Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Margarita Rayzberg

College

College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

Discipline(s)

Sociology and Criminology

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-24-2025

Abstract

This research investigates whether there is a connection between gender and perceptions of military professionalism. The military is a highly-masculinized workplace which women have not occupied for long; as such, this research aims to discover whether military members perceive women in the military as professional. To do so, the researcher used a survey with both quantitative and qualitative questions to discover what a sample of Army National Guard soldiers' self-perceptions reveal about their views of women in the military. The researcher also covertly observed two weeks of Army National Guard training to learn whether the sample's behavior toward women in the military aligned with their self-perceptions. Quantitative survey results suggested that soldiers' self-perceptions do not demonstrate gendered views of professionalism, but qualitative results from the survey and participant observation demonstrated remaining stereotypes and structural issues which undermine views of women's military professionalism. The researcher concludes that while conscious perceptions of women's professionalism in the military may be improving, symptoms of the military's highly-masculine culture seem to subconsciously affect these perceptions.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Dani Schulz completed her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Criminology with a minor in Spanish at Valparaiso University in December, 2024. She serves as a Sergeant in the Army National Guard, which inspired her to study women in the military. Dani plans to pursue a master’s degree in Sociology and Criminology in the fall, with the goal of eventually working on criminal justice reform.

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