Integrating gender and cultural perspectives in Canada’s Professional Military Education: transforming military culture through informed leadership

This dissertation investigates and invests in the possibility for feminist transformational change within militaries as well as the potential for militaries to be 'forces for good.' The research considers whether militaries can contribute to feminist progress and work towards the cultural inclusion of diverse members within militaries due to personnel's exposure to gender and cultural perspectives within Professional Military Education. The project narrows its investigation to the mid-to-senior graduate level education of Canadian military officers within the Joint Command and Staff Programme at Canadian Forces College. It applies post-modern feminist, intersectional and militarized masculinities theories to understand the military learning environment and to analyze the inclusion and reception of critical theory by military learners. The research draws on contemporary pedagogic literature to make recommendations for optimizing learning environments and professional competencies to facilitate inclusive security and organizational culture change. Acknowledging the context of dominant masculinist and white centering constructions of military identity and socialization, this investigation asks: To what extent are gender and cultural perspectives integrated into mid-to-senior level Canadian Professional Military Education? If and in what ways military socialization and culture shapes the learning environment and the reception of this education? Finally, if and in what ways such learning has facilitated feminist transformations in the military and beyond? The research draws from a feminist critical discourse analysis of six semi-structured focus groups across military and civilian educators, curriculum developers, librarians, and students as well as eight in-depth interviews with military students before graduation and eight follow-up in-depth iii interviews with military graduates after at least three months in command and/or staff positions. The study's sociological ethnographic approach illuminates discursive as well as lived experiences with teaching and learning across staff and students. Findings of the research ultimately highlight that while limited, exposure to gender and cultural perspectives, including critical feminist and anti-racist theories and frameworks has had positive professional effects. Graduate respondents report being better able to think critically about security, operations, institutional policy, and leadership, as well as institutional systems, structures, and culture. Some report being empowered by these concepts to facilitate inclusive security domestically and abroad and to advance organizational culture change. For Papa. I'll be loving you always. I wrote this dissertation in my home office in Toronto, situated on the traditional territory of many Indigenous nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. My place of work and residence falls under Treaty 13 referred to as the Toronto Purchase negotiated between the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Crown. Indigenous peoples of this land are its longstanding guardians. As a person of settler colonial heritage, I benefit from the land, its communities of people, and their knowledge. I acknowledge these privileges and am committed to supporting the ongoing stewardship of Turtle Island and Toronto by diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.

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