Emotional and Aesthetic Labor of Finnish Military Officers

Abstract

This study analyzes the emotional and aesthetic labor of Finnish military officers. It examines the kinds of valuations officers attach to the notion of an ideal soldier. The meanings that officers give to these ideals are explored within the wider framework of post-Fordist new work. The ideal soldier is traditionally considered to be physically capable and strong, rational, and in control—features culturally coded as masculine. An analysis of 108 military officers’ writings and 12 interviews showed that while the traditional masculine ideal still exists, a vast variety of valuations are related to new work. The notion of the new ideal worker includes attributes, such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and social skills, which are culturally coded as feminine qualities. These feminine valuations may work to female officers’ advantage. However, despite fractures in traditional masculine ideals, there are still some deeply rooted gender stereotypes that work to female officers’ disadvantage.

Solving ‘the Uniform Issue’: Gender and Professional Identity in the Swedish Military

“…In the Nordic countries, central areas of study within the field of gender, work, and organizations have included, for example, gendered divisions of labor (e.g., Bloksgaard 2011; Sundevall 2011), organizational cultures and norms (e.g., Berggren 2002; Ellingsen & Lilleaas 2020), and leadership and management (e.g., Katila & Eriksson 2013;Wahl 2014). In addition, recent years have seen an increased interest in the material aspects of how gender relations and occupational identities are constructed in organizations (Harrison & Olofsson 2016;Just et al 2019;Kouri 2021). The present study adds to this emerging field, using everyday material objects such as uniforms and personal equipment to shed light on the interconnectedness of gender equality, workplace discrimination, and gendered occupational identities in military work.…”

“…The concept of aesthetic labor, which was initially developed to analyze the increasing 'lookism' of the service industry, has, for instance, been used to scrutinize how uniforms not only have practical, but also symbolic effects and importance (Dahl 2013). Kouri (2021) applies aesthetic labor in a study of Finnish soldiers and shows that an essential part of doing the job of a soldier is looking the part of a soldier. However, although the uniform marks and shapes occupational identities, its effects are somewhat contradictory (Tynan & Godson 2019).…”

“…Moreover, the fact that none of our interviewees can recall a military leader correcting or problematizing pregnant servicewomen's breach of regalement in this period, or providing them with appropriate apparel, also render (pregnant) women officers 'different.' By not being corrected for failing to 'look like a soldier' through the successful performance of aesthetic labor (Kouri 2021), the pregnant servicewoman is placed outside of -and not as a representative for -the uniform(ed) military profession and collective. In this context, uniforms tweaked with wedges and suspenders or other 'ridiculous solutions' appear as a stark contrast to the professional identity, status, and authority usually associated with a military uniform.…”

Examining the Impact of Conscript Service on the Labour Market Integration of Migrants

“…Several interviewees emphasised that, during their conscript service, they had become accustomed to early wakeups and coping with limited sleep. For some, waking up early was associated with maturation and transition into adulthood, which are features that are frequently associated with military service (Ahlbäck, 2014;Kosonen, 2019;Kouri, 2021). Due to conscript service being so strongly associated with maturation in Finland, it could be postulated that those who have completed their conscript service may be perceived as more mature by potential employers.…”