Outbroing the Bros: Exploring the Role of Gender in the Military

Women are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States military. Yet, research regarding military service members and veterans has focused primarily on men’s experiences. One area of research in which women are most often included is regarding military sexual trauma (MST) which includes both sexual assault and harassment. Despite representing a minority, women are significantly more likely to experience MST than men. However, MST is the canary in the coal mine, signaling the inequities within the institution. Inequities are often normalized within institutions; the military is no exception, and its structure as a gendered and total institution augments these inequities through organizational policies and norms which communicate the place of women and the burden they represent to the institution. Drawing from interviews with 16 servicewomen, this study explored how gender is constructed and its role in the experiences of servicewomen, illustrated by three identified overarching themes: 1) organizational processes create gendered experiences navigating military service, 2) gender fuels pressure for women to prove they belong and establishes additional rules for women, and 3) through these processes MST is normalized so much that it becomes an occupational hazard. This study contributes to the literature by illuminating the everyday challenges women face in the military based on their gender. Further, it illustrates how the structure of the military as a gendered and total institution creates and reinforces gendered experiences, provides opportunities for institutional betrayal, and puts women at risk for sexual violence.