100 Years of Service: Organizational Conflict and Perceptions of Women in the U.S. Military

Recent political moves to push the military towards gender inclusion by opening combat billets to women and allowing transwomen to serve openly has increased tensions within the Department of Defense. The purpose of this research is to apply an organizational conflict perspective to the United States military. This mixed methods research proposal seeks to explore male attitudes towards gender equality and equal opportunity within the traditionally masculine institution of the U.S. military. Despite previous research conducted on the subject, there is no research that identifies the differences in male perceptions of women in each military branch over time. The research I will be conducting hopes to fill this gap in knowledge. Furthermore, the year 2018 marks the 100-year anniversary of women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, making this research on gender and organizational conflict within the United States military exceptionally timely.