The reflexive turn in the sociological study of the military

Abstract

The idea of reflexivity as a surveillance tool in research has been flourishing in the social sciences over the past four decades. But this has not been the case in the social scientific study of the military, where a relative absence of reflexivity in research practices and processes has been identified (Higate and Cameron, 2006). However, recent work in the field reveals a different trend, which can trigger a reflexive turn in the sociological study of the military. The paper aims to uncover the meaning and importance of reflexivity for the social scientific study of the military, both in terms of past practices— through a selective report on the state of the field—and in terms of the futures we want for this research area. It argues that far from being a constraint, reflexivity is the very condition for the production of social scientific knowledge and for asserting the validity and reliability of research results. As such, it is a path to be followed and strengthened by those who study the military and its relationship with the broader society.