Fluent Essays

final conclusion Women in the Military · How has your perspective on the topic changed since the beginning of the course? How? If not, why do you think it stayed the same? Perspective is still the same. I strongly feel that women are a great deal in the military. · What is the most interesting/surprising thing that you learned about your topic since the beginning of the course? · If you could propose any ‘solution’ to your social problem, what would that solution be? · How has your understanding of the subject been informed by your research? · What obstacles did you face during the project? How did you overcome them? · How did you think Creatively? Curiously? Knowledgeably? Open-mindedly? · Include any additional comments that you have your topic making sure to include aspects from each of the previously written papers about the topic. · Include a detailed analysis of your intended audience. Can send previous papers on topic to tie everything together. 2 Women in the Military Sharva Harris Concorde Career College Dr. Mark Arandia June 17, 2021 Beliefs on Women in the Military There are many beliefs that have existed on the role of both men and women in society. The military to be specific has been viewed as a role for the men and even the largest percentage of the people in the military are men. Even though women are increasingly being involved in military roles, most of them are excluded from war roles where the use of heavy firearms is common. This is due to the perception that women are inferior and some of these roles require more energy than women can provide. Even though the United States defense department has opened up more slots for women to join the military, there are hindrances and barriers that have seen most of these opportunities go to waste. The traditional beliefs that some of the roles such as fighting in wars belong to men pose one of the biggest challenges (Trobaugh, 2018). There are also beliefs that women if allowed to involve in the military will end up interfering with group bonding and cohesion which is a crucial element in the military. Women are believed to be responsible for bringing up children and taking care of their families. In the military, only a small percentage of women have families, therefore, acting as a barrier. Women are also believed to be emotionally weak and prone to stress and, therefore, not suitable for the military (Ables, 2019). Source of Women in the Military Beliefs Most of these beliefs come from members in the society where they tend to associate and view women as a weak gender compared to their male counterparts. These members of the society describe the military as a role that requires huge energy contributions recommending women to other light roles that require only small energy inputs. Women are, therefore, ascribed to perform light roles where they can comfortably contribute without struggling, while men are preferred for these heavy jobs that require the use of heavy energy. The attitude of society towards women in the military is also a source of these beliefs. The attitude that women should not be involved in combat while in the military discourages most of the women from joining the military. Women are believed to be caretakers of the family and therefore, their duties should always revolve around the family. Society believes that the role of taking care of the family belongs to women and therefore, roles that force women to be away from the family for long such as being in the military are seen as roles that belong to men. Research involved In my research, I used several references and even involved some members of the community in discussing their views on the topic. I gathered all the information and views raised from the various members to come up with my answers on the beliefs on the role of women in the military. Different scholarly works have also been established on this topic from where I gathered information that was very helpful to my research. In my culture, women are also viewed as family people, and being aware of the family might result in the falling of the family bonds. I have believed that women should take care of the family which entails their physical presence to guide their children to grow in the right morals and correct them whenever mistakes are made. Effects of the Beliefs on Women in the Military These beliefs on women in the military have had tremendous effects on the women willing to join the military. In some societies, women who join the military are viewed as strays from the societal culture and practices. Therefore, women in these societies fear joining the military with the view of getting disconnected from their families. In some real cases, some women have lost bonds with their families for joining the military after which they are rejected. Sexism has also resulted in people forming stereotypes against women, where women are forced to prove themselves as being able to perform their roles in the military which at times requires the use of a lot of energy (Moore, 2019). Many women have also had to opt for other career options due to gender bias involved and the standards set by the community on the role of women. REFERENCES Conkright, W. R., Beckner, M. E., Sinnott, A. M., Eagle, S. R., Martin, B. J., Lagoy, A. D., ... & Nindl, B. C. (2021). Neuromuscular Performance and Hormonal Responses to Military Operational Stress in Men and Women. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 35(5), 1296-1305. Moore, B. A. (2019). Understanding and working within the military culture Women aren’t the problem. Standards are. (2019, February 4). Modern War Institute.  https://mwi.usma.edu/women-arent-problem-standards/ Women, regardless: Understanding gender bias in U.S. military integration. (2018, January 9). National Defense University Press.  