| Based on multiple sources of data and methods including: initial observation, three years of participant observation, informal conversations in a variety of settings, and formal interviews this dissertation examines the nexus of neoliberalism and militarism at a public school in Southern California. Neoliberal school policies such as magnet schools, vouchers, charter schools and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) have gone hand in hand with militaristic educational programs such as the Montgomery G.I. Bill, JROTC, and Troops to Teachers. The Military Educational Institute (MEI) is a military-style charter school that enrolls predominately poor and working class Latino youth. This dissertation argues that structural conditions such as a lack of quality educational choices in the local community, the fear of school violence and racial tension, and the appeal of military-based discipline and uniforms steer parents and students toward enrollment at the MEI. The culture, practices, language and symbols of militarism at the school socialize cadets into a particular militarized and gendered identity. The cultural heritage of the MEI is clearly focused on the centrality of militarism in education and cadets at the MEI not only conflate education and the military, but also see enlistment in the armed forces as an equally beneficial choice as going to college. Cadets are socialized through the use of military language in school practices to accept militarism as a rite of passage in life, which increases their chances of forming a military identity. In addition, the nuances and effects of a particular form of hegemonic masculinity for both boys and girls is also examined at the school. This dissertation argues that this particular form of hegemonic masculinity is exemplified through the acceptance and condonement of violence and the warrior hero archetype. While not all cadets at the school have access to, or can capitalize upon the advantages of this particular hegemonic masculinity, specifically Black boys and girls, it is a powerful force that shapes social interactions, social patterns, and social identities for boys and girls. |
