Revealing the “Postmodern” in Military Affairs

Issues in Military Sociology in Contemporary Japan

Abstract

Military sociology, which emerged as a sociological approach to civil-military relations, addresses the issue of how a society should control its military. It has developed in line with the changing military organization and its relationship to society, according to the perceived form of threat. It focuses on the themes; how to understand military service that became one of the professional occupations associated with the labor market after the abolition of conscription, and how to understand its changing professionalism and organizational characteristics in confronting the “New War” after the end of the Cold War. C. Moskos’ theory of the ‘Postmodern Military’ is a meaningful framework for comparative research on the military. Given that the military is regarded not as a group or place distinguished from the public, but as a place where the general norms of civil society intervene or should intervene, it becomes necessary to introduce ‘postmodernity’ into military sociology as a perspective focusing on the reflexive process of understanding the transformation of the modern military.

‘Postmodern Military’ theory is truly instructive in understanding Japan Self-Defense Forces（JSDF）. However, it is necessary to recognize the implications of a theoretical framework that focuses on the process of mutual observation between the military and the society, rather than merely focusing on the JSDF’s postmodern organizational characteristics. Possible future research may examine topics such as ‘postmodernity’ in historical and contemporary Japan, relationship between ‘memories of war’ and the JSDF, and JSDF’s activities for public relations as an interface with society.