Diagnosing Military Recruitment - Coursework Example

Final Project Format and Framework Project Diagnosing Military Recruitment The paper gives the format and framework for the final project on diagnosing military recruitment. The work will argue that women and minority group soldiers often face diverse challenges when it comes to the socialization process after selection or recruitment. In an effort to justify the assertion, the project will present a brief introduction to the process of diagnosing the military recruitment. Subsequently, the paper will focus on the primary causes of the challenges that women and the minority group face, and then make suggestions for addressing the issue. The sources and solutions to the problem will constitute the paper’s literature review. Finally, the work will cover the concomitant effects of the problem to the women and minority groups before noting the areas that warrant further research on topic. Keywords: military women, minority groups, socialization process 1. Introduction The history of women in the U.S. military has been documented to have evolved and transcended from its most challenging origins to unprecedented developments in contemporary times. Statistics revealed that there are a total of 201,400 women in active military duty (U.S. Department of Defense, 2015). Of these total number 68,900 are in the military, 57,300 in the navy, 58.500 in the air force, and 14,100 as Marine Corps (U.S. Department of Defense, 2015). Yet, despite increasing evidences of participation, reports have divulged information revealing grueling challenges faced by women and minority groups. The project paper will be addressing the issues that face women and other minority groups in any military recruitment process. In particular, the paper will show that these minority groups occasionally have a disadvantage when it comes to the process of socialization after selection. In keeping with Johnson and Clark (2014), unlike in the business world, women in the military service often lack effective mentorship to allow for the development and improvement of leadership skills. The paper will mostly dwell on the need for appropriate mentorship and motivating factors that can allow the minority groups in the military service to cope with this fundamental duty. 1.1 Problem statement Women and other minority groups that have just joined the military always undergo both physical and psychological problems (Eden, 2015). The statement was corroborated by King (2013) who rationalized that the root cause of the dilemma could stem from the manifested culture, to wit: “there is considerable evidence many soldiers have been and are still opposed to the presence of females” (King, 2013, p. 20). Therefore, the project will seek to identify the most active solutions that can assist women and minority groups in conquering this inevitable challenge. 2. Literature Review There are various studies which aimed to identify the reasons for the challenges women face when joining the military service. Previous researches explored these causes by digging deeper into the core of the dilemma. As such, the causes hereby identified would include rationalizations for manifested symptoms, as well as proposing solutions to address the problems that were revealed. 2.1 Causes of the problems Finley and Moore (2011) note that a majority of women and minority groups joining the military service mostly undergo both psychological and physical frustrations. The authors attribute the following issues to the prevalence of the problem: difficulty in fitting in, illnesses, command structure, and fears before and during a war. More importantly, King (2013) rationalized that the root cause of the problem experienced by women in the military is the fact that they are women. As stressed, “women cannot be in the infantry (not only because they are not strong enough) but because it undermines masculine motivations for combat: the main reason they [soldiers] fight is to be tough and therefore attract more women. The presence of women consequently corrodes the very possibility of cohesion… The problem here is that the presence of a female in the ranks undermines the unity among male soldiers. Instead of focusing on their collective mission, they compete with each other for the sexual attentions of the female(s)” (King, 2013, p. 22). In addition, the biological or physical attributes of women are generally different from that of men. According to Eden (2013), “military training is hard enough on men’s bodies; it’s harder on women’s” (p. 1). In addition, statistics confirm that women are preponderant to be exposed to military sexual trauma (MST). As mentioned, “servicewomen are at much higher risk for sexual assault and harassment” (Service Womens Action Network (SWAN), 2011, p. 1). The repercussions of MST allegedly include post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), high levels of depression, eating disorders, as well as homelessness (Service Womens Action Network (SWAN), 2011). 