Organizational Reaction to Social Deviance: The Military Case

Sound Bite

Military justice issues have become increasingly salient since 9/11. And indeed, the types and frequency of sanctioning in the military have changed substantially since World War II. This study explores differences in how officers and enlisted men are treated, how the different branches of the military have imposed sanctions, and changes in severity and frequency of sanctions during different periods of different wars.

The character of social institutions is known by the nature of rule breakers discovered, or created, within them. The US Military produces casualties in terms of due to physical risk and offenders (those charged with Deviance/Crime) due to social risk: the likelihood of being identified as a rule violator). This case study shows that while the rates of casualty and offender are somewhat inversely related to each other, the latter are much more solidly influenced by the techniques of social control used by officers on their charges than by the war/peace cycle.

About the Book

This study in criminology, sociology, and the US Military explores changes in the meaning and production of deviant populations in American military settings since 1941.

It is designed to highlight the operation of an ethos of control as armed forces and society undergo historically unstable accommodation and conflict. The author examines time series data on organizational reaction to deviance in military settings ('Bad Paper Discharges,' courts-martial, and administrative controls) in light of central characteristics of military settings (the social composition of officer and enlisted ranks, force levels, technological changes in war hardware and the distribution of risks faced by various kinds of soldiers).

Propositions from the deviance literature concerning

1. the constancy of punishment,
2. the duration, intensity, and priority of sanctioning, and
3. cohesion and stress

are examined in military contexts to discern the changing social control climates therein. Some sources of the shift are located in the role that risk plays in the system and the function of the officer corps as agents of social control.

In short: the character of social institutions is knowable, in part, by studying the manner in which deviants therein are controlled, stigmatized and expelled.

Grad students in the social sciences are under intense pressure to write articles, and they need data. Organizational Reaction to Social Deviance: The Military Case is jam-packed with hard-to-find data that Sociology departments and research librarians will appreciate.

As the Table of Contents immediately shows, the book provides data on the US military that are both rare and hard to pull together.

The 50-page bibliography is particularly valuable as the author set out, as one of his objectives, to define the rather exotic and highly-specialized field of military sociology so as to make it available to deviance researchers and criminologists.

Scholars who teach (or create anthologies) will see that many of the chapters stand alone and are suitable for inclusion in a Reader and/or for classroom/seminar adoption.

The data in the book and the author s arguments make this a major reference work. One can disagree with arguments but to do so the relevant research literature is required.

Introduction

This study in criminology, sociology, and the US Military explores changes in the meaning and production of deviant populations in American military settings since 1941.

It is designed to highlight the operation of an ethos of control as armed forces and society undergo historically unstable accommodation and conflict. The author examines time series data on organizational reaction to deviance in military settings ('Bad Paper Discharges,' courts-martial, and administrative controls) in light of central characteristics of military settings (the social composition of officer and enlisted ranks, force levels, technological changes in war hardware and the distribution of risks faced by various kinds of soldiers).

Propositions from the deviance literature concerning

1) the constancy of punishment,

2) the duration, intensity, and priority of sanctioning, and

3) cohesion and stress

are examined in military contexts to discern the changing social control climates therein. Some sources of the shift are located in the role that risk plays in the system and the function of the officer corps as agents of social control.

In short: the character of social institutions is knowable, in part, by studying the manner in which deviants therein are controlled, stigmatized and expelled.

Grad students in the social sciences are under intense pressure to write articles, and they need data. Organizational Reaction to Social Deviance: The Military Case is jam-packed with hard-to-find data that Sociology departments and research librarians will appreciate.

As the Table of Contents immediately shows, the book provides data on the US military that are both rare and hard to pull together.

The 50-page bibliography is particularly valuable as the author set out, as one of his objectives, to define the rather exotic and highly-specialized field of military sociology so as to make it available to deviance researchers and criminologists.

Scholars who teach (or create anthologies) will see that many of the chapters stand alone and are suitable for inclusion in a Reader and/or for classroom/seminar adoption.

The data in the book and the author's arguments make this a major reference work. One can disagree with arguments but to do so the relevant research literature is required.

Information

Robert Stevenson offers something rare in his work Organizational Reaction To Social Deviance: The Military Case. This book provides a comprehensive and data-rich examination of the U.S. military through the lens of military sociology, focusing particularly on the organization's reaction to social deviance.

It stands out by providing rare and meticulously compiled data that shed light on the internal dynamics of military discipline, control, and order—topics often challenging to access and understand in depth. At its core, the work aims to bridge a gap in scholarship by defining the specialized field of military sociology in a way that is accessible and valuable not only to military scholars but also to deviance researchers and criminologists.

Structured in two main parts, the book first describes the various sanctions commanders use to maintain discipline, including legal punishments such as court-martials and the issuance of “Bad Paper” discharges. It delves into the frequency, severity, and duration of these sanctions, and examines how patterns of punishment have evolved over four decades. One of the key inquiries explores whether commanders have become more selective over time in their use of harsh sanctions or if these have been applied more indiscriminately. The analysis also considers differences across branches of the military, providing a nuanced view of how social control operates within this unique institutional context.

A notable contribution of the book is its exploration of the “Bad Paper” discharge as a form of social risk imposed on enlisted personnel by the officer cadre’s discretionary power. The author argues that while the physical risks of military service have statistically declined across wars, the social risks associated with disciplinary sanctions have increased, reflecting shifts in command preferences and social interpretations of soldier behavior. This interplay between physical and social risk adds depth to our understanding of military social control mechanisms.

Throughout the work, the author engages with foundational sociological concepts and adapts them to the military setting, often borrowing from scholars like Lasswell to frame the relationship between officers and enlisted personnel. The book also acknowledges the complexity of military command as a profession, characterized by a blend of routine and constant change, where officers are ultimately responsible for the behavior and performance of their subordinates.

With chapters that can stand alone, this book is not only a major reference for scholars but is also well-suited for classroom use. Its extensive 50-page bibliography further enhances its value as a resource for those seeking to explore the intersection of military organization, social deviance, and control. Overall, it offers a balanced, data-driven, and theoretically informed perspective on the challenges and mechanisms of maintaining order within the U.S. military.