Dissertation Summary:
Diversity Management in the U.S. Military: Examining the Integration of Black, Women, and Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Soldiers
Given the 2010 repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the ongoing integration of women into combat, and the prevalence of sexual harassment scandals, what is the military doing to educate their members, to push for more integration and cohesion, and organizational effectiveness? My research question focuses on a comparative analysis of the case studies of black, women, and LGB service members integration focusing on policies and the outcomes of those policies to understand whether or not the U.S. military utilizes comprehensive diversity management. I do this within the framework of civil-military relations, as diversity management provides a means for closing the civil-military gap; that is, the growing divide between military culture and the public culture. The case studies are supplemented with semi-structured interviews with ROTC cadets and participant observation.
There are three specific reasons why this research is important: the first is providing a new analysis of the military through a different lens not typically associated with the study of defense personnel studies (diversity management), the second is that through the application of diversity management the military can also help close the civil-military relations gap that often plagues the organization in social discourse. Third, by examining personnel issues under a different lens, new practical and implementable solutions may manifest, allowing the organization to continue to serve national security, civilian society, and particularly its members more comprehensively.
Dissertation Committee:
Lael Keiser, Chair
Stephen Quackenbush
Jay Dow
Joan Hermsen (Women and Gender Studies Department, Sociology Department)
Research Interests:
Broadly, I am interested in the intersection of international relations and public policy. This encompasses my interests in studying transnational advocacy networks and transnational actors, global governance, international organizations, and the development of organizations that affect and administer policy on an international level (such as the U.S. military). Most of my research focuses on the "bureaucracy" of this intersection: for example, the American bureaucracy (defense and foreign policy, the U.S. military as an organization) or how international organizations and networks do and can work to create and implement better policy. Particular policy areas I am interested in include environmental policy, economic sanctions, and military/defense policy. I also study gender and politics, specifically how gender and organizations interact, often using a diversity management or representative bureaucracy theoretical approach. I typically use qualitative methods in my research. Finally, I am always interested in taking an interdisciplinary approach to my research and working cross-discipline.
Research in Progress:
"Protesting ROTC Programs: A Look at the University of Missouri's History."
“Representation of Gender in Conflict Within the United Nations.”
“Extending Lessons from Federalism to Global Governance: A Case Study of Environmental Networks.”
“Creating A Governance Framework for Economic Sanctions: Global Public Policy Networks and Public Sector Knowledge Networks.”
Diversity Management in the U.S. Military: Examining the Integration of Black, Women, and Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Soldiers
Given the 2010 repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the ongoing integration of women into combat, and the prevalence of sexual harassment scandals, what is the military doing to educate their members, to push for more integration and cohesion, and organizational effectiveness? My research question focuses on a comparative analysis of the case studies of black, women, and LGB service members integration focusing on policies and the outcomes of those policies to understand whether or not the U.S. military utilizes comprehensive diversity management. I do this within the framework of civil-military relations, as diversity management provides a means for closing the civil-military gap; that is, the growing divide between military culture and the public culture. The case studies are supplemented with semi-structured interviews with ROTC cadets and participant observation.
There are three specific reasons why this research is important: the first is providing a new analysis of the military through a different lens not typically associated with the study of defense personnel studies (diversity management), the second is that through the application of diversity management the military can also help close the civil-military relations gap that often plagues the organization in social discourse. Third, by examining personnel issues under a different lens, new practical and implementable solutions may manifest, allowing the organization to continue to serve national security, civilian society, and particularly its members more comprehensively.
Dissertation Committee:
Lael Keiser, Chair
Stephen Quackenbush
Jay Dow
Joan Hermsen (Women and Gender Studies Department, Sociology Department)
Research Interests:
Broadly, I am interested in the intersection of international relations and public policy. This encompasses my interests in studying transnational advocacy networks and transnational actors, global governance, international organizations, and the development of organizations that affect and administer policy on an international level (such as the U.S. military). Most of my research focuses on the "bureaucracy" of this intersection: for example, the American bureaucracy (defense and foreign policy, the U.S. military as an organization) or how international organizations and networks do and can work to create and implement better policy. Particular policy areas I am interested in include environmental policy, economic sanctions, and military/defense policy. I also study gender and politics, specifically how gender and organizations interact, often using a diversity management or representative bureaucracy theoretical approach. I typically use qualitative methods in my research. Finally, I am always interested in taking an interdisciplinary approach to my research and working cross-discipline.
Research in Progress:
"Protesting ROTC Programs: A Look at the University of Missouri's History."
“Representation of Gender in Conflict Within the United Nations.”
“Extending Lessons from Federalism to Global Governance: A Case Study of Environmental Networks.”
“Creating A Governance Framework for Economic Sanctions: Global Public Policy Networks and Public Sector Knowledge Networks.”