Military Academies as Instruments of Value Change

Abstract

The challenge of a military academy is to provide cadets with the best education possible, while simultaneously providing an intensive socialization experience that will influence their value systems. To assess the impact of this socialization process on value development, a longitudinal study of value change was undertaken at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. One hundred cadets were administered the Survey of Personal Values and the Survey of Interpersonal Values both as freshmen and seniors, and the results indicated that there were significant changes in value strengths over the four years. These results are discussed in terms of the general effect of a college experience versus the unique education at a military academy. The overall conclusion is that military academy experience may be less a process of inculcating new and different values than of reinforcing the institutionally compatible values of those who voluntarily choose the military profession.