Contemporary Society

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Contemporary Society

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Contemporary Society

Social and political scientists have associated contemporary society with a myriad of characteristics which include rapid technological advancements, greater human interactions, promotion of gender equality, and respect for human rights (Halcli & Browning, 2000, p. 226). However, many obstacles have stood on the way to achieving a number of important social issues such as ensuring proper gender equity in various government and private institutions. The Australian contemporary society is no exception as recent developments in the military composition have revealed a gap in gender equity among other gender sensitive issues.

The Australian Defense Force (ADF) is grappling with increasing cases of misconduct and violation of women’s rights following recent sex scandals involving military cadets as well as a very low number of women recruits. The revelations have sparked strong reactions among those involved in the leadership of the Australian Defense Force Academy (ADFA) and the ADF in general. Apart from sexual predation, other issues which have been unearthed include alcoholism among male and female military personnel, and intimidation and bullying of female officers. In the midst of all these chaos within a highly regarded institution such as the ADF, the question arises as to whether the scenario reflects the contemporary Australian society. Therefore, this paper attempts to discuss these issues in light of the degree to which the culture in the ADF reflect contemporary Australian society.

The latest most sensitive news regarding the Australian Defense Force Academy (ADFA) have been nothing less of shocking. Evidence has pointed to cases of sexua...

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...rather not be tempted to imply that female military personnel carry no taint of misconduct. According to (Packham, 2011), the first year cadet pleaded guilty to charges of drinking and being absent without leave. In addition, the sexual encounter was said to have been consensual. This culture of breaking the rules in the ADF reflect a society whereby alcoholism has played a major role in contributing to misconduct. Both genders are affected but it seems to be rampant among males. The current situation depicts a scenario whereby the question of gender is being handled on the basis of a struggle whereby women are engaged in a fight to be recognized and respected. This is happening under a strong cultural influence in which gender roles are finely defined and women are not expected to have an equal footing with men in certain areas.

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