Values, Culture, and Civil-Military Relations: Implications for the Postmodern Military

摘要

This paper analyzes the impact of changing values and culture, both on American society and the military institution, against the framework of civil-military relations. Social and technological change has had a profound effect on culture and the shaping and ordering of value sets in American society. These changes affect military culture and values in a variety of ways, most notably in the realm of military effectiveness. This paper assesses the basic sociological impact of technological and social change on value systems and culture from a historical perspective. With this basic understanding, an analysis of military culture is presented, from which conclusions about military effectiveness are derived and recommendations made for the future of military culture and civil-military relations in America.