Militarism, what is it?

"Militarism is a predisposition to seek military solutions applied to political problems and conflicts (Scott & Marshall, 2009: 472–473). Furthermore, militarisation is a process when a state applies a method resembling army operations to public sphere matters. Enloe (2004) portrays militarism as an ideology and militarisation as a socio-political process. ... Many people approaching critical military studies and related fields encounter a definitional problem which should be disentangled. It is associated with the mixing of terms: militarism and militarisation. Both suffixes-ism (-izm) and-isolation (-ization) relate to actions captured in the form of a noun. Whereas-isms can also relate to states, prin-ciples, and doctrines. A suffix-isation is forming nouns denoting the act, process, or result of doing something, or of making something (Soanes et al., 2006). Thus, language difficulties and a lack of clarity might prevent studies on militarism and militarisation from further advancement" (Kaucz 2022:145).

Militarisation, what is it?

"[M]ilitarisation is a process when a state applies a method resembling army operations to public sphere matters. Enloe (2004) portrays militarism as an ideology and militarisation as a socio-political process. Militarisation is a complex process which infuses militarism deeply into the core of society (ibid.). Whereas demilitarisation is a reversed process when the military character and influence on social spheres are eliminated or diminished (Carlton-Ford, 2017;Easton, 2017; Soanes et al., 2006)." (Kaucz 2022:145).

"Militarisation arises when a state controls a specific element of the public sphere, like army operations. It can occur when a conflict within or between nations arises (a military conflict); when a state starts purchasing weaponry (military build-up) to be prepared for that conflict (war-preparation); or when an uprising or insurgency is on the horizon (a military intervention; and militarisation of, and arming, the citizens). Enloe (2004) notes that militarisation happens most often during non-war times. As a result, it also occurs when a resolution of a conflict is sought (by employing securitisation see: Buzan et al., 1998); and when state officials are feeling uncertain of their position or safety (by utilising a military pacification; or militarisation of urban spaces [Wacquant, 2008]). Some academics (Shaw, 1991) also use this term in its narrow sense while referring to a growing presence of the military (or more precisely, the army) in the public sphere. Furthermore, words like defence and deterrence policies are used sometimes instead of militarism or militarisation (ibid.)" (ibid.:147-8).

The Militarisation of Behaviours, What Is It?

The Militarisation of Behaviours is a process used by the state to subdue its citizens. 

More broadly, it "is a mass process of social control employed by the state (and less often by non-state entities) where civilians are subjected to a treatment similar to that designed for soldiers. When this process is employed, it leads sections of a society to be restrained. As a result, the militarisation of behaviours is a powerful mechanism of social control responsible for subduing citizens to the will of state officials. ... The militarisation of behaviours aims to create a level of uniformity in society, dependency on the state, and obedience. It rests on mechanisms of social control, for example, on varying forms of panopticism and discipline (like the social drill)" (Kaucz 2022:xiii).

The militarisation of behaviours is "utilised by the state when its citizens are treated by that state in a manner resembling the way the army relates to its soldiers. In other words, the militarisation of behaviours is employed to subdue a society or a part of it (or a group in the case of organisations). It is done similarly to the military regulating, restraining, and governing its soldiers" (ibid.:1).