DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION OF TEACHING OF POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY
FIRST SEMESTER
2011/2012 ACADEMIC SESSION
BY
M.M. YUSIF
AUGUST, 2012
Introduction
The original title of this course as in the books of the University is “Military and Politics”. However, I have unofficial title which I have given as “Military and Society”.
This is not without reasons. One is because there is a radical transformation of the Armed forces everywhere across the globe, although is uneven. Secondly, there is also transformation of state as well as of society. So, the triad of the state, Military and Society should not be treated as in the old order.
From Science point of view there is also a paradigm shift to analyse and understand the changes and the new relationship between the triads.
In the last fifty years military science has gone through three major approaches to military and society. One is informed by modernisation. Second, beginning roughly from mid-1970s by Marxist theory. The third one, has no specific name, but the best term to characterise it is post-modern approach.
These changes in the study of Military and Society reveal that society does not remain static. It changes. This shows that as society changes the military also changes. That is why in different era of human society there is different organisation, function, mission and objectives of the military. The trend reveals a pre-modern military; modern military; late modern military and post-modern military. (Charles C. M. John A. W. and David R. S (eds.) (2000).
A critical student may ask what would be the future of the post-modern Army. Both Science and Post-modern reasoning do not tolerate one direction of an answer to any social problem. One scenario would be to go back to renationalisation of the military from its present global mission, training and organisation. Secondly is, if we apply post-industrial society theory, in post-capitalist society there will be no conflict, so harmony will prevail, so there would be no need of military. The third scenario would be more sophisticated technology, more sophisticated military.
Specifically, we are going to examine the relation of military to society. The focus is to bring out the changes the military of various countries are going through in order to cope with its legitimate responsibilities. We would tackle these changes both from theory and practice perspectives.
As noted above the changes are uneven. Some countries have seen these changes more than others. We would trace the factors for these differences and we would employ a comparative approach to show the differences and the similarities between countries.
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 1
Armed Forces, State and Society: Theoretical Perspectives
Society produces both State and Military. So as society changes they also change. However, the relationship between the three agencies is complex. The two are not necessarily under the control of the society. Yet, as it changes, they also change. The contemporary world is a new society. This means there was the old one. You are hereby to create two models of complex relationship between society, state and military.
Old Model
New Model
Explain these two similar models to show the differences
M. M. Yusif
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 2
Military and Society: Historical Perspectives
Human society is not static. It changes. An old society contains elements of a new one. When an old society finally breaks which would ultimately give rise to new one, ideas, theories and concepts also break down to produce new ideas, theories and concepts. Although the old ideas would remain relevant in scientific studies, but cannot explain the new society, unless they are reformed.
More so when the old society changes, its institutions, agencies, actors etc. also changes, including their mission, function, organization, etc. This is also the case of military as an institution.
Look below the changes in the military which accompanied changes of the society and nature of the state.
Your assignment this week (week No. 2) is to explain the above.
- Bring out the characteristics of each historical phase in the development of military and society.
- What elements each contained of the following phase of development
- How did the transition to the new take place
- After the current phase what is the future?
M. M. Yusif
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 3
Military and Society: Paradigm Shifts
The relationship between military and society could be explained and analyzed from different theoretical perspectives.
Nevertheless, different historical periods are dominated by a given paradigm. A paradigm or a theory is an explanatory framework which explains something. In the case of military and society there are paradigm shifts, which followed transformation of the society to understand the change.
Observe the above carefully and answer the following questions.
- Date the period of each theory
- Give the characteristics of each
- What does each tell on society military relation?
- What characteristics of the society which produced each paradigm
M. M. Yusif
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 4
Constructing Military-Society Relations in Neo-Liberal Society
Military and Society in Neo-Liberal order rejects analysis from both classical modernization and Marxian theory. This seems to support the idea that in human society today there are diverse changes that, is not every theory that can explain and reach a correct conclusion.
This conveniently gives rise to a post-modern approach. On the one hand post-modern is not a theory on the other it is. However, if it is a theory, it has no body of ideas constructed or to be constructed to serve as a tool of analysis.
A post-modern analysis selects from the existing literature on the subject or from its reality to construct value-free instrument with a view to understand the phenomenon.
The Debate on Analysis of Military-Society Relation in Neo-Liberal Order:
You are to interprete the above figure of the tools of analysis of Military-Society relations in a Neo-Liberal order.
M. M. Yusif
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 5
Debate on whether there is Post-Modern Military
Explain this figure including giving names of the debators.
M. M. Yusif
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 6
Military-State-Society Relation: New Military New Civil Military Relation
Study this figure and show how the Old and the New Military relate with State and Society.
M. M. Yusif
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 7
Information Technology and Weapon System
Explain this figure to show the impact of I.T. on weapon system in war.
M. M. Yusif
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 8
Military Transformation: Comparative Models
Study this figure and compare the models
M. M. Yusif
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
FACULTY OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO
POL4301: MILITARY AND SOCIETY - WEEK NO. 9
Theoretical Conclusion: The Future of Post-Modern Military – Moskos Model
Explain this figure to predict the future of the PMM
M. M. Yusif
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