UC Research Explores the Impact of Military Organization and ...

UC Research Explores the Impact of Military Organization and Corruption

Researchers find increases in child mortality resulting from corruption and one approach to military organization.

Date: 8/20/2012 12:00:00 AM
By: Dawn Fuller
Phone: (513) 556-1823 Photos By: Dottie Stover

?? New research out of the University of Cincinnati is believed to be the first to examine the relative impact of militarization and corruption on civilian populations. The findings reveal that a specific form of military organization ? praetorian militarization ? as well as national-level corruption ? both adversely affect the well-being of its citizens. The findings by Steve Carlton-Ford, professor and head of the University of Cincinnati sociology department, and T. David Evans, a UC emeritus associate professor of sociology, will be presented on Monday, Aug. 20, at the 107th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver.

The researchers examined data from 148 countries over a 12-year period (1996-2008) to examine the relationship of militarization and corruption to the mortality rate of children under five years old. Independent of each other, the researchers found that praetorian militarization and general government and social corruption tend to increase the child mortality rate.

Praetorian militaries are not controlled by a democratic society, but rather have direct or indirect control over the government in power. Praetorian militaries are typically small militaries that are highly funded and operate in coup-prone countries.

The researchers write that historically, praetorian militaries have been common in Latin America, Africa, South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Countries the researchers rated as highly praetorian included Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Uganda.

Countries the researchers rated as highly corrupt included Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Iraq, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

?Although praetorian militaries may be particularly