2.2 Suggested Solutions Given these causes, there are changes that would be proposed to within the organizational structure of the U.S. Military to achieve positive change. In line with Dunklin (2008), the definite approach to the challenge is mentorship. The author holds that informal and formal mentorship programs can considerably prevent loneliness, cultural and behavior change, communication breakdowns, and psychological problems. Finley and Moore (2011) also bolster Dunklin’s (2008) viewpoint by illustrating that both untrained and expert mentors stimulate counseling for personal development and facilitate communication between ranks. The above-mentioned recommendations are observed to be after the fact – or after the damage has been inflicted. As such, another proposed solution is to design a reporting system that protects the victim and fairly investigates the veracity of the statements regarding perpetuators, especially if the perpetuators are members of the military. As emphasized, women exposed to MST, for instance, rarely report the problem (Service Womens Action Network (SWAN), 2011). Information on under-reporting was expounded, to wit: “Among a sample of servicewomen raped in the military, an alarming 75% did not report the incident. Of those who did not report the assault, one-third said they did not know how to make the report while 20% said they thought rape is to be “expected” in the military. Clearly, military women need more information about their rights and procedures for redress” (Service Womens Action Network (SWAN), 2011, p. 3). The restricted reporting system must be transformed to structurally design ways to ‘prosecute’ the perpetuator/s, especially when these are members of the military. Prosecution is crucial to prevent MST to occur anytime in the future. For those who were victims, additional courses of action that should be undertaken include seeking professional health treatment. 3 Impacts of the Problem on Minority Group Soldiers Hitt, Miller, and Colella (2015) noted that the psychological and physical molestations that women soldiers endure may make them begin abusing drugs. Additionally, the need to satisfy the infringed desires may promote crime among the minority groups. A comprehensive study that tackled MST presented serious repercussions if left untreated. The effects were identified in diverse studies which include diffused reproductive health effects such as unintended pregnancy, pain in the menstrual or pelvic area, long-term sexual dysfunction, as well as difficulties in conception (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2012). Moreover, victims who eventually developed mental anguish and disorders were reported to have developed risky behavior (exchanging sex for commodities) which was noted to exacerbate risks in reproductive health (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2012). 4 Suggested Areas of Research The proposed changes are planned to be integrated within the military’s organizational development design within the current year. Statistics on the number of women victimized physically, psychologically, sexually, and emotionally should be clearly monitored and updated. The timeline for implementation of the proposed changes are as follows: Proposed Changes June to July 2015 Aug. to Sept. 2015 Oct. to Nov. 2015 Dec. 2015 Redesign the Restricted Reporting System XXXXXXXXXX Development of formal and informal mentorship programs XXXXXXXXXX Referral to Professional Health Practitioners XXXXXXXXXX Monitoring of changes the were proposed XXXXXX To intensify efforts in implementing the proposed changes, women and minority groups would be advised to seek additional information on health agencies that they prefer, such as the Service Womens Action Network (SWAN), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS), as well as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 5 Conclusion The current study has successfully achieved its objective of presenting the challenges faced by women and minority groups in the U.S. military, especially during the process of socialization after selection. After identification of the causes of the dilemma, various recommendations and courses of action were proposed to change facets in the organizational design, specifically in terms of reporting and mentoring. The proposed solutions are crucial to ensure that women and minority groups enjoy similar benefits accorded to men, and are provided with appropriate interventions in cases of exposure to physical, psychological, sexual, or emotional trauma. References Dunklin, A. L. (2008). African American Men and Opportunity in the Navy: Personal Histories of Eight Chiefs. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. Eden, J. (2013, January 26). The Problems of Women in Combat – From a Female Combat Vet. Retrieved from Western Journalism: http://www.westernjournalism.com/the-problems-of-women-in-combat-from-a-female-combat-vet/ Eden, J. (2015). Women in Combat. Military Review, 95(2), 39-47. Finley, J. R., & Moore, B. A. (2011). Veterans and Active Duty Military Psychotherapy Homework Planner. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Hitt, M. A., Miller, C. C., & Colella, A. (2015). Organizational Behavior (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Johnson, R., & Clack, T. (2014). At the End of Military Intervention: Historical, Theoretical, and Applied Approaches to Transition, Handover, and Withdrawal. Corby: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198725015.001.0001 King, A. (2013). Women in Battle: The Female Soldier. Retrieved May 29, 2015, from army.mil: http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/Parameters/issues/Summer_2013/2_King_Article.pdf Service Womens Action Network (SWAN). (2011, January). Military Sexual Trauma. Retrieved from servicewomen.org: http://servicewomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/SWAN-MST-fact-sheet1.pdf The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2012, December). Women in the Military and Women Veterans. Retrieved from acog.org: https://www.acog.org/-/media/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Health-Care-for-Underserved-Women/WomeninMilitary.pdf U.S. Department of Defense. (2015). Womens History Month. Retrieved May 29, 2015, from defense.gov: http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2015/0315_womens-history/ Read More