Of ‘true professionals’ and ‘ethical hero warriors’: A gender-discourse analysis of private military and security companies

Abstract

Private military and security companies (PMSCs) have gained increasingly in importance over the course of the past two decades. Yet, given the intransparency of the industry and the heterogeneity of the companies that comprise it, we thus far know little about the actors involved. In this article, we offer preliminary insights into the self-representation of PMSCs, based on a gender-discourse analysis of the homepages of select companies and their main professional associations. We argue that survival in an increasingly competitive industry not only hinges on size, market share or effectiveness, but is also inherently gendered. PMSCs and their associations draw on the one hand on civilized and accepted forms of masculinity and femininity, presenting themselves as 'highly skilled professional' military strategists and ordinary businesses akin to banks or insurance companies. At the same time, however, PMSCs also engage in strategies of (hyper) masculinization and pathologization to set themselves apart from mercenaries, their private competitors and state security forces. In this respect, companies appear to view themselves as 'ethical hero warriors'. Whether intended or not, their strategies have political consequences. Within the security industry, they contribute to the creation and maintenance of a norm regarding what constitutes a legitimate PMSC, to which more or less all companies strive to adhere. Vis-à-vis other security actors, these strategies seek to establish PMSCs as being superior because, unlike these actors, such companies are super-masculine and able to live up to the growing and sometimes contradictory demands of changing security contexts.

A fear of coercion and accountability? Security officers and the non-use of force

“…Generally, security officers are considered: short-tempered, aggressive, rowdy, law-breaking 'cowboys' (Higate, 2012a(Higate, , 2012b(Higate, , 2011; 'mega-masculine Rambos', 'trigger-happy brutes', 'mercenaries', and 'dogs of war' (Fainaru, 2008;Joachim and Schneiker, 2012); and individuals with a criminal record, predominantly 'motivated by status, salary, joy, and success' (Van Steden et al, 2015: 224). Those images, however, 'ignore the heterogeneity among companies' (Joachim and Schneiker, 2012: 496).…”

Introduction

“…Studies within international relations have focused on the implications for state sovereignty and authority (Avant 2004(Avant , 2005Leander 2005Leander , 2013Singer 2003), the role of private security companies in the domains of humanitarian aid (Spearin 2001), how companies engage in identity work and self-framing (Berndtsson 2011;Franke and von Boemcken 2011;Joachim and Schneiker 2012a), and the role of gender discourses and masculinities (Higate 2012;Joachim and Schneiker 2012b). In the fi eld of international (humanitarian) law, scholars have addressed the legal frameworks in which such companies can and cannot operate (Boghosian 2005;Joh 2005;Zarate 1998;Kinsey 2005;Schreier and Caparani 2005;Th orburn 2010) and the crucial role that national and international regulation plays in determining such legal parameters (Berg 2003;Cockayne 2008;Sarre and Prenzler 1999).…”

Everyday Matters in Global Private Security Supply Chains: A Feminist Global Political Economy Perspective on Gurkhas in Private Security

“…Critical masculinity studies have been an important influence in this research field. By examining the gendered practices of contractors on the ground (Chisholm, 2010(Chisholm, , 2014bHigate, 2012) as well as PMSCs' marketing strategies (Joachim & Schneiker, 2012, it was shown that the industry is not just a masculinised space but (re)produces a variety of hierarchically positioned masculinities.…”