Abstract
In Bolivia, young male military conscripts come from the most powerless sectors of society: Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani peasant communities and poor urban neighborhoods. Like recruits from impoverished ethnic groups and working classes elsewhere (Gibson 1986; Zeitlin et al. 1973), they are the foot soldiers who risk death in warfare to a greater degree than members of dominant social groups and frequently suffer emotional abuse at the hands of commanding officers. Their rural communities, mining camps, and urban neighborhoods have also long experienced repression in the military's fight against internal enemies. Why, then, are these young men frequently eager to serve? And why do many experience social pressure from friends, family members, and their communities to enlist?
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