Woman in Combat
Abstract
This thesis polls veterans of war and active duty men and women about their attitudes toward the assignment of women to combat units. The question is extremely complex, involving a cross section of social and military factors. Two powerful social forces are in collision here: The push for women's equal rights is in conflict with deeply rooted traditions that question the propriety of women under arms. The fact that public politics support equal opportunity in principle is indisputable, virtually every published opinion poll taken on the subject confirms it. However, the extent to which people will accept equality in practice, including committing women to combat, is less clear; virtually no public opinion polls have been taken on the subject. Also at odds are the more practical issues related to national security: the budgetary advantages of recruiting more women are at variance with perceived risk to the U.S. national interest. It is clear, were women to constitute a larger proportion of the military establishment, that personnel quality (measured by educational level, general intelligence and aptitude) would improve.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA200593
Entities
People
- Kathleen F. Kirk
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School