The Sociological Dimensions of Military Co-Optation in the United States*

The American military exercises social control at home as well as abroad, by non-violent as well as violent means. Especially significant is its use of differential co-optative appeals to control potentially revolutionary strata of youth. Through an examination of military recruiting literature it is possible to discover that different inducements for enlistment, ranging from professionalism to patriotism are offered to women, intellectuals, minority and working class youth. Further, through selectively granting deferments as part of the channeling process, the Selective Service System reinforces the American social structure. Such reinforcement is necessary for the preservation of American corporate liberalism, but simultaneously contributes to the radicalization of youth as a class.