War as a Workplace: Ethical Implications of the Occupational Shift

Abstract

ABSTRACTSoldiering has traditionally been thought of as something radically different from a job or career, but things are changing. Sociologists have observed an “occupational shift” in military service. A corollary is that soldiers are part of the workforce, and an ethical implication is that soldiers are presumptively entitled to the protection of workplace rights. In recent years, the push to have this acknowledged has gained momentum. The present article begins to explore what it would mean in practice if standard workplace rights were extended to armed forces personnel. The question, more specifically, is how this would constrain the war-making privileges of the state.