Incorporation into the military profession: motivations and incentives for youth

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22325/fes/res.2024.230

Keywords:

military sociology, military career, labor incentives, job placement, General Incentives Model (GIM)

Abstract

The aim of the research is to analyse the motivations and incentives that influence young people's attraction to a military career. The General Incentive Model (GIM) is used. The methodology is based on the analysis of data from the twelve surveys on national defence and the armed forces/military carried out in Spain by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) between 1997 and 2017. The results show that altruistic incentives, process incentives (exclusively related to the military profession) and affective incentives (related to prestige) are the most influential in the interest in the military profession. We also note the potential of the General Incentive Model to analyse motivations for entering the profession, especially in professions with a strong specificity.

Author Biographies

Jaime Aja-Valle, University of Córdoba

Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Filosofía, Geografía y Traducción e Interpretación, Universidad de Córdoba.

José Hernández-Ascanio, University of Córdoba

Departamento de Ciencias Sociales, Filosofía, Geografía y Traducción e Interpretación, Universidad de Córdoba.

Ramón Rueda-López, University of Leon

Departamento de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa, Universidad de León.

Virginia Navajas-Romero, University of Córdoba

Departamento de Estadística, Econometría, Investigación Operativa, Organización de Empresas y Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Córdoba.

References

Aja Valle, J., Hernández Ascanio, J., y Sánchez Iglesias, E. (2021). La precariedad juvenil: Un fenómeno estructural. En J. Pueyo (Ed.). Vidas low cost: ser jóvenes entre dos crisis. Catarata.

Bale, T., Webb, P., & Poletti, M. (2019). Participating Locally and Nationally: Explaining the Offline and Online Activism of British Party Members. Political Studies, 67(3), 658-675. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321718794740

Bernete, F. (2003). Ejército profesional y distanciamiento civil de la defensa. Papers. Revista de Sociología, 69, 83-100. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/papers/v69n0.1284

Boncourt, T. (2017). French military careers and European security integration: How internationalisation changes military socialisation. Cooperation and Conflict, 52(2), 241-260. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010836716671758

Booth, B., Kestnbaum, M., & Segal, D. R. (2001). Are Post-Cold War Militaries Postmodern? Armed Forces & Society, 27(3), 319-342.

Borrero, F. L. (1957). Problemas de política militar: La estructura social y las posibilidades orgánicas. Revista de Estudios Políticos, 95, 39-70. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/2129282.pdf

Busquéts Braculat, J. (1968). La sociología militar en España. Revista de Estudios Políticos, 158, 169-184. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/2082578.pdf

Busquets Bragulat, J. (1989). Las Fuerzas Armadas en la transición española. Sistema, 93, 13-28.

Caforio, G. (2018). Unionisation of the Military: Representation of the Interests of Military Personnel. En G. Caforio, y M. Nuciari (Eds.), Handbook of the Sociology of the Military (pp. 377-389). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71602-2_19

Caforio, G., & Nuciari, M. (2018). Conclusion: Themes and Issues of the Sociology of the Military. En G. Caforio y M. Nuciari (Eds.), Handbook of the Sociology of the Military (pp. 615-650). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71602-2_31

Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas [CIS] (2017). Cuestionario la Defensa Nacional y las Fuerzas Armadas XII. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas. https://www.cis.es/cis/export/sites/default/-Archivos/Marginales/3180_3199/3188/cues3188.pdf

CIS (15 de abril de 2023). Fuerzas Armadas y defensa. Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas. https://www.cis.es/cis/opencm/ES/2_bancodatos/estudios/listaTematico.jsp?tema=4&todos=no

Díez Nicolás, J. (1999). Identidad nacional y cultura de defensa. Síntesis.

Donean, K., Romano, C., DesRoches, C., Applebaum, S., Ward, J. R. M., Schoneboom, B. A., & Hinshaw, A. S. (2014). National Surveys of Military Personnel, Nursing Students, and the Public: Drivers of Military Nursing Careers. Military Medicine, 179(5), 565-572. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-13-00323

Elliott, P. (1972). The Sociology of the Professions. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-00711-0

Feld, M. D. (1977). The structure of violence: Armed forces as social systems. Sage.

