Annotated Bibliography on Women in Military Combat

Introduction

Biron, Carey L. "Ending the Ban on Women in Combat May Reduce Sexual Assault." Sexual Assault and the Military, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue.

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There has been a lot of debate on whether women should be banned in the military. According to the article, Biron argues that women have been passionate on and off the battlefield and should not be ruled out of the defense. Women have found it difficult to progress their career goals in the US military because of the policies that have been enacted. Some blame the ban on the increasing sexual assault in the military operations which majorly targets women. Statistics show that women have been treated as second at best right from the Pentagon to the servicewomen deployed in the field. Disrespect has been the root of misogyny, and this spurs sexual assault. It has taken longer to change and making an assumption that women as the same as their men counterparts will not provide a sustainable solution to the problem. According to the author, women play a critical part in defense operations, but before that, there is a need to address the issue of sexual assault that exists within the military. Biron's style of writing seeks to question various stakeholders concerned with matters "women in combat" and also raises awareness on sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military.

Buchanan, Patrick J. "Do We Need Women in Combat?" The US Military, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context

In the article, Buchanan has questioned the need for women in the military while at the same time making a comparison between the current situation and the historical events that have occurred in the military. Buchanan is against the idea of including women in the military. He believes that women are not a requirement in enhancing the efficiency of combats and survival rates of combats while in operations. To him, this concept is linked to feminism, and it contradicts human history, experience and the natural occurrence of events over time. If women have not been part of the military for thousands of years, the author seems amazed at the turn of events, that women can now offer the expertise and determination and increased survival rate of soldiers. In history, women have directly engaged in warfare and the event that the younger population was defeated, the old men and boys were sent to the battlefield. Allowing women to join the military violates common sense and nature. They are less aggressive and weaker compared to men. The author has indeed provided an insightful narrative on the role of women in the military basing his argument on historical events overtime and nature. Nevertheless, society has changed, and there is a need to include women in certain roles. As long as one has been trained and has the required skills, no one should be discriminated based on gender.

Silva, Jennifer M. "A new generation of women? How female ROTC cadets negotiate the tension between masculine military culture and traditional femininity." Social Forces, vol. 87, no. 2, 2008, p. 937+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context

In this article, the author has explained how the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets can negotiate through the tension that dominates the military on the role of women and men in wars. According to him, the military has been perceived to be "masculine" and that women have no space and voice in military operations. The role of women has been limited by the existing cultural ideology and perception of gender. It is evident that their abilities have been questioned in military operations. According to the author, he advocates that women should be involved in the military while at the same time empowered to drive away from the constrictive gender believes and norms. Military by itself is a potential for empowering women because of the prevailing training and mental toughness that cadets have to be subjected to. There is a need to divert from the traditional ideologies on the role of women and include women in the military even if this stands in opposition to the values of the military culture. The source seems insightful, credible with interesting information on the role of women in the military. It can play a crucial role in changing the perception of the society on the role or women, specifically in the military.