Measuring Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Perception of Military Roles

摘要

The United States Army differs from the military of other nations in that its members are drawn from exceptionally diverse cultural groups. A single unit in the Army may contain representatives from the American Indian, Mexican-American, and Polynesian cultures as well as the majority White group. The impact of these differences if felt primarily by the minority soldier. It is up to him or her to assimilate the norms, values, and attitudes of the White majority. If this assimilation does not occur, his behavior is subject to misinterpretation by White peers and superiors; and in turn, his perceptions of the Army will be similarly affected. The ultimate outcome of these misunderstandings will be detrimental to both the minority soldier and the unit in which he serves. This report will outline some preliminary findings of research being conducted on the nature of cultural and subcultural differences in attitudes, values, and normative beliefs of recruits, and the impact of these differences on the minority soldier's ultimate productivity. The specific focus of this paper will be on existing differences in perceptions of military roles among the major racial and ethnic groups presently found in Army accessions.