.
- The critique of militarized masculinity and the potential dismantling of patriarchal structures within military organizations.
Excerpt from the Book
5.1. Risk in the face of danger – The aviator
‘We're aviators. We laugh in the face of death.’ (Barrett 1996: 134)
The most prestigious job the military offers in the eyes of many soldiers is the jet fighter pilot: ‘Other naval officers single out jet pilots as the Navy's elite, the object of jealousy and resentment […].’ (Barrett 1996: 135) There is even a distinction between different kinds of aviation mostly based on the probability of having to deal with dangerous situations or even die while carrying out a mission. That does not come as a great surprise considering that the ability to deal with danger and still defend other people is a core value of hegemonic masculinity within the Western cultural framework (Barrett 1996: 140).
As I mentioned before there is a rather diverse list of traits, which allows male soldiers to recur to a lot of different abilities to prove their masculinity. Regardless, there still seems to be a hierarchy between these traits resulting in a resembled social positioning. To clarify this assumption I would like to take a look at how specific traits seem to be able to override others while proving someone’s position all the more. Former U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Dan Hampton is one of the most decorated pilots in the history of aviation. He flew more than 150 combat missions throughout his twenty years in the military (Clarke 2012). In 2012 he published his memoir Viper Pilot, in which he describes several missions of his career. Throughout the book he regularly describes other positions in the military in an almost condescending way emphasizing his own judgment as the decisive component of a mission’s outcome: ‘I swore at the idiots who’d done the mission planning in the six months before the war. They drank coffee, sat on their butts, and generated an enormous amount of material, 90 percent of which was useless.’ (Hampton 2012: 1) This attitude is closely mirrored in observations made over the US Navy in scientific publications: ‘Supply officers are considered 'nonoperational support' and occupy the lowest status in the Navy. They have fewer opportunities to demonstrate courage, autonomy, and perseverance, the hallmark of the hegemonic ideal in this culture. The gendered nature of this status hierarchy is expressed in the derogatory terms used to describe supply officers.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author outlines the link between traditional military service, hegemonic masculinity, and the potential disruption caused by the technological shift toward drone warfare.
2. State of research: A different approach: This chapter reviews existing literature, specifically distinguishing the author’s sociological approach from psychological analyses, and argues for the utility of Raewyn Connell's framework.
3. ‘Men’s Studies’ and the critique of masculinity: The author provides a theoretical overview of critical masculinity studies, detailing Connell’s framework, axes of analysis, and extensions by other scholars like Demetrakis Demetriou.
4. Technological development in the military: This section discusses the revolutionary changes in military technology and focuses on the rapid emergence of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
5. Interpretations of militarized masculinity: The chapter presents a comparative study of the self-perceptions of traditional fighter pilots and drone operators regarding their roles and masculine identities.
6. Conclusions: The author synthesizes the findings, suggesting that the shift toward drone warfare may contribute to a legitimation crisis of traditional patriarchal military hierarchies.
Keywords
Militarized masculinity, Hegemonic masculinity, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Drone warfare, Gender hierarchy, US Military, Raewyn Connell, Patriarchy, Fighter pilots, Technological change, Gender structures, Men's Studies, Military sociology, Combat identity, Remotely piloted aircraft.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this thesis?
The thesis explores the impact of drone technology on military gender structures, specifically examining how the transition from traditional combat to remote warfare affects the construction of hegemonic masculinity.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
The central themes include the evolution of military technology, the sociological framework of masculinity developed by Raewyn Connell, the hierarchy within the military, and the comparison of self-perception between jet pilots and drone operators.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks: "How does the employment of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) in the military have an impact on (hegemonic) masculinity?"
Which scientific method is utilized in the study?
The author employs a qualitative content analysis, using published interviews, autobiographies, and existing scientific literature to analyze the self-presentation and experiences of military personnel.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section establishes the theoretical background using Men's Studies, analyzes technological advancements in warfare, and provides a comparative analysis of how fighter pilots and drone operators construct their masculine identities.
What key terms characterize the research?
Key terms include hegemonic masculinity, militarized masculinity, drone warfare, gender hierarchies, and patriarchal structures.
How does the author define the difference between jet pilots and drone pilots?
Jet pilots are portrayed as relying on traditional markers of hegemonic masculinity such as personal risk-taking and physical danger, while drone pilots are seen as shifting toward a team-oriented, rational, and resource-focused identity that potentially challenges traditional patriarchal norms.
What is the conclusion regarding the impact of drones on military patriarchy?
The author concludes that because drone pilots prioritize mission efficiency and team responsibility over the "heroic" risk-taking associated with traditional fighter jets, their roles may be less effective at maintaining or legitimizing traditional patriarchal military hierarchies.
- Citar trabajo
- Bachelor of Arts Niklas Kuck (Autor), 2015, Masculinities and the Decline of Traditional Warfare, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/374872
