Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Boene, Bernard

Titel

Shifting to All-Volunteer Armed Forces: Context, Reasons, Functional and Sociopolitical Impact

Ist Teil von

• Revue française de sociologie, 2003-10, Vol.44 (4), p.647-693

Erscheinungsjahr

2003

Quelle

Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The rise of volunteer armed forces is not a novel trend: it started long ago & gathered strength gradually as a consequence of the slow decline of conscript-based mass armies. The demise of the East-West standoff has radicalized it; all-volunteer forces are now becoming the norm in Europe. The factors behind such a major shift, both functional & sociopolitical, seem compelling. Yet, they are not decisive per se: the outcome is not predetermined (a handful of countries are resisting the trend), & usually results from voluntarist moves by one or a few political actors. When the decision has been made, the transition is generally successful, & is for that reason cut short. Structural & institutional changes follow in short order that rapidly move military establishments away from their old "total institution" format. Under favorable circumstances, social & cultural marginalization is averted. However, despite an excellent public image today, the risk of growing societal indifference is ever present, & shortfalls in recruitment & retention at rank & file level are a distinct possibility. The influence of the new all-volunteer organizational format on European military identities is generally in the direction of "pragmatic professionalism," which strongly contrasts with cases elsewhere (notably in the US) where other factors induce an uncooperative, "radical professional" culture that is apt to generate political tensions. While the post-Cold War era has ushered in a new balance of civil-military relations at the political-military interface, all-professional armed forces are no longer viewed with the kind of alarm that long prevailed during the 20th century. Finally, the rise of the new dominant organizational format is fraught with unanticipated consequences: it severely limits the military options of ruling politicians, & enhances trends toward internationalization of security. 68 References. Adapted from the source document.