Under the Uniform: Identity and Gender in the U.S. Military

The present study found that, despite being a traditionally masculine and total institution, the U.S. Military does not instill homogeneity among a group of 84 cadets at a service academy in regards to gender attitudes and performances. Results showed that women’s definitions of gender deviated from men’s in a way that allowed them to perform the traditionally masculine behavior mandated by their militarism while not identifying as “abnormally” gendered. Variation of conceptions of femininity and masculinity were further influenced by various external factors, including sex, race, class, region of origin, home environment, and political ideology. Additional analysis showed that these non-homogenous attitudes created tensions of conflicting attitudes among the cadets, and influenced how they formed attitudes about other issues, such as women’s place in combat, homosexuality, and unequal standards and expectations of men and women