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| By israelinsider staff April 26, 2007 |
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Male IDF soldiers who serve in combat units become less martial and more inclined to seek compromises on security matters over the duration of their service.
Conversely, female soldiers become more hawkish and more right-wing during their service, according to the study, conducted by Haifa University's School for Political Science.
The study examined 490 male and female soldiers of every rank and in every division of the army. The participants answered the same series of questions before induction, after six months of serving, and immediately after enlistment, Haaretz reported.
The results showed that a great percentage of the soldiers began their service with right-wing politics. Six-months into their service they were more hawkish. However, after being released from the army they displayed more dovish, left-wing views and were more open to compromise.
The soldiers who adopt more dovish views also become more sympathetic towards minorities in Israel and especially Israeli Arabs. These soldiers' views on human rights transform more than those of soldiers who started out with more moderate political views on the subject.
Woman soldiers, while becoming more right-wing in the course of their service, become more adamant about regulating non-conventional weapons than male soldiers.
Dr Zvika Barkai, who undertook the study, said, "It is important to note that although men underwent a greater change, their values were almost identical to women's in terms of concern for human rights at the end of their service, as they began with more extreme views." |
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