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The Cultural Sociology Thematic Group in The Australian Sociological Association in conjunction with
UniSA, Flinders University and the Military Organisation and Culture Studies Group invite innovative
papers for a 1-day conference on Monday 22nd September in Adelaide and online around the theme of Contesting Military Identities.

Increased geo-strategic competition, the return of conventional warfare in Europe, the global rise in
religious nationalism and the current US administration’s weaponisation of equity initiatives raises
important questions around the diversity of identities within the military and current public
sentiment towards the armed forces.

Whereas Foucault famously cast the soldier as an ideal type of the docile body and sociologists commonly see the military as the ultimate example of a total institution, recent sociological research on the military has increasingly pointed to a variety of different military cultures, often existing in tension and competition with each other, with the service person, veteran and their families active in advocating for political and organisational change.

Event Details:
Date: Monday 22nd September 2025
Time: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Location: Bradley Forum. Lv 5. 50-55 Nort Tce, Adelaide, University of South Australia

Program:    Download the full program here

8:30-8.45     Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country

8:45-10:30     Session 1: Gender orders: Societal and institutional connections

A Negotiated Gender Order: British Army Control of Servicewomen in ‘Front Line’ Counterinsurgency, 1948–2014
Dr Hannah West (Anglia Ruskin University)

From boots to babies and back again: The lived experience of pregnancy, birth and motherhood in the Australian Army
Dr Maureen Montalban (University of South Australia)

“Inconveniencing the institution”: An interpretive exploration of pregnancy experiences of Royal Canadian Navy service members
Madeline Kuiper (Anglia Ruskin University) and Dr Debbie MacLellan (University of Prince Edward Island)

What are the experiences of peer support for Veterans within a military-style motorcycle club?
Loraine House (Flinders University)

10:30-11:00 Tea and coffee break

11:00-13:00 Session 2: Recognising and Promoting Diverse Military Cultures

Nothing About Us, Without Us: Reclaiming the Soldier's Voice in Official War Art
Richard Barratt (Curtin University)

Increasing recognition of the neoliberal military: A critical rethinking of military ‘tradition’ and ‘militarization’ from a civil sphere theory perspective
Assoc Prof Brad West (University of South Australia)

Fringe Military Identities
Adjunct Assoc Prof Cate Carter (University of South Australia)

Work-life balance in the military – an unreconcilable pursuit for the warrior-father
Annie North

13:00-14:00 Lunch break (catered)

14:00-15:30 Session 3: Towards new military futures

Ships in the night: Identity and leadership in the Australian military
Dr Andrew Frain and Dr Nick Jans (Australian Defence College)

Making informal learning visible: Understanding how Canadian military culture is taught and learned
Marshall Gerbrandt (University of New Brunswick)

Mapping Service and Transition to Self Harm and Suicidailty
Prof Ben Wadham (Flinders University)

15:30-16:00 Tea and coffee break

16:00-17:30 Session 4: Reconciling and militarising race and trauma

Indigenous People in the Military: Advancing Reconciliation or Militarised Inclusion?
Dr Federica Caso (La Trobe University)

“Ashti” in Australia: Reconciliation Between Veterans and Afghan Migrants
Abstract for the Conference: Contesting Military Identities
Dr Mujib Abid and Dr Gillian Howell (University of Melbourne)

How to Decolonise an Army: A Decolonial Critique
Prof Sara de Jong (University of York) and Dr Nick Caddick (Anglia Ruskin University)

17:30-18:00 Networking and Drinks

18:00-19:30 Report Launch: Influence Indicators: Principles & Practices
Assoc Prof Brad West (UniSA), Prof Emma Thomas (Flinders), Cassandra Quarisa (Flinders), Dr Damien Spry (DSTG)