recruiting Women Marines

Kate N. pointed us towards this article in the New York Times today discussing 25 years of Marines recruitment aimed at women. Below is the content of their slide show.

1974:

1976:
1978:
1980:
1984:
1988:
1995:
1995:
2000:
2000:


The article says that the Marines have only recently began a concerted attempt to recruit women. Does anyone have any information about the shift in the racial targeting? Or is that just an artifact of the slide show?

Thanks so much for the tip, Kate!


Also in military recruitment: which military would you join?, the homefront, and war as entertainment.

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Representing International Disproportions

Worldmapper offers maps in which the actual land area is morphed to represent various disproportionalities across the globe. The website has over 300 maps! Thanks 73man for the tip!

I borrowed a few examples and pasted them in below. The first map is an actual land area map for reference.

Territory size shows the proportion of worldwide net exports of toys (in US$) that come from there. Net exports are exports minus imports. When imports are larger than exports the territory is not shown.



Territory size shows the proportion of worldwide net imports of toys (in US$) that are received there. Net imports are imports minus exports. When exports are larger than imports the territory is not shown.



Territory size shows the proportion of carbon dioxide emissions in 1980 that were directly from there.



Territory size shows the proportion of all territory level decreases in carbon dioxide emissions between 1980 and 2000, that occurred there.



Territory size shows the proportion of state military spending worldwide that was spent by that territory in 2002.



Territory size shows the proportion of species worldwide that became extinct between 1500 current era and 2004, that became extinct there.



Territory size shows the proportion of all people over 15 in the world living with diabetes who live there.



Territory size shows the proportion of all people aged 15-49 with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) worldwide, living there.



See more alternative maps here.

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Resident Evil 5: Africa Is the Dark Continent

Here is the trailer for Resident Evil 5, which is not yet on the market:



The player is the sole white person in a dismal, threatening city, apparently in Africa. The locals engage in torture (which we see in some detail) and gleefully cheer at a hanging. At one point the hero is accosted by an angry mob, all of whom just make gutteral, animal-like sounds. In a beleagured voice he tells us he just doesn't know "if it's all worth fighting for. Who knows?" Oh, the white man's burden, indeed!

Thanks once again, Patrick C.!

Gender and military power: Iraq war "nose art"

I found these pictures on the "Shock and Awe" part of the military.com website's entertainment section. All the nose art pictures are submitted by individuals in the military.

While some of the these nose art images are a throwback to World War II nose art of pinup girls and Uncle Sam, I think it is interesting that this style of art is still employed. And in addition to updated images of scantly clad women (often posed on a phallic looking warhead) current nose art shows updates in "patriotic" images (often including the WTC on 9/11) and often appropriates non-violent images for obviously violent purposes.

Here's how the purpose of nose art is defined (from wikipedia)

While begun for practical reasons of identifying friend from foe, the practise evolved, with benefits to morale, in expressing pride, relieving the uniform anonymity of the military, offering comfort by recalling home or peacetime life, and as a kind of fetish against enemy action. The appeal, in part, came from nose art not being officially approved, even when the regulations were not rigorously enforced (or at all).

Nose art would be a great way to start a class discussion on gender and war and on the kind of unwelcoming environment the American military continues to be for women in the service. And what do these images say about how the military perceives its enemies, and how power and dominance is defined (as gendered, ethnicized etc.)?

[See also images from this post on perceptions of military power.]

Advertising during war: Girls in slacks hail tampax

While tampons have been around since the 19th century (see the Museum of Menstruation for more history), they really took off in the U.S. in the 1940s. One of the reasons for this was a targeted campaign by Tampax that took advantage of women's new labor participation during WWII. These newspaper ads from that time period show the ways tampons were marketed to women who were not only working, but wearing pants on the job.

These ads would make for a great class discussion on gender and the homefront during war (not to mention a discussion of women's work and bodies)-- particularly on how gender relations and practices can change (temporarily or permanently) during wartime.


I found these at the amazing database of old ads that Gwen posted about. Thanks again for the link Martin W.!

Which Military Would You Join?

This quick video presents an American and a Swedish military recruitment commercial back-to-back.

Maybe Wendy can comment on the differences in recruitment techniques? There certainly seemed to be a lot more glory in the American version, and a lot more holy-crap-war-sucks in the Swedish version.

Via Spiked Humor

Thanks to Julie C. for this tip!

Military Depictions Of Power, Authority And Strength

I receive so much email from the military right now that I worry about becoming desensitized to the content. Well, I must not have become too desensitized, as I was shocked when I received an email advertising military motivational posters. I've never seen such crystal clear displays of how the military defines "power" (and "authority," bravery," "strength," and "patience").

Setting the obvious connections to combat aside, what consequences do these definitions have for how the military is run as an institution? What consequences do these definitions have for the people working inside that institution (those serving, and their families). What do these images say about our foreign policy, and our relationships with other countries and peoples in general?

Let's start with power.

Caption: "Power: The reward of one duty is the power to fulfill another. - George Elliot"
(isn't it odd they'd use a quote by George Elliot?)


Caption: "Bravery: It takes an extraordinary person to face danger and maintain composure."


Caption: "Strength: The process of directing one's scattered forces into one powerful channel."


Caption: "Authority: It is the strongest who prevail."


Caption: "Patience: If you have but one opportunity, make it count."

World Statistics

Click here for a "world clock" (by http://www.poodwaddle.com/) that constantly updates the total number of, well, lots of stuff: births, abortions, deaths of different types, prisoners, marriages, divorces, extinct species, gallons of oil pumped, and computers, cars, and bicycles built. You can choose to display it by how much has happened in the last year, month, day, or even from a moment, like right... now.

Thanks, Mom!

Racist And Anti-Immigrant Signs

These signs, photographed for posterity by their author, have each had their day outside of Casa D'Ici in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. There are more signs on the website.