https://ndupress.ndu.edu/Publications/Article/1411860/women-regardless-understanding-gender-bias-in-us-military-integration/ 4 Women in the Military Sharva Harris Concorde Career College July 16, 2021 Women in the Military Women in the military have taken up different roles for a long. Women have now become part of the social revolution that has helped transform society. Through this, women have joined various infantry, mechanics, and pilots in the army. In the western part of the world, women have become more active in the military when compared to women from other parts of the world (Etcheson, 2020). Since the 1980s, most armies have begun accepting women into their military branches. The recent event of women in the military is the first-ever accomplishment of a woman to complete the special warfare training in the navy. The training took 37 weeks course, and the course itself was very intense and cruel. The military officer will not be identified until all seventeen sailors who did the course complete their training. The training is considered to be among the most vigorous and tough training that has existed in the military. Most women who join the training seldom finish their training because of the intensive training that is supposed to be undertaken by the officers. Most military officers usually fall on their last step which also happens to be the most intensive and hard training that they have to undergo. The officer is among other 18 women who have previously attempted to undertake the training, and therefore, completing the training is such a significant and extraordinary accomplishment. The training needed to become a trained navy militant officer follows an orientation that will take up to three weeks for completion. Also, one is supposed to undertake a 30-day preparatory course and attend seven weeks of mastering the essential water and navigation skills in addition to physical conditioning and safety. The area where most candidates fail is during the three-day crucible, which is the final hurdle. This aspect is commonly called The Tour, an endurance test that most candidates fail to accomplish. The militarys officers are an accomplishment and a watershed moment in which only five years ago, there was recruitment for women to be combat officers, and now, after intense training, she is headed to join the defense forces in the nation. Therefore, the military officer and her colleagues have got the opportunity to become experts in the special operations that the country will undertake, and thus, there will be more diversity and gender equality in the navy military forces. The above event has a positive impact on the research topic, which is women in the military. First, this event will encourage other women to work harder and achieve better accolades in the army. As it is known, women also play a vital role in the army as they act as lead officers and leaders who stand with the troops during the war times. Also, women can be actively involved in the training and the recruitment of other officers in the country who will be able to serve in the army and make the countrys border safe. More women have also begun to join the cadet officers, which increased the rate at which women actively participate in the military. Additionally, other women have begun to join the regular army who engages in protecting the country’s borders against any terrorist activity that may occur. Women and from other parts of the world have now found a role model whom they can emulate. With this accomplishment, it is expected that other countries in the world will follow the same suit and begin employing and recruiting women in the military, especially in combat missions (Brown et al, 2020). Other countries in the Southern and Eastern parts have not yet allowed this, and therefore, it is expected that these countries will support the role of women in the military. Also, women should be willing and active to join the military to be diverse and have gender equality at the workplace. References Brown, B., Stewar, S., & Carlucci, R. (2020). Women in Military Operations Research. Phalanx, 53(3), 24-32. Etcheson, N. (2020). “When Women Do Military Duty”: The Civil Wars Impact on Woman Suffrage. Journal of American History, 107(3), 609-635. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/07/15/1st-female-sailor-completes-navy-special-warfare-training.html 2 Women in the Military Sharva Harris Concorde Career College August 6, 2006 Women in the Military Women play different vital roles in society or community. However, other cultures contemplate or perceive women as a weaker gender against men. Women are discouraged or exempted from various roles such as fields where they experience significant discrimination when joining the military. Male perceptions are that women may not perform efficiently and effectively in the military. However, women are recognized as efficient while carrying out their military duties since they have different responsibilities to fulfill or achieve when the opportunity is granted to them. The paper seeks to discuss the role, and importance of women in the military. For over a decade, womens role in the military has experienced different controversies. Women were not considered as part of military forces and would never participate in combat. The theory that men may handle various jobs better compared to women has been evident for many years. Men are considered more equipped when executing military duties, while womens role has been reduced to almost nothing (Tepe et al., 2016). Many individuals may not handle the image of their mothers arriving back in body bags and the concern that women may interfere with group cohesion and bonding, which many people raised. Due to this, women never participated in the military for several years. However, in recent years, various countries have expanded and encouraged the role of women in the armed or military forces. Women are now given increased prominent roles in combat and even lead the war front. Various countries currently allow women into military forces on an equal basis. An example is the defense department of the U.S, which announced advanced policies that would create over 14,000 job opportunities for women in the military forces. Besides the positive step, most vacancies are still reserved for men to join the military forces (Mankowski et