Beyond the band of brothers : the US military and the myth that women can't fight / Megan Mackenzie.

Women can't fight. This assumption lies at the heart of the combat exclusion, a policy that was fiercely defended as essential to national security, despite evidence that women have been contributing to hostile operations now and throughout history. This book examines the role of women in the U...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: MacKenzie, Megan H. (Megan Hazel) (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Cambridge, United Kingdom : Cambridge University Press, 2015.
Subjects:
Description
Summary:Women can't fight. This assumption lies at the heart of the combat exclusion, a policy that was fiercely defended as essential to national security, despite evidence that women have been contributing to hostile operations now and throughout history. This book examines the role of women in the US military and the key arguments used to justify the combat exclusion, in the light of the decision to reverse the policy in 2013. The author considers the historic role of the combat exclusion in shaping American military identity and debunks claims that the recent policy change signals a new era for women in the military. Placing the policy in the broader context, the author shows how women's exclusion from combat reaffirms male supremacy in the military and sustains a key military myth, that of the band of brothers. She traces the myth from Freud to HBO in her critical analysis and history of the role of women in combat.
Physical Description:xi, 220 pages ; 23 cm
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 200-218) and index.
ISBN:9781107628106
1107628105
9781107049765
1107049768