1th ERGOMAS Biennial Conference in
Athens, Greece – June 26-30 2017
The European Research Group on Military and Society (ERGOMAS) is organizing its biennial conference on military and society hosted by the Hellenic Army Academy in Athens, Greece (www.sse.army.gr). Conference dates are June 26-30, 2017. The theme of the conference is
MILITARY AND SOCIETY: NEW MODELS FOR NEW CHALLENGES
The mass military forces led by aristocrats in the early nineteenth century transformed into the professional volunteer forces of the early twentieth. In the middle of the twentieth century, militaries transformed again into “international police-armies” designed to establish security and stability and provide humanitarian assistance. These changes in the military model evolved in concert with the social and political changes, especially with changes in the nature of conflict. We are now undergoing a new change in the nature of conflict. Phenomena such as the resurgence of nationalism after the Cold War, the escalation of terrorism, the internationalization of domestic conflicts, and the continuing development of multinational coalitions raise questions about how the military model will and must evolve to meet these challenges.
The upcoming ERGOMAS conference will focus on new lines of inquiry stemming from this new defense and security environment and how these emergent forces will affect the social structure of armed forces. In particular, we will focus on exploring how the study of military and society, both theoretical and practical, can be applied to understanding these evolving transformations and adapting to the challenges they pose.