Anthropology
hnographic perspective as it relates to your own experience and research
see attachment for instructions
Instructions
Ethnographic perspective as it relates to your own experience and research
Choose one question from the following list and answer it in light of the anthropological concepts
Note: for full points you must respond to the questions in this assignment in light of the course material. Incorporate specific, cited references to the course material to support your statements and main points. You should have at least three sources in this paper.
Questions
- The military question. Military organizations have always had their own rules.
Analyze a unit or other self- contained organization within the military.
How does that unit accomplish its goals?
What kind of internal culture does it have that allows it to both relate to the broader military organization and maintain its distinctiveness?
What roles do individuals assume within the group to facilitate its success and cohesion?
Your analysis must go deeper than the formal command structure and you must relate to anthropological concepts and issues covered in class.
Incorporate specific, cited references to the course material to support your statements and main points.
ANSWER
The Marine Corps
Ethnography is the study of a particular human society that requires more than research. Ethnography requires anthropologists to fully immerse themselves in the culture and the everyday life of the human community they are studying (Ivarra & Aguero, 2009). The U.S. military is a human society with its own culture. The U.S. Army is made up of U.S. citizens coming from different ethnicities and cultures. However, in the military, they have a culture and rules of their own. The culture and rules are not all about performing their duties in averting disasters; it is a culture that is ingrained in them and stays with them long after they have left the forces. The military is divided into different self-sufficient units such as the navy, Marine Corps, air force, and coast guard.
The Marine Corps is one of the units within the U.S. military. The Marine Coro serves as the quick reaction force and has special units trained to respond to crises anytime necessary. The Marine Corps is sometimes referred to as the tip of the spear because they are always combat-ready and spearhead conflict operations (Pollman, 2018). The Marine Corps, therefore, accomplish their goals by always being ready. They are aware of their role in the military and are prepared to be summoned at any time in case a crisis occurs. The marines understand that they share more than togetherness and that they are fighting a collective fight for a common purpose. The Marine Corps accomplish its goals by always being ready to be called upon to spearhead operations and to fight for what is suitable for the country. They believe in fighting for each other in combat and during peace, enabling them to accomplish their tasks and accomplish their missions. They are united people who share in the culture of unity and integration, which helps in their missions.
The Marine Corps is the only independent branch but serves as part of another branch. However, they are stationed to act as the quick response team (Hamilton, 2021). They work to defend the national policies and address the threats that are considered dangerous to the States, but they are different from the army in that they are called upon in situations that require a quick response. The main goal of the army and the marines is to protect the country, the citizens, and the constitution. They are a bit different from the military and use unique resources to provide security for the country. The goal of the Marine Corps and the army is the same, but they have different purposes. Marines have a more specified mission. They aid naval combat, and they have been mobilized in times of natural disaster and armed conflict to protect the interests of the U.S. as they are a quick response team.
The Marine Corps live through a set of values born from the nation’s ideals. The Marine Corps motto is always faithful, while the army’s motto is we defend. The culture of the Marine Corps is always to be prepared to act. They are also responsible for each other in and out of combat. They have similar cultures to the other military groups, but they are also distinctive. Like other members of the military, Marine Corps are required to learn martial arts. They undergo specialized training before being deployed (Pollman, 2018). However, the Marine Corps has implemented a Marine Corps martial arts program that prepares them for close-quarter combat. This is done in case they are found in a situation where they are unarmed in a mission and thus required to use the skills to fight.
Cohesion in the Marine Corps helps in creating fighting power. Cohesion cannot be achieved if all team members are not collectively dedicated to ensuring that the team remains united and focused on the same goals. To ensure that the teams are united, marines are trained together in schools of infantry, training together helps them to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and they learn to trust and depend on each other. Cohesion can only be achieved if each team member is trusted to do what is required from them. For example, if they are sent for a certain mission, they have to trust that the person sent to do negotiations will be successful. The team allocated for negotiations has also to trust that if they need the team to help them out of a situation, they will be efficient and help them out of it.
Unit cohesion in the marines is meant to enhance combat readiness. Cohesion is meant to synchronize the deployment cycle with the teamed marines. Cohesion is also meant to develop character by giving them a sense of selflessness and subordination for the common good. This means that cohesion is achieved through the marines working as a team and listening and following the commander’s instructions (Pollman, 2018). Team integrity requires the members of the Marine Corps to train together and fight together to promote team integrity. This means that each member of the Marine Corps is expected to bring out their best selves to ensure that the team’s integrity is maintained. For a team to work together, they have to accept and trust each other. The Marine Corps is expected to be loyal to each other and trust each other. They are expected to trust that the members of their teams will make the best decision to ensure they are safe. All the team members promote team cohesion by following through with the values and the motto of the Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps is a special unit overseen by the navy. They are independent units with unique values, but they are still under the navy. Like any other human society, the Marine Corps have therefore developed their own values depending on the level of skill required from them (Johnson, 2021). They even have a unique name created for themselves because they are expected to spearhead operations and are required to be a fast response team. In relation to what is expected from them, they have created a slightly different culture from the other military members. Members of the Marine Corps have a different motto from the other military. “Always faithful.” This motto goes hand in hand with what is expected from them. The nature of their responsibilities also requires them to have special combat skills and thus create a martial arts program where they learn taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, and other martial arts. These are meant to prepare them for an eventuality where they are caught off-guard without their weapons. Marine Corps have a culture of protecting each other and having each other’s backs. Lie all the other military members. They also do not leave any member of their team behind, dead or alive.
References
Hamilton, D. (2021). What is the difference between the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps? https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/army-vs-marines
Johnson, S. (2021). What separates the Marines from the other branches? https://www.uso.org/stories/2910-what-separates-the-marines-from-the-other-branches#:~:text=The%20Marine%20Corps%20is%20the,be%20part%20of%20the%20Army.
Pollman, A. (2018). Framing Marine Corps culture. Proceedings Magazine, 2018-06.
Ivarra, A., & Aguero, P. (2009). Contemporary studies in ethnography. Nova Science Publishers.
