Northeastern Prof Warns: Male Military Veterans ‘Reinforce Hegemonic Masculinity,’ Sexism

Article here. Excerpt:

'A professor at Northeastern University recently published an academic study warning that military veterans “reinforce hegemonic masculinity,” and ultimately contribute to “men’s dominance over women.”

The study, titled “How Military Service Members Reinforce Hegemonic Masculinity in Talk,” was published in the Western Journal of Communication on August 10. It was written by Northeastern Professor Bobbi J. Van Gilder.

Her research consisted of interviewing 14 current and former male servicemembers by phone or Skype. Gilder analyzed their responses to certain questions to see if any of their phrasing betrayed their thoughts on “gender and sexuality norms” in the military.
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During another interview, Van Gilder criticized a gay veteran for having put on a “masculine ethos” during their conversation. Said Kevin, the gay veteran:

"When you actually get thrown into a combat situation where you have to put all your differences aside and do your job, it makes things a little different. … It’s like what separates us veterans from people who have never deployed. In many ways, in my opinion, [the public doesn’t] understand what a true soldier is all about."

Van Gilder concluded that Kevin was attempting to assert his masculine identity by framing only certain people as “true soldiers.”

Van Gilder also suggested that Kevin’s sexuality was to blame for his “sexism” -- that gay men may try to compensate for their public image as effeminate by emphasizing their masculinity. She only published short quotes from Kevin's hour-long interview.'