A New Generation of Women

A New Generation of Women? How Female ROTC Cadets Negotiate the Tension between Masculine Military Culture and Traditional Femininity

Introduction

The military of the masculine culture appears in total difference with the female attributes or characteristics of women officers. The role of women soldiers in the war of Iraq has set up the concept of a new generation of women (Silva, 2008). The military is playing an important role in empowering to women, provided that the demands of military are mentally and physically tough. The military demands are also goal-oriented and requires such aggressive soldiers who possess skills of weaponry, violence and eventually death. These women soldiers who adopt non-feminine characteristics and behaviors are also required to retain or preserve their identity as women (Silva, 2008).

The perspective of the conflict theory as a sociological approach illustrates that social activity is best recognized in terms of tension or conflict among dissimilar groups. The sociologists of conflict theory perceive a society being in stable struggle (Malone, 2000). According to the perception of the society of conflict theory, society seems to be in full struggle and tension between groups. Social change occurs by force and takes place constantly. The main idea of the perspective of social theory is the competing interests among all the groups that are living in the society and thus conflict remains in the society because of inequality in the society (Malone, 2000).

Discussion

Considering the context of Hays and Sewell on women in military, in which the question regarding the understandings of identity of gender in addition to the gender relations is raised. As soldiering appears to be mainly masculine and male activity, then how women enter into the military institution (Silva, 2008). Many scholars view the participation of women in the military as essential because it helps them ...