WOMEN AND THE MILITARY : THE FEMINIZATION" OF WOMEN IN THE MILITARY"

Abstract

Chapter 1 highlights certain specific examples of the present situation faced by women who want to join or have already joined the military. It also discusses the various studies done on the impact of recruiting women into the military, and of their constantly expanding roles. It discusses how the traditional sex-role stereotypes hamper women's career advancement, and adds on to the stress of adapting to a traditionally male occupation that has resisted attempts to democratize it. It includes an extrapolation of the objectives of this thesis. The methodologies employed are also stated in this chapter, with a discussion on the difficulties faced during fieldwork. Chapter 2 deals specifically with the images of military women today. These images is reflected in the SAF advertisements. These images constantly reinforce the stereotype that women are better suited for support roles, despite the opening up of combat and combat trainer positions for SAF women. The development and views regarding SAF military women are also traced through their expanding roles since the inception of the SAF. Chapter 3 deals with the fieldwork findings with regard to the specific examples dealing with the discrimination of military women, often drawing links between other militaries and Singapore, because the military culture transcends boundaries. It also discusses the differences and similarities between men and women who "sign on." Chapter 4 deals specifically with the "feminization" of women in the SAF. It shows how militaries in general and the SAF specifically, constantly feminizes its women through the various policies taken, thus attributing a 'special and inferior' status to them. Chapter 5 discusses the possible implications of keeping the military as a male domain, and provides the conclusion and answers the question raised in Chapter 1.