From Bottom-up – a Micro-Methodological Examination of the Military

The aim of this paper is to deepen the discussion of micro-methodological examination of the military. Research on the military focuses largely on a macro perspective, examining mechanisms, structure and policies. In this paper I wish to emphasize the importance and contribution of micro research, which focuses on the individuals rather than the institution; examining their experiences, understanding and interpretations.

Based on a qualitative research study, utilizing a semiotic-interpretive approach which is well-suited to examining the subjective point of view, I argue that the interpretations and experiences of the soldiers are a central means for understanding the structure, the mechanisms and processes in the military.

By focusing on interviews with 60 combat soldiers who served in two infantry brigades in the IDF (Israel Defense Force), I wish to illustrate the role of individuals in creating and perpetuating the structure, culture and mechanisms of the military as well as in challenging them. Focus on the role of the individuals, rather than the institution, enables us to examine not only how structure and culture are maintained and reproduced through formal policy, but also how they are created and formed by the soldiers, through their practices, without the external supervision of the army.

The contribution of a micro perspective is, first, to stress that mechanisms operate not just top-down but also bottom-up. Furthermore, the study illustrates how social categories, such as ethnicity and gender, are preserved and perpetuated not only by institutional mechanisms, policy and structure, but also by individuals through the ways they perform. Finally, by emphasizing a micro perspective I do not ignore the important role of the organization, but rather emphasize an additional point of view in military methodology.