Fernández Vargas, V. (1989). El ejército español entre 1939 y 1975. Revista Internacional de Sociología, 3, 403-426.

Fernández Vargas, V. (1997). Las militares españolas: Un nuevo grupo profesional. Biblioteca Nueva.

Frieyro de Lara, B. (2004). La profesionalización de las Fuerzas Armadas en España. Universidad de Almería.

Gallagher, M., & Marsh, M. (2004). Party Membership in Ireland: The Members of Fine Gael. Party Politics, 10(4), 407-425. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068804043906

Gómez Escarda, M., Hormigos Ruiz, J., Pérez Redondo, R. J., Gómez Escarda, M., Hormigos Ruiz, J., y Pérez Redondo, R. J. (2016). Familia y suelo pegajoso en las fuerzas armadas españolas. Revista Mexicana de Sociología, 78(2), 203-228. https://doi.org/10.22201/iis.01882503p.2016.2.55099

Gómez, R., Ramiro, L., Morales, L., y Aja, J. (2021). Joining the party: Incentives and motivations of members and registered sympathizers in contemporary multi-speed membership parties. Party Politics, 27(4), 779-790. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068819891047

Hodný, J., y Sarvaš, Š. (1999). Conscripts and the military profession in the Czech republic. International Journal of Phytoremediation, 12(1), 34-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/13518049908430376

Hsu, R. H., Roberts, M. W., Tulloch, J. F. C., y Trotman, C.-A. (2007). A study of military recruitment strategies for dentists: Possible implications for academia. Journal of Dental Education, 71(4), 501-510.

Huesca González, A. M. (1999). La influencia de la profesionalización sobre la organización militar desde el punto de vista de la sociología. Cuadernos de Estrategia, 104, 205-221.

Janowitz, M. (1960). The professional soldier: A social and political portrait. Simon and Schuster.

Janowitz, M. (1964). The new military: Changing patterns of organization. Sage.

Janowitz, M. (1977). From Institutional to Occupational: The Need for Conceptual Continuity. Armed Forces & Society, 4(1), 51-54. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X7700400104

King, A. (2006). The Post-Fordist Military. Journal of Political & Military Sociology, 34(2), 359-374.

Lim, H. L. (2018). Perceptions of Emirati Youths on National Service at Initial Implementation Stage. SAGE Open, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018774827

Macdonald, K. M. (1995). The Sociology of the Professions. SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446222188

Malamud, M. (2014). El nuevo «militar flexible». Revista Mexicana de Sociología, 76(4), 639-663. https://doi.org/10.22201/iis.01882503p.2014.4.46465

Mankowski, M., Tower, L. E., Brandt, C. A., y Mattocks, K. (2015). Why Women Join the Military: Enlistment Decisions and Postdeployment Experiences of Service Members and Veterans. Social Work, 60(4), 315-323. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swv035

Martínez Celorrio, X. (2021). Ascensor social y contramovilidad descendente entre los jóvenes «millennials» en España. En J. Pueyo (ed.). Vidas low cost: ser jóvenes entre dos crisis. Catarata.

Martínez Paricio, J. I. (1991). Análisis crítico de una bibliografía básica de sociología militar en España. 1980-1990: Introducción. Cuadernos de Estrategia, 37, 13-21.

Martínez Paricio, J. I., y Díaz Castro, J. R. (2002). Las Fuerzas Armadas en el nuevo ciclo de la vida política española. Barataria: Revista Castellano-Manchega de Ciencias Sociales, 5, 195-213. https://doi.org/10.20932/barataria.v0i5.267

Molina, S. de F. L., & Dias, C. M. de S. B. (2012). Being a combat officer in the Army: A transgenerational delegation? Estudos de Psicologia (Campinas), 29(1), 43-52. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-166X2012000100005

Moskos, C. C. (1976). The Military. Annual Review of Sociology, 2, 55-77.

Moskos, C. C. (1977). From Institution to Occupation: Trends in Military Organization. Armed Forces & Society, 4(1), 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X7700400103

Moskos, C. C. (1986). Institutional/Occupational Trends in Armed Forces: An Update. Armed Forces & Society, 12(3), 377-382. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X8601200303

Moskos, C. C., Williams, J. A. y Segal, D. R. (2000). The postmodern military: Armed forces after the Cold War. Oxford University Press.

