Comparative Civil-Military Relations

This open session invites papers that seek to advance sociological understandings of civil-military relations through a reflection on the distinct qualities of different national and local traditions of military culture and the ways these reflect and shape relationships between the military and civil society organisations, government departments and industry. As well as being theoretical significant, papers should note the ways in which insight into civil-military relations is significant for peace-building and national security, for example through influencing mobilisation, recruitment, compulsory national service and civil defence. Presenters may wish to focus on a single case study with reference to dominant theoretical frames and assumptions in the field, contrast different national cases or focus on the significance of cross-cultural interactions such as that which occur between militaries or military personnel and civilian populations on deployment or exchange.