A clash of cultures : exploring the perceptions and experiences of South African youth towards the military as an employer of choice

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the shift to an all-volunteer force and the end of the Cold War, armed forces across the globeare finding it increasingly difficult to attract, recruit and retain the right quantity and quality of recruitsin the ranks. Similarly, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has expressed difficultieswith recruitment but more so with the ability to attract 'high calibre' recruits in order to staff a defenceforce that is disciplined and technologically advanced. Although this is a consequence of variouseconomic, social and political factors, one of the greatest challenges facing recruiters is the changingwork values and preferences of the new millennial generation. As the title of this thesis postulates,evidence from the West suggests a 'clash' in values between millennials, who are individualistic,protected, ambitious and self-centred, and the military, which requires conformity, obedience andstructure. While there is a vast amount of literature regarding the all-volunteer force and youth valuesof military service in the West, there is no study of this kind in South Africa.In this study, I aim to fill this void by exploring young South Africans' perceptions and experiencesof military service. As there is no existing literature on the propensity to enlist in South Africa, focusgroups and interviews were conducted with high school learners, Military Skills Development System(MSDS) members who have completed one year of military service and recruitment officers whocome into contact with school-leavers from across South Africa. These discussions were framedaround two broad questions, namely what are the work values of young South Africans and whatfactors attract young people to or deter them from the military job.The conclusion is reached that the SANDF is not an employer of choice because of variousinstitutional and societal factors. The military job is largely unappealing to young South Africans,who are risk-averse, individualistic and wish to be in close proximity to their families. The culture ofthe military is also unattractive to the majority who are not receptive to authoritarian regimes thatexpect unquestioning obedience and discipline and emphasise hegemonic masculine ideals. Besidesthis, two societal forces have a significant impact on the ability of the ability of the SANDF to attractrecruits. The decline in the prestige of the military job and the presence of an ever-growing civilmilitarygap indicate that youth are neither informed about the military nor see the military as a highstatus job in society. Consequently, the inability of the SANDF to meet recruitment targets can bedetrimental to the ability of the SANDF to fulfil its mandate.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University