GIR Seminar | Concealing Combat by Helpful Heroes: the Political Utility of Militarized Masculinities
This paper considers how models of militarized masculinity—the social constructions of masculinity that define the ‘ideal soldier’– are wielded by political elites to justify military violence. In a discourse analysis of Department of Defence materials, including recruitment campaigns and informational brochures, I trace a model of militarized masculinity—the “helpful hero”– that emerged during the War …