Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-2006

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Anthropology

Major Professor

Janice Harper

Committee Members

Elizabeth Sutherland, David Anderson

Abstract

Warfare has always been vital to the state for a number of reasons. Those in power have a vested interest in maintaining control over not only war itself, but also information related to the conflict. One way they accomplish this is by making decisions that restrict, alter, tone-down, or otherwise change content related to human bodies in times of conflict that is meant for widespread dissemination through mainstream media and official government or military reporting. An extreme implementation of this power can make bodies disappear. Drawing on the work of Gusterson (2004), Ehrenreich (1997), Sontag (2003), Chomsky (2002), Scott (1990), Clastres (1974), Foucault (1977), and several others, I argue that this “symbolic disappearance” of the body in Western military contexts is an example of state power exercised to help sustain a hegemonic authority structure. This power can result in several negative consequences for citizens, soldiers, and veterans of the nation-state, as well as for foreign residents and soldiers affected by military actions.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Included in

Anthropology Commons

Share

COinS