Culture, Ideology, Nationalism TSDM - 6

1. Culture, Ideology, Nationalism TSDM - 6 Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

2. Culture, Ideology, Nationalism Objectives: • Be aware of how culture, ideology and nationalism motivate people to act • Understand how culture, ideology and nationalism help shape worldviews and perspectives on policy • Examine how culture, ideology and nationalism affect institutions • Appreciate how culture and ideology can change over time • Understand the relevance of these forces for the staff officer as it affects policymaking and planning Readings: • Gvosdev, Nikolas K. “Doing Things Our Way – The Impact of Culture and Nationalism,” Newport, RI: Naval War College Faculty Paper, April 2009. • Harrison, Lawrence E. “The Culture Club,” The National Interest, Summer 2006. • Price, George W. “The Impact of Nationalism on Joint Force Planning,” Joint Force Quarterly, Winter 1995/96. • Berger, Peter. “Four Faces of Global Culture,” The National Interest, Fall 1997. Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

3. What is “Culture?” Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

4. Culture: Everything one needs to know to function as a member of a given society; “the rules” • Learned - Shared - Hierarchy - Changes • Regulates human behavior • Shapes how a group views the world Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

5. . . . does culture matter? “It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.” -- Sun Tzu, The Art of War Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

6. Is studying culture at a Military War College a worthwhile endeavor? Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

7. GENERAL Tony Zinni “What we need is cultural intelligence. What makes them tick? Who makes the decisions? What is it about their society that’s so remarkably different in their values, in the way they think, compared to my values and the way I think in my western mentality?” Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

8. " So even as we modernize our conventional forces, we're investing in the capabilities that will reorient our force of the future: an Army that is more mobile and expeditionary and missile defenses that protect our troops in the field; a Navy that not only projects power across the oceans but operates nimbly in shallow, coastal waters; an Air Force that dominates the airspace with next-generation aircraft-manned and unmanned; a Marine Corps that can move ashore more rapidly in more places. And across the force, we're investing in new skills and specialties. Because in the 21st century, military strength will be measured not only by the weapons our troops carry, but by the languages they speak and the cultures they understand.” President Obama speech to the VFW in Phoenix, AZ Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

9. Impact of Culture at the Strategic Level • People – and societies – are not blank slates. They are shaped by their environment – families, schools, churches, political systems, economic actors, social organizations, and so on – which transmit language, culture, religion, ethics, and markers to determine whether people are “us” or “them.” This means one strategy will not fit all situations. • National political structures that are not rooted in a shared culture and language are likely to prove fragile and while they last, disruptive. • U.S. strategic mistakes? • Vietnam’s “Hamlet” Strategy • U.S. Strategy for Somalia • Failure to anticipate the post-Saddam violence in Iraq • Promoting democracy world-wide? • Burning Koran – Afghanistan February 2012 Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

10. Operational Level of War • By knowing people’s values and beliefs, you can come to expect and predict their behavior. • Urban warfare, guerilla warfare in general, is inherently political. That mean’s it’s related to the specific structures, political culture, makeup, traditions of the given society. • Impact on the Combatant Commander: • Mission sets? • Staff structure? • Training? Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

11. What is Ideology? A body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interests of a state, nation, political system, religion, or group and underlies political action. The body of doctrine with reference to some political or cultural plan, as that of communism, along with the procedures for putting it into operation. Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

12. Jihadists and "The Narrative" http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6711907n&tag=mncol;lst;1 Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

13. Nationalism • Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms. • Understanding the dynamics of nationalism will remain critical to regional security affairs and join force planning. Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

14. The Appeal of Nationalism Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller

15. Cultural Changes in the Future • Are we headed to a global culture? • Business Focused? • Intellectually Focused? • Cultural Imperialism? • Religion Based? Source: NWC Faculty, edited by Dr. Coty Keller