Some Political Perspectives of Academic Reserve Officers

Abstract

serve officers This organization of university student reserve officers was studied as a part of a large sample of student political activists at the University of Lund.' In Sweden, military training for about 10 months is compulsory. Selection of non-commissioned officer trainees takes place at induction; but a person not selected may volunteer and would start with a test period. Those undertaking N.C.O. training must stay in the army for 15 months, however, after which time those planning to become commissioned officers must volunteer for a further 6 months at the cadet school of their chosen branch of service. Members of LAOS are reserve commissioned officers who have finished their full-time training. They are called on duty on the average one and a half months every third year. In-between these obligatory terms of duty, a reserve officer may volunteer and take temporary posts, if vacancies are available. This is usually the case, especially during the summer, thus often serving as an extra source of income for the students. This temporary duty is rather profitable, since living expenses during such duty are low. The organization LAOS arranges both internal and public meetings with discussions and lectures by guest speakers. Study visits to various places of interest to the organization are also arranged. About 10 meetings take place every university semester. 2. LAOS part of a future elite The members of this organization are militarily educated and part-time active as officers. As such, they belong to one of the professional elites of the country. In all probability they will never belong to a 'military elite' in the sense this expression is used by Janowitz as 'those who have the greatest amount of actual and potential power, if power is defined as control over the behaviour of others' ([10] p. 6). But as civilians they will be members of other professional elites of the country irrespective of their military background. ('Elite' is used here in the sense given by Bottomore, to describe 'functional, mainly occupational groups which have high status (for whatever reason) in a society'. ([5] p. 14).) We have no way of knowing whether this group will in the future belong to the political elite, which according to Bottomore 'comprises those individuals who actually exercise political power in society at any given time; including members of the government and of the high administration, military leaders, and, in some cases, politically influential families of an aristocracy or royal house and leaders of powerful economic enterprises.' ([5] p. 14). We have every reason, however, to believe that owing to fairly high social background, university education, and occupational plans, this group will be part of the 'sub-elite' of the country consisting of functional and occupational groups with high status; this is a much larger group that supplies recruits to the political