Civilianizing the armed forces? Peacekeeping, a traditional mission for the military

Abstract

Peacekeeping is widely believed to introduce a civilian element into military culture. However, empirical tests of whether peacekeeping actually yields civilianizing effects on the armed forces are few. Based on the case of Chile, I argue that participation in peacekeeping has failed to lead to fundamental changes in the military’s role perception vis-à-vis civilian actors, despite some practical learning experiences at the individual level. Peacekeeping has been assimilated into the existing warrior model, where civilian actors play only a secondary role.