Cultural Norms and Military Relationships
The formation, maintenance, and avoidance of personal relationships are essential aspects of human life. These relationships can be based on many factors, including race, religion, gender, class, age, language, physical appearance, geographical location, and more. In today's globalized society, people from different backgrounds frequently interact and engage with each other to create new cultural norms. One setting where this is particularly true is the military. Soldiers come from diverse backgrounds and cultures that shape their beliefs, values, and behaviors. While they may share similar goals, they also have distinct experiences that influence how they interact with others. This essay will discuss how cultural norms—both national and organizational—shape soldiers' relationships within military structures.
National Cultural Norms and Military Relationships
National culture refers to shared ideas, customs, values, and practices that characterize a group of individuals sharing a common origin or heritage. These norms often shape how soldiers form, maintain, or avoid personal relationships within the military.
Some countries value family bonds and prioritize spending time together as a unit. This cultural expectation shapes how soldiers form relationships within the military, making them less likely to date or marry someone outside their unit.
In some cultures, religious beliefs dictate that marriage should take place after military service. This cultural norm influences soldiers' decisions to pursue romantic relationships while serving and affects the type of relationships they establish.
Organizational Cultural Norms and Military Relationships
Organizational culture refers to the beliefs, attitudes, and practices shared by members of an organization. In the military, these norms are shaped by policies, regulations, and codes of conduct.
The military enforces strict rules on fraternization between soldiers of different ranks. A soldier who violates these rules may face disciplinary action, including dismissal from the army.
This rule is not universal across all militaries; some allow cross-ranked relationships under specific circumstances. This cultural norm impacts how soldiers form relationships within the military, forcing them to adhere to rules and regulations or risk punishment.
Cultural norms play a crucial role in shaping soldiers' relationships within military structures. National and organizational norms influence their behaviors regarding forming, maintaining, or avoiding personal connections. These norms can be challenging to navigate for soldiers from diverse backgrounds with unique experiences. As such, it is essential for commanders to understand these norms and create an inclusive environment where all soldiers feel safe and supported.
How do cultural norms—both national and organizational—shape the way soldiers form, maintain, or avoid personal relationships within military structures?
The ways in which cultural norms affect soldiering cannot be reduced to one single influence. It is necessary to distinguish between different levels of culture, including nationality, regionalism, gender roles, professional experience, social class, religion, age, education level, etc. In addition, there are formal regulations that shape individual behavior both within military organizations and outside them. These factors may vary from country to country and even from organization to organization within a given state.