Mustafa, N., & Kiani, S. (2021). What drives young women to join the pakistan armed forces? An exploratory study of motivational factors. Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal, 71(4), 1346-1350. https://doi.org/10.51253/pafmj.v71i4.6274

Navajas Zubeldia, C. (2016). Las Fuerzas Armadas y la sociedad en la España democrática: Un estado de la cuestión. Ayer, 104, 231-246.

Navajas Zubeldia, C. (2018). Democratización, profesionalización y crisis: Las Fuerzas Armadas y la sociedad en la España democrática (1975-2015). Biblioteca Nueva.

Nuciari, M. (2018a). The Study of the Military. Models for the Military Profession. En G. Caforio, y M. Nuciari (Eds.), Handbook of the Sociology of the Military (pp. 35-60). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71602-2_3

Nuciari, M. (2018b). Participation and Change in Gendered Organisations. Women in the Military Forces. En G. Caforio & M. Nuciari (Eds.), Handbook of the Sociology of the Military (pp. 301-325). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71602-2_15

Olson, M. (1971). The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups. Harvard University Press.

Pakozdi, M., y Bardos, G. (2022). Military carrier choice during the Covid-19 pandemic in Hungary. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02786-9

Pattie, C., Seyd, P., y Whiteley, P. (2003). Citizenship and Civic Engagement: Attitudes and Behaviour in Britain. Political Studies, 51(3), 443-468. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9248.00435

Pedersen, K., Bille, L., Buch, R., Elklit, J., Hansen, B., y Nielsen, H. J. (2004). Sleeping or Active Partners?: Danish Party Members at the Turn of the Millennium. Party Politics, 10(4), 367-383. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068804043904

Poletti, M., Webb, P., y Bale, T. (2019). Why do only some people who support parties actually join them? Evidence from Britain. West European Politics, 42(1), 156-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2018.1479921

Prykhodko, I., Yurieva, N., Timchenko, O., Fomenko, K., Kernickyi, O., Tovma, M., y Kostikova, I. (2020). What Motivates Ukrainian Women to Choose a Military Service in Warfare? Brain-Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, 11(3), 36-53. https://doi.org/10.18662/brain/11.3/108

Riaza Ballesteros, J. M. (1986). Los jóvenes españoles y la institución militar. REIS: Revista Española de Investigaciones Sociológicas, 36, 77-100.

Santamaría López, E. (2018). Jóvenes, crisis y precariedad laboral: Una relación demasiado larga y estrecha. Encrucijadas: Revista Crítica de Ciencias Sociales, 15, r1502.

Santos, M. H., Morais, P., y Correia, R. B. (2022). Gender Dynamics in a Masculine Professional Context: The Case of the Portuguese Air Force. Social Sciences, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11020082

Seyd, P., y Whiteley, P. (1992). Labour’s Grass Roots: The Politics of Party Membership. Clarendon Press.

Siebold, G. L. (2001). Core issues and theory in military sociology. Journal of Political & Military Sociology, 29(1), 140-159.

Tziner, A. (1983). Choice and Commitment to a Military Career. Social Behavior and Personality, 11(1), 119-128. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.1983.11.1.119

Waruszynski, B. T., MacEachern, K. H., Raby, S., Straver, M., y Ouellet, E. (2022). Desire to serve: Insights from Canadian defence studies on the factors that influence women to pursue a military career. Journal of Military Veteran and Family Health, 8, 75-84. https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2021-0089

Whiteley, P., Seyd, P., y Richardson, J. (1994). True Blues: The Politics of Conservative Party Membership. Oxford University Press.

Woodruff, T., Kelty, R., y Segal, D. (2006). Propensity to serve and motivation to enlist among American combat soldiers. Armed Forces & Society, 32(3), 353-366. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X05283040

Published

2024-06-26

How to Cite

Aja-Valle, J., Hernández-Ascanio, J., Rueda-López, R., & Navajas-Romero, V. (2024). Incorporation into the military profession: motivations and incentives for youth. Spanish Journal of Sociology, 33(3), a230. https://doi.org/10.22325/fes/res.2024.230

Similar Articles

1 2 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.