War, Ethics and Justice by Bergman-Rosamond Annika;Phythian Mark;Kerr Rachel;

Author:Bergman-Rosamond, Annika;Phythian, Mark;Kerr, Rachel;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2011-03-31T00:00:00+00:00

6 Ethics, gender and forces for good

Military masculinities in British soldiers’ accounts of Iraq and Afghanistan

Claire Duncanson

The British Army claims to be a ‘force for good’ around the world, prioritising the strengthening of peace and stability in its defence aim (Ministry of Defence 1998, 2003, 2009a), and emphasising the humanitarian aspects of the interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan in all official statements (Ministry of Defence 2009c, 2009b). Cosmopolitan peacekeeping theorists argue that if the complex interventions of the post 9/11 world are to be successful in achieving long term peace and security, new kinds of soldiering will be required (Kaldor 2000; Bellamy and Williams 2004; Elliot and Cheeseman 2004a; Woodhouse and Ramsbotham 2005). It will involve respect for peace building activities rather than seeing them as a poor relation to war-fighting, the proper business of soldiering. Equally, building genuine peace and stability involves a respect and empathy for the ‘distant others’ the intervention is supposed to be supporting - viewing them as equal partners in the project of creating security. These two ingredients are essential components of what can be termed the morality of being a force for good. This chapter argues that the British Army is some way off developing the morality of being a force for good. It contends that another morality, the morality of camaraderie, which involves loyalty to one’s comrades and courage and endurance under fire, is much stronger in the British Army, and trumps the morality of being a force for good in ways that are connected to the gendered identity of the British soldier.

Feminist scholars have long pointed out that ideas about masculinity have always been central to the identity of being a soldier (Elshtain 1982; Enloe 1983, 1993; Tickner 1992; Cooke and Woollacott 1993; Zalewski and Parpart 1998; Cockburn 2001; Whitworth 2004; Parpart and Zalewski 2008). As such, any reconceputalisation of soldiering will necessarily involve a reconstruction of the masculine self identity of soldiers. Military masculinities are complex and contradictory and have changed over time, but nonetheless a strong connection between soldiering, masculinity and warfighting has proved resilient. As I go on to explain, this connection both reinforces and is reinforced by what I term the morality of camaraderie. Using British soldiers’ autobiographical reflections, this chapter investigates the constructions of masculinity of British soldiers operating in Iraq and Afghanistan. How does the operational environment influence the construction of military masculinities? Are the practices associated with warfighting and with the morality of camaraderie - toughness under fire, courage, endurance, loyalty - valorised as much as they always have been? Or are there signs of a reconstruction of masculinity reflecting the concentration on activities associated with peacebuilding? Is there evidence of as much respect for peacebuilding activities as there is for combat? Is there evidence of respect and empathy for ‘distant others’? In other words, are there signs of the development of the morality of being a force for good?

The chapter outlines two main themes emanating from the soldiers’ reflections. First, a reinforcement of the

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