Sociology and Military Studies

Joseph Soeters is Professor of Organizational Sociology at Tilburg University, the Netherlands. He is the author/editor of numerous works, including co-editor of Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Military Studies (Routledge, 2014,) and Military Cooperation in Multinational Peace Operations (Routledge, 2008), and author of Ethnic Conflict and Terrorism (Routledge 2005).

‘Soeters’ book is a landmark study of military institutions and war. Steeped in the ideas of the founders of sociology and informed by the experience of contemporary war, Soeters demonstrates the relevance of classical and current social theory for understanding the social organization of violence. He shows by example how to plow new paths for studying the military and war. Written in a lively and accessible style, the book is an enthralling read for beginning and advanced scholars alike.’ -- James Burk, Texas A&M University, USA‘This expansive vision of military sociology is an essential resource for the field. Soeters captures key connections between the founders of sociology and contemporary notions of war, peace and the everyday problems facing military organizations. These remarkable men and women of ideas come alive in this clear and compelling book.’ -- Patricia Shields, Texas State University, USA‘This book is a comprehensive attempt to connect sociological insights with practical challenges the military faces. It is a book that military officers would need to read and study before engaging in operations.’ -- Major-General Tony Bardalai, ret., Indian Armed Forces

• Prologue Introduction 1. Max Weber: bureaucracy, leadership and military music 2. Emile Durkheim: the military group, culture and its consequences 3. Karl Marx: critical analyses of society and the military 4. Georg Simmel: networks, conflict, secrecy and the stranger 5. Jane Addams: from peace activism to pragmatic peace keeping 6. W.E.B. Dubois: race, diversity and inclusion, in society and the military 7. Erving Goffman: Total Institutions, interaction rituals, street level bureaucrats 8. Michel Foucault: discipline and surveillance in and by the military 9. Morris Janowitz: the professional soldier, civil-military relations and the AVF 10. Norbert Elias: decline of violence, habitus in combat, international relations 11. Cornelis Lammers: strikes and mutinies, occupational and administrative styles, isomorphism and cooperation 12. Arlie Russell Hochschild: emotions in organizations, and in the military 13. Cynthia Enloe: feminist views of the military and its surroundings 14. Bruno Latour: science and technology in society and the military 15. From the classics to the future in military studies: conclusions, themes and prospects