al., 2015). Military job opportunities need to be available to both women and men at equal rates without any form of discrimination. Additionally, there are certain positions that women may not take in the military. Such restrictions are still an obstacle to the involvement of many women since they perceive such restrictions as a limit to their full potential. The argument on involving women in the military is essential for maintaining gender equality at all levels. It is imperative to enable and provide opportunities to women to have lucrative military careers. Women that serve in the military need to be based on training and ability, not gender. Elaine Donnellys article stipulates that women have led men in different battles, fired fatal weapons, managed most sophisticated or advanced systems, and been war prisoners. They usually assist on combat ships and help flying combat aircraft. Most women meet the militarys mental and physical standards and are highly trained war leaders and fighters, and are technically proficient. Currently, the all-volunteer force indicates women have acknowledged different responsibilities, dangers, and challenges of the military service as men have. In todays war on terror and battlefield, there are no front lines, and all units, regardless of their mission or size, have the potential of engaging with the enemy. Women are also considered capable of doing what men may do on the battlefield. There is a need for both genders to have equal opportunities to serve in the military forces (Fatima, 2018). There should be no discrimination concerning sex while recruiting individuals in the forces. The audience of the argument is the military leaders and students. According to various individuals and specialists views, gender equality is considered more than a human right or virtue. Gender biases have undermined peoples social fabric and enhanced the devaluing of humankinds nature. Denying women equal rights entails denying them a chance to live to their fullest. Social, political, and economic equality benefits the world substantially since womens empowerment ensures all women participate in different aspects of life. Different women have proved to be superior to men in different fields or disciplines; most individuals thought women would not succeed. The women participation in the military is associated with gender equality and women empowerment since it fights womens rights. When women are allowed to work in the military, it indicates a positive notion that females are an equal gender to males. It also helps kill the gesture that women are considered weaker gender compared to male counterparts. In a fast-growing and changing world, gender equality helps in developing the economy of countries. The topic is vital to me since increasing womens participation may become more essential as military tasks keep changing in different regions. Different countries are progressively fighting asymmetric wars, which demand minimal outright combat and peacekeeping through intelligence gathering, civil engagement, and strategic decision-making. Womens involvement becomes valuable since they provide perspectives that may not be typically found in male-dominated fields. References Fatima, Q. (2018). Why we need women in the military. Project Syndicate. Retrieved from: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/saudi-arabia-military-women-reform-by-quratulain-fatima-2018-04 Mankowski, M., Tower, L. E., Brandt, C. A., & Mattocks, K. (2015). Why women join the military: Enlistment decisions and post-deployment experiences of service members and veterans. Social Work, 60(4), 315-323. Tepe, V., Yarnell, A., Nindl, B. C., Van Arsdale, S., & Deuster, P. A. (2016). Women in combat: summary of findings and a way ahead. Military medicine, 181(suppl_1), 109-118. 2 Women in the Military Sharva Harris Concorde Career College July 23, 2021 Numerous research studies surrounding womens service in the military have pointed out the gap and differences that exist in the military service between women and men. The United States (U.S.) military service has both men and women serving in different capacities (Moore, 2019). However, research studies have found that women face numerous challenges as compared to their male counterparts. More women in the U.S. military service face mental health problems, physical injuries, race discrimination, and gender discrimination among other challenges (Moore, 2019). Studies have shown that although men also face challenges while serving in the military, their challenges are quite different from those faced by women. The major problem faced by women in military service is gender discrimination. Other challenges faced by women have been attributed to the fact that women are discriminated against because of their gender particularly when it comes to serving in certain capacities. Challenges such as mental health problems and frequent physical injuries have been attributed to women in the military facing gender discrimination (Moore, 2019). Gender discrimination has been found to hugely contribute to the inherent differences in physical capacity for women and men. Mental health problem among women in the military service has been found to as a result of fear of gender discrimination subjected to women in the military culture over the years (Moore, 2019). Therefore, the physical differences that exist between women and men correlate with the differences women and men experience while in military service. There are numerous alternatives to this problem of gender discrimination American women face while in military service. The two major alternatives to this problem women face while in the military service are gender roles and gender equality (Howell, 2016, March 11). There has been debate over gender roles and differences in the American culture over the years. Gender role differences do not only affect the American military system but almost every department of American society (Howell, 2016, March 11). Equitable gender representation in American civil society has been a problem for centuries. Allowing