The reproduction of social structure of the russian forces in military professional education

Affiliation: Military Educational and Scientific Centre of the Air Force N.E. Zhukovsky and Y.A. Gagarin Air Force Academy
Address: Russian Federation, Voronezh

Journal name

Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya

Edition

Issue 2

Pages

81-91

Abstract

The social structure of the armed forces is being transformed in the direction of deepening the division of military labor, civil-military convergence, gender integration and professionalization of non-commissioned officers. These changes are reflected in the military professional education system as a social institution for the reproduction of the Army’s social structure. The article attempts to highlight the display of new trends of the transformation of the social structure of the armed forces by the military establishment. There are presented the results of content analysis of interviews with officials of the Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation on the problems of military professional education in Russia from 2009 to 2020. The authors reveal the intraprofessional differentiation of military professionals in terms of the labor content into unique military commanders and those who have a great similarity with civil engineers and other professionals. In the view of the military establishment, military education is still intended to reproduce the traditional social structure of the armed forces, developing in cadets commanding, moral and psychological qualities that are not available to civilian specialists. Civil universities are perceived by experts as a reserve source of training military personnel in times of crisis. The social request to integrate women into the military profession does not find a response in the military department, experts often support gender segregation in the army. Attempts to strengthen the professional status of sergeants, warrant officers and midshipmen by providing them with secondary vocational education rather contribute to the marginalization of this category of military personnel.

Keywords

social structure of the Armed Forces, military professional education, military profession, civil-military relations, content analysis

Received

26.02.2021

Publication date

25.03.2021

Number of characters

26023

Cite

GOST	Karlova E. The reproduction of social structure of the russian forces in military professional education // Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya – 2021. – Issue 2 C. 81-91 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/socis/s013216250014043-0-1-en (circulation date: 19.03.2025). DOI: 10.31857/S013216250011053-1
MLA	Karlova, Ekaterina "The reproduction of social structure of the russian forces in military professional education." Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya 2 (2021):81-91. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250011053-1
APA	Karlova E. (2021). The reproduction of social structure of the russian forces in military professional education. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (2), pp.81-91 DOI: 10.31857/S013216250011053-1

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 1154

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Beloshitsky A.V., Karlova E. N. (2019) Training of scientific and pedagogical personnel in higher military schools: social factors of effectiveness. Vestnik Voronezhskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya: problemy vysshego obrazovaniya [Bulletin of the Voronezh State University. Series: problems of higher education]. No. 3: 23–27. (In Russ.)

2. Bondarenko V. F. (2002) Specialization and diversification within the military organization. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological studies]. No. 12: 73–76. (In Russ.)

3. Caforio G. (2006) Trends and Evolution in the Military Profession. In: Caforio G. (ed) Social sciences and the military: An Interdisciplinary Overview. New York: Routledge: 181–196.

4. Chukin S.G. (2018) Military education as a socio-cultural institute. Uchonye zapiski universiteta imeni P. F. Lesgafta [Scientific notes of University named after P. F. Lesgaft]. No. 9: 296–303. (In Russ.)

5. Gerbach Zh.V. (2018) Institutionalization of female military personnel in the modern Russian army. Problemy sociologii [Problems of sociology]. No. 1: 179–183. (In Russ.)

6. Heinecken L. (2008) Discontent Within the Ranks?: Officers' Attitudes Toward Military Employment and Representation – A Four-Country Comparative Study. Armed Forces and Society. Vol. 3: 477–500.

7. Heinecken L., Soeters J. (2018) Managing Diversity: From Exclusion to Inclusion and Valuing Difference. In: Caforio G., Niciari M. (eds) Handbook of the Sociology of the Military. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Cham: Springer: 327–339.

8. Huntington S.P. (1957) The soldier and the state: the theory and politics of civil-military relations. Cambrige: The Balknap Press of Harvard University Press.

9. Janowitz M. (1959) Sociology and the military establishment. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

10. Janowitz M. (1964) The Professional Soldier: A Social and Political Portrait. New York: Free Press.

11. Johnson-Freese J. (2013) Educating America’s Military. London: Routledge, 2013.

12. Kapustin V.V. (2017) Social design of training of sergeants in the system of military secondary special education. In: Peven’ L.V. (ed) Military-sociological research: contemporary approaches and concepts: monograph. Moscow: Military University: 139–149. (In Russ.)

13. Leontiev G.V. (2011) On the training of sergeants in secondary vocational education programs. Voennaya mysl’ [Military thought]. No. 10: 54–61. (In Russ.)

14. Levy G., Sasson-Levy O. (2008) Militarized Socialization, Military Service, and Class Reproduction: The Experiences of Israeli Soldiers. Sociological Perspectives. Vol. 51(2): 349–374.

15. Lurie L.I. (2014) Mutual enrichment of civil and military education in the process of innovation. Pedagogicheskoe obrazovanie i nauka [Pedagogical education and science]. No. 4: 66–70. (In Russ.)

16. Malinovskiy S., Shibanova E. (2019) Higher Education in Russia: Highly Available, Less Accessible. International Briefs for Higher Education Leaders. Issue 8. Washington: Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement (CIGE): 20–22.

17. Smelik R.G. (2000) Character and content of military labor. Builleten’ Omskogo universiteta [Bulletin of Omsk University]. No. 2: 107–111. (In Russ.)

18. Smith D.G., Rosenstein Judith E. (2017) Gender and the Military Profession: Early Career Influences, Attitudes, and Intentions. Armed Forces and Society. Vol. 43 (2): 260–279.

19. Woodruff Т., Kelty R. (2017) Gender and Deployment Effects on Pro-Organizational Behaviors of U.S. Soldiers. Armed Forces and Society. Vol. 43 (2): 280–299.