Societal Values and Their Effect upon the Military
Abstract
One of the most debated questions involving the U.S. military is the question of the proper relationship between it and society. The debate seems to focus on three theories; convergence, divergence, or catious limited linkage. The convergence theory presumes a total joining of military and civilian values systems. The divergence theory stresses professional isolation between the military and society. The third theory is a combination of the first two; that is, a commitment within each society to common values while maintaining separateness and uniqueness. It is hard to imagine that in a democratic society there would not be a linkage between military values and societal values. Yet historians can easily point out that in America this linkage has not always existed, and when it did exist it was transparent. The evidence collected in this study project suggests that the association between the U.S. military and American society was very distant in the late 1990s. However, by the 1950s the values of these two communities had converged. That convergence still exists today. During the decades of the 1960s and 1970s, this convergence was visible and surfaced for all to evaluate and judge. So controversial was the linkage that it even brought into question the very professionalism of the military. This paper explores the issues of linkage and professionalism. It will show that the military value system is one that is tied to the social fabric of American society. (SDW)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 30, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA222896
Entities
People
- James J. Bahr
Organizations
- United States Army War College