NATO civil-military cooperation: role expectations and role conflict Cover Image

Współpraca cywilno-wojskowa NATO: oczekiwania i konflikt roli
NATO civil-military cooperation: role expectations and role conflict

Author(s): Agata Mazurkiewicz
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, International relations/trade, Security and defense, Geopolitics
Published by: Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN
Keywords: civil-military interactions; CIMIC; armed forces; NATO; role theory; role conflict

Summary/Abstract: In the context of contemporary peacekeeping operations, NATO states established civil-military cooperation (CIMIC) – a military function aiming at maintaining contact between the NATO armed forces and other civilian and military actors present in an area of military operations. As a result of their tasks, CIMIC soldiers are confronted with various expectations pertaining to their behaviour, principles and values. This pool of normative requirements includes contradictory expectations formulated by civilian and military reference groups, leading to the emergence of a role conflict. Building on the theoretical assumptions of structural symbolic interactionism and the division into a “warrior” and “peacekeeper” role of a soldier, this article presents expectations that comprise the role of a CIMIC soldier and the areas of role conflict experienced by members of CIMIC units. It also offers a reflection on the role of a contemporary soldier. The article is based on interviews with CIMIC soldiers, observations and content analysis of NATO CIMIC documents.

  • Issue Year: 73/2020
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 209-228
  • Page Count: 20
  • Language: Polish