How emerging trends in historiography expose the Canadian Army’s past discriminatory practices and provide hope for future change
| Author | Isabel Campbell |
| Published date | 01 September 2021 |
| DOI | 10.1177/00207020211050330 |
| Date | 01 September 2021 |
| Subject Matter | Lessons of History |
Lesson of History
International Journal
2021, Vol. 76(3) 465–476
© The Author(s) 2021
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DOI: 10.1177/00207020211050330
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How emerging trends in
historiography expose the
Canadian Army’s past
discriminatory practices and
provide hope for future
change
Isabel Campbell
National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Abstract
This “lessons learned”article examines how emerging trends over time in the his-
toriography of the Canadian Army have challenged and continue to challenge the white
Anglophone masculine heterosexual culture which is especially associated with its
combat units. This study began as an examination of the intersection between the
historiography and the current priorities for sufficient female participation in the
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) which are intended to improve past abusive patriarchal
practices and create effective and safe international interventions. Gender and sexual
abuses were the initial foci, but the historiography revealed the interconnectedness of
widespread discriminations against all “others”—defined here as anyone with a dif-
ferent gender, sexuality, race, language, religion, or culture. The article opens with a
brief summary of evolving feminist ideas about security forces in general. It then delves
into the historiographical trends which have demonstrated how systemic discrimi-
nations have privileged white Anglo men in combat roles while underplaying their
contributions and the contributions of “others”in support roles in the Canadian Army
over time. The key lesson learned from this work is that gender balance alone is not
enough to address the profound cultural issues which plague the Canadian Army.
Corresponding author:
Isabel Campbell, National Defence Headquarters, 101 Colonel By Drive, Ottaw, ON K1A 0K2, Canada.
Email: Isabel.Campbell@forces.gc.ca
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