Pew Research Center reports that, as of 2010, women make up about 15% of enlisted soldiers and commissioned officers:
Not all types of women are entering the military at the same rate. Nearly a third of women in the military are Black, about twice their proportion in the general population. In contrast, about half are white, about 2/3rds their proportion among civilian women.
A larger proportion of women, compared to men, said that they joined the military because it was difficult to find a good civilian job:
They were just as likely as men, however, to report other more common reasons for joining:
Interestingly, women reported high levels of strain re-entering the civilian population and the majority believe that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are not worth fighting:
Nevertheless, a large majority felt that entering the military was good for their personal growth and career opportunities:
Comments 8
Women, Opportunity, and the Military » Sociological Images « National-Express2011 — December 14, 2012
[...] that, as of 2010, women make up about 15% of enlisted soldiers and commissioned officers:See on thesocietypages.org Sharen mit:TwitterFacebookGoogle +1TumblrPinterestEmailMoreLinkedInLike this:LikeBe the first to [...]
Carolyn Fitzpatrick — December 14, 2012
This says that 74% of the women surveyed see their experience as preparing them for a job or career. I'd like that to be more specific - a career in the military or a career outside the military? I know that since women are not recognized as combat soldiers it is more difficult for them to get promotions and really make a career out of the military. For most women military service would be a stepping stone to other careers. But revising this question would at least tell us how many women even want a career in the military.
Sartora — December 14, 2012
I wonder to what extent the overrepresentation of black women and underrepresentation of white women is due to economic factors, and to what extent it is to do with sociocultural factors like stereotypes and different social relationship constellations.
WOMEN, OPPORTUNITY, AND THE MILITARY | Welcome to the Doctor's Office — December 14, 2012
[...] from SocImages [...]
Elena — December 15, 2012
Not all types of women are entering the military at the same rate.
Nearly a third of women in the military are Black, about twice their
proportion in the general population.
It would be useful as well to have a comparison with the enlisted population, not just the general population.
Jordan — December 15, 2012
It seems interesting to me that more female veterans expressed discontent with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan than male veterans. This seems to make sense when the majority of women's considerations of war are overwhelmingly negative. Could the fact that female veterans report more negative experiences during and side-effects after war be related to their negative feelings of war? Also interesting is the fact that a disproportionate amount of black women are involved in the military. Could this be due to the fact that economic inequality due to subtle discriminatory policies in hiring is forcing more black women into military service?
Chris — December 18, 2012
Click "like" if you think women shouldn't be in the military!
James Jordan — July 27, 2023
You have given a comprehensive and insightful overview of the history and current status of women in the armed forces. You have also highlighted the challenges and achievements of women who have served or are serving in various roles and branches of the military.
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