Trends in Military Influences on Army Recruitment: 1915–1953 |
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| Authors: | Peter A. Padilla Mary Riege Laner |
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| Affiliation: | Grew up in Denver, Colorado. After high school, he served in a Special Forces unit early in the Reagan Administration. After his discharge, he attended the University of Northern Colorado where, in 1987, he graduated with a B.A. in sociology and an M.A. in sociology in 1989. In 1997 he was granted his Ph.D. from Arizona State University where he now serves as an assistant professor. His main interests are military sociology, social theory, social psychology, and political sociology.;Professor of sociology and Women's Studies, has focused her research on a variety of courtship- and marriage-related topics, but also has some eclectic research interests. Dr. Laner wrote the Singles article in the Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family (1 995) and the Courtship article for the Encyclopedia of Sociology (revised), 2000. Her recent journal articles include Sex vs. Gender: A renewed plea (2000), The effects of sexual assault on sexual attitudes (with Ashley Redfearn) (2000), Bystander attitudes toward victims of violence: Who's worth helping? (with Mary Benin and Nicole Ventrone) (2001) and Dating scripts revisited (with Nicole Ventrone) (2000). Her most recent book is about dating processes. |
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| Abstract: | The implementation of an all-volunteer force in 1974 sparked academic interest in U.S. Army recruiting. During the past three decades Moskos's (1977) Institution/ Occupation (I/O) thesis has dominated this literature. Moskos held that the U.S. Army was becoming less of an institution and more of an occupation. He warned about the danger of offering monetary incentives for enlistment which, he believed, threatened to transform a patriotic duty into a mere job and might also undermine motivation to fight during wartime. This study examines recruiting theme trends through an analysis of recruitment posters from 1915 to 1953. (In a companion article, we extend the examination from 1954 to 1990.) Findings indicate that the I/O thesis was not borne out (Janowitz 1977) and that military changes, including the emergence of an elite military culture, influenced recruitment themes. |
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