Soldiering Under Occupation

Processes of Numbing among Israeli Soldiers in the Al-Aqsa Intifada
1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-0-85745-956-5
Verlag: Berghahn Books

Buch, Englisch, 168 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 403 g

Often, violent behavior or harassment from a soldier is dismissed by the military as unacceptable acts by individuals termed, “rotten apples.” In this study, the author argues that this dismissal is unsatisfactory and that there is an urgent need to look at the (mis)behavior of soldiers from a structural point of view. When soldiers serve as an occupational force, they find themselves in a particular situation influenced by structural circumstances that heavily influence their behavior and moral decision-making. This study focuses on young Israeli men and their experiences as combat soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), particularly those who served in the “Occupied Palestinian Territories” (OPT) during the “Al Aqsa Intifada,” which broke out in 2000. In describing the soldiers’ circumstances, especially focusing on space, the study shows how processes of numbing on different levels influence the (moral) behavior of these soldiers.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Grassiani, Erella

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Naher & Mittlerer Osten
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Friedens- und Konfliktforschung
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Militärwesen Verwaltung, Streitkräfte (Militärwesen)
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen Konflikt- und Friedensforschung, Rüstungskontrolle, Abrüstung

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Figures

Acknowledgements

Preface

Methodology

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. Studying Soldiers

Chapter 3. Checkpoints, Arrests and Patrols: Spaces of Occupation

Chapter 4. Performing as Occupiers: Operational Dynamics

Chapter 5. Tired, Bored and Scared: Emotional, Physical and Cognitive Numbing

Chapter 6. Blurring morals: the numbed moral competence of soldiers

Chapter 7. Morality in Speech: Discursive Strategies of Soldiers

Chapter 8. Conclusion

References

Über Autor(innen)

Grassiani, Erella
Erella Grassiani is currently Lecturer in the Sociology and Anthropology Department at the University of Amsterdam. Her work focuses on military and security issues in Israel.