Uniform as a symbolic stage for organizational and gender identity formation of women serving in the armed forces of Ukraine

Abstract

This paper aims to describe how female military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine perceive the military uniform in terms of its significance for their gender and organizational identities. The research was part of a pilot project in the form of an interview study. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the results. The data was structured into codes, then categorized and grouped to form general themes. The analysis of the servicewomen’s reflections on the military uniform has shown how important it is for them, especially in developing their identity. Servicewomen’s attitudes toward military uniforms and their psychological well-being levels may be correlated with their organizational and gender identities. Organizational identity becomes a catalyst for positive attitudes toward uniforms when: 1) servicewomen see the uniform as a framework of organizational identity, a guiding principle and a directive that programs the wearer for ethical behaviour and teamwork; 2) the main factors that influence organizational identity are the conceptual constructs of `idealism` and `military professionalism`. The collectivism, patriotism, and philanthropic values on which idealism is based on the perception of the self as a defender of one’s people and country. Military professionalism correlates with the effect of expecting to go to war and satisfaction with fighting; 3) among the identification criteria, which manifest the patterns, regularities and features of the military organizational identity, the parameter `gender equality` is included. When organizational identity dominates, the main risk factors that lead to negative attitudes toward uniform are 1) excessive identification with the organization, in which servicewomen may internalize the goals and objectives of the armed forces to the point that their personal identification may suffer; 2) the formation of an organizational identity that does not include the identifying marker of `gender equality`. This threatens psychological well-being through an unhealthy dependence on the approval of others. In cases where gender identity is central to the personality, attitudes toward the military uniform depend on succeeding in forming a balanced military identity. Based on Culver’s Gender Identity Development of Women in the Military (GIDWM) 4-phase matrix, it can be argued that servicewomen’s position in identity development stages, such as `donning the mask` and `wearing the mask`, likely predicts their negative attitudes toward military uniforms. Wearing a uniform begins to evoke positive emotions only in the fourth stage of `taking off the mask` when servicewomen overcome the masculine ethics of military culture and stereotypical identity expectations. The main reason for the “uniform conflict” can be found in forming gender and organizational identities of servicewomen. Efforts to solve the “uniform problem” in the armed forces should be aimed at introducing standards for servicewomen’s military uniforms and providing psychological assistance to servicewomen in forming a balanced military identity, which is seen as a harmonious combination of organizational and gender identities. In developing mechanisms to ensure gender equality, it is crucial to remember that the identities of military women are not homogeneous. Therefore, no single strategy exists for integrating a gender perspective into the armed forces. The formation and evolution of gender culture in the military can be slowed by ignoring the nuances and intersections of military women’s organizational and gender identities.