Thesis Chapters by Jarrod Pendlebury
Many of the arguments supporting diversity in the military focus on the instrumental benefits ava... more Many of the arguments supporting diversity in the military focus on the instrumental benefits available to an organization that embraces differences. Viewed through this lens, diversity risks becoming another "to do," and prioritized according to available resources. Arguing for diversity primarily from the basis of the "capability argument" also fails to challenge the as yet unresolved perceived tension between a military's com-bat effectiveness, and its adherence to the values and laws of the state it protects. This thesis seeks to reframe the diversity debate by arguing that a diverse military reflective of the demography of society is a fundamental necessity in a Western liberal democracy. The paper uses sociological theory to posit that current approaches to diversity in the US Air Force overlook the role of identity in molding behavioral norms and influencing the ability of the organization to process and integrate difference. Using the US Air Force Academy as a case study, this thesis seeks to determine how identities are constructed in early officer training, and how these nascent identities might influence the overall levels of diversity within the organization. By blending quantitative and qualitative evidence, this project concludes that the US Air Force Academy constructs and cultivates exclusive identities that conflict with government initiatives to build a diverse and inclusive organization. The analysis concludes with a number of policy recommendations that the author believes might be beneficial initial steps in re-casting the dominant identity of the US Air Force officer corps.
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Papers by Jarrod Pendlebury
Routledge eBooks, Jan 6, 2023
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McGill-Queen's University Press eBooks, Sep 10, 2022
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Armed Forces & Society, Nov 11, 2018
This article explores models of identity at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Drawing on qualitative da... more This article explores models of identity at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Drawing on qualitative data gathered through a number of focus groups with cadets, it finds that despite technological changes that have revolutionized the battle space and policy efforts to shift the cultural identity of the forces, ideal identities remain infused with concepts that value the classical model of the heroic masculine. It suggests that functionally, this highly prized “warrior” ethos is becoming less relevant but could have the effect of undermining efforts to “diversify” the Academy. In the absence of a fundamental reconsideration of what constitutes the “ideal” air force officer, efforts to alter the demography and exclusionary culture at the Academy will be stymied.
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Routledge eBooks, Jan 6, 2023
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: Many of the arguments supporting diversity in the military focus on the instrumental benefits a... more : Many of the arguments supporting diversity in the military focus on the instrumental benefits available to an organization that embraces differences. Viewed through this lens, diversity risks becoming another to do, and prioritized according to available resources. Arguing for diversity primarily from the basis of the capability argument also fails to challenge the as yet unresolved perceived tension between a militarys com-bat effectiveness, and its adherence to the values and laws of the state it protects. This thesis seeks to reframe the diversity debate by arguing that a diverse military reflective of the demography of society is a fundamental necessity in a Western liberal democracy. The paper uses sociological theory to posit that current approaches to diversity in the US Air Force overlook the role of identity in molding behavioral norms and influencing the ability of the organization to process and integrate difference. Using the US Air Force Academy as a case study, this ...
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Armed Forces & Society
This article explores models of identity at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Drawing on qualitative da... more This article explores models of identity at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Drawing on qualitative data gathered through a number of focus groups with cadets, it finds that despite technological changes that have revolutionized the battle space and policy efforts to shift the cultural identity of the forces, ideal identities remain infused with concepts that value the classical model of the heroic masculine. It suggests that functionally, this highly prized “warrior” ethos is becoming less relevant but could have the effect of undermining efforts to “diversify” the Academy. In the absence of a fundamental reconsideration of what constitutes the “ideal” air force officer, efforts to alter the demography and exclusionary culture at the Academy will be stymied.
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Armed Forces and Society, 2018
This article explores models of identity at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Drawing on qualitative da... more This article explores models of identity at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Drawing on qualitative data gathered through a number of focus groups with cadets, it finds that despite technological changes that have revolutionized the battle space and policy efforts to shift the cultural identity of the forces, ideal identities remain infused with concepts that value the classical model of the heroic masculine. It suggests that functionally, this highly prized “warrior” ethos is becoming less relevant but could have the effect of undermining efforts to “diversify” the Academy. In the absence of a fundamental reconsideration of what constitutes the “ideal” air force officer, efforts to alter the demography and exclusionary culture at the Academy will be stymied.
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Books by Jarrod Pendlebury
Processes and Practices in Military Training and Education, 2019
Initial training at military academies and officer training schools is an intensive period of soc... more Initial training at military academies and officer training schools is an intensive period of socialisation; the transformation of new recruits into functioning military officer is expected to occur within a relatively short timeframe. Often this training is conducted in a socially detached environment that closely resembles Erving Goffman’s “total institution”. By design, this social isolation seeks to focus the development of a unique military identity congruent with the values of the broader organization. Yet such social isolation can also breed norms and behaviours that contradict values espoused by the government a military is bound to serve.
This chapter will mobilise Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice in an effort to understand the construction of military identity in air force officer basic training. Drawing on focus group data from air force training schools in the UK, US and Australia, I will explore the unique environment of the officer training institution, presenting Royal Air Force College Cranwell, The United States Air Force Academy and The Australian Defence Force Academy as social fields serving to coordinate a coherent and uniform air force habitus. The chapter will argue that a Bourdieusian analysis of training institutions offers a way to understand how divergence can occur between the values and norms of Government and those of the military in a liberal democracy. Moreover, this chapter will demonstrate the utility of Bourdieu’s theory to contemporary efforts to create representative and inclusive military forces.
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Thesis Chapters by Jarrod Pendlebury
Papers by Jarrod Pendlebury
Books by Jarrod Pendlebury
This chapter will mobilise Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice in an effort to understand the construction of military identity in air force officer basic training. Drawing on focus group data from air force training schools in the UK, US and Australia, I will explore the unique environment of the officer training institution, presenting Royal Air Force College Cranwell, The United States Air Force Academy and The Australian Defence Force Academy as social fields serving to coordinate a coherent and uniform air force habitus. The chapter will argue that a Bourdieusian analysis of training institutions offers a way to understand how divergence can occur between the values and norms of Government and those of the military in a liberal democracy. Moreover, this chapter will demonstrate the utility of Bourdieu’s theory to contemporary efforts to create representative and inclusive military forces.
This chapter will mobilise Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social practice in an effort to understand the construction of military identity in air force officer basic training. Drawing on focus group data from air force training schools in the UK, US and Australia, I will explore the unique environment of the officer training institution, presenting Royal Air Force College Cranwell, The United States Air Force Academy and The Australian Defence Force Academy as social fields serving to coordinate a coherent and uniform air force habitus. The chapter will argue that a Bourdieusian analysis of training institutions offers a way to understand how divergence can occur between the values and norms of Government and those of the military in a liberal democracy. Moreover, this chapter will demonstrate the utility of Bourdieu’s theory to contemporary efforts to create representative and inclusive military forces.