Description
Advances in technology have shifted the ideas of masculinity and femininity within the military. In particular, the recent emergence of drone warfare garners attention from scholars of militarism and gender since this new form of war potentially renders the distinction between male and female bodies meaningless.
Analyzing how Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) members explain their occupational fields (especially the signal, which has been a feminized branch, and the infantry and fighter jet pilot domains, which have been perceived as masculinized), this paper clarifies that the triangulation of masculinity, physical strength, and military prowess is being deconstructed within the JSDF.
Whilst some JSDF members consider the signal suitable for female members since physical strength is unnecessary for its task, one male interviewee from the signal, in turn, re-masculinized his expertise. He did so not by referring to physical strength, but by evoking leadership relevant to modern high-tech warfare.
Additionally, some members relativize the militarized masculinity of infantry and fighter jet pilots, given that these fields do not directly engage in drone warfare. These cases indicate that the emergence of drone warfare (namely, technological development) is altering the established idea of militarized masculinity.
