Sources of Perceptions Military Service,
Abstract
Data from the Youth Attitude Tracking Study (YATS) indicate that perceptions of military Service are dominated by word-of-mouth communications with others, particularly persons who are or have been in the military, and by the media -- primarily movies. Each year, two out of five young men discuss military Service with relatives and acquaintances; more often than not, they discuss military Service with those who are or have been in the Armed Services. In addition, they report same-generation friends, most of whom have been in military Service, are a dominant source of impressions of the military, although many report older relatives and friends as sources of impressions. The role of influence is also evident in reasons youth give for entering, or not entering, military Service, and by reasons they give for increased/decreased interest in military Service. Veterans and military members are reported as having a net positive effect on interest in military Service, and most youth know someone -- either of their own generation or older -- who has been in military Service. Finally, evaluation of sources of perceptions, and influences on propensity, are both old and new-Vietnam movies and current events -- veterans of past wars and current military members.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA364075
Entities
People
- Jerry Lehnus
- Mike Wilson
Organizations
- Defense Manpower Data Center