Militarizing Culture

Militarizing Culture is a rousing critique of the American warfare state by a leading cultural commentator. Roberto J. González reveals troubling trends in the post-9/11 era, as the military industrial complex infiltrates new arenas of cultural life, from economic and educational arenas to family relationships. One of the nation’s foremost critics of the Human Terrain System program, González makes passionate arguments against the engagement of social scientists and the use of anthropological theory and methods in military operations. Despite the pervasive presence of militarism and violence in our society, González insists that warfare is not an inevitable part of human nature, and charts a path toward the decommissioning of culture. List of Illustrations, Acknowledgments, Introduction: Militarizing Culture, Part I: Basic Training, Chapter 1: Spy Camp for Kids, Chapter 2: Shattered Taboo, Part II: Enlisting Culture, Chapter 3: Towards Mercenary Anthropology?, Chapter 4: The Arab Mind and Abu Ghraib, Chapter 5: Human Terrain, Part III: Controlling Behavior, Chapter 6: Counterinsurgency in the Colonies, Chapter 7: Going “Tribal”, Afterword: Decommissioning Culture, Glossary, References, Index, About the Author