women to occupy combat positions in the military will work a long way to cure gender discrimination in the military. Women have been discriminated against getting into combative positions in the military system (Howell, 2016, March 11). This has pushed most women into mental distress that has easily led to more physical injuries suffered by women in the military service. The decision by Ashton Carter, the U.S. Defense Secretary in December 2015 to allow women to occupy senior positions in the military has helped in ensuring equal gender representation. More women have been allowed to occupy senior positions in the military and this has played a big role in reducing mental health among women in the military (Howell, 2016, March 11). Initially, women lived in the fear of being discriminated against to participate in certain roles and this hugely contributed to the mental distress witnessed among women in the military service. Similarly, another solution is ensuring gender equality. Gender equality is in terms of gender representation and gender number (Howell, 2016, March 11). Initially, the military unit was dominated by men leaving no room for women to showcase their talents in the military service. There have been changes in the military ensuring equal representation of men and women in the military service (Howell, 2016, March 11). With the number of women in the military significantly growing, there has been women empowerment coming within women themselves. References Howell, K. (2016, March 11). Defense Secretary Ashton Carter okays final strategy for women in combat. Retrieved from: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/11/ ash-carter-approves-final-strategy-women-military-/ Moore, B. A. (2019). Understanding and working within the military culture. Running head: WOMEN IN THE MILITARY ARTICLES ANALYSIS 1 WOMEN IN THE MILITARY ARTICLES ANALYSIS 2 Women in the Military Articles Analysis Sharva Harris Concorde Career College Critical Thinking Dr. Mark Arandia 06/25/2021 In the American military just like it is the case in other countries, women are an important part. They play parts in both active duty as well as reserve and guard duties which are less demanding. Women in the military have proven to bear great abilities and talents just like militia men to the point of proving their great combating skills. However, military career comes with its fair share of challenges. women due to the fact that a majority of them are married with spouses and children as well as many other personal affairs to take care of despite a demanding and sensitive job. Their lifestyle ends up negatively affecting some of them with mental and physical effects. The more reason is that at times they get hurt while combating criminals and the stress that comes with the job affects their psychology. Articles by Berg, & Rousseau, (2018) and Jones et al., (2020); address the mental and physical challenges women in the military face though from different perspectives. This paper outlines and compares these two articles intending to identify similarities and differences as well as key components that connect the two articles. In the article by Berg, & Rousseau, (2018) the authors focus on the effects of combat stress on women in a military academic environment. The article acknowledges that the act of combating is highly demanding and requires accurate moves and strategies to overpower the other party which is the criminal gang. The fact that any mistake can be fatal causes a lot of stress especially on women who are less masculine than men. Moreover, there are times that women in the military active duty have to get physical with criminals like terrorists an engagement that comes was intense stress. The second article is authored by Jones et al (2020); and focuses on cases and experiences of women in the UK military and how they have been affected in terms of mental health, the military services, and adjustments they have been compelled to make to fit in the occupation. According to the author, being a woman in the UK military is a demanding task from the training that one has to undergo and the complex missions the militaries are sent especially because they promote international safety and security. The authors claim that the military tasks which do not discriminate or favor any gender in a way can be considered challenging to women. This is because the number of women in the military that have suffered mental challenges is higher than that of men. The article also claims that women from their natural physical body have been forced to make more adjustments and embrace masculinity to suit in the career as compared to the levels of change men in the military have been compelled to embrace. The two articles are similar as they focus on analyzing the challenges and difficulties women in the military face and how they are affected as individuals and professionals. However, the two articles are different since the article by Berg, & Rousseau, (2018) only addresses the issue of combating and the stress that comes with it while the article by Jones et al., (2020) addresses the issue of mental health from all possible sources of effect. In conclusion, the two articles are highly connected and can be said to complement each other. The two acknowledge that women in the military are affected mentally and physically more than men in the military. The effects are not because of work-related issues but also from the lifestyle and societal needs that women are expected to meet despite career tussles. Though one article handles the women in military challenges from a wider perspective, the reality is that mental health is addressed extensively which shows that it is a major area of concern. References Berg, P., & Rousseau, J. (2018). The effects of combat stress on women in a military academic environment. Journal of Military Learning, 2(1), 29-43. Jones, N., Jones, M., Greenberg, N., Phillips, A., Simms, A., & Wessely, S. (2020). UK military women: mental health, military service and occupational adjustment. Occupational medicine, 70(4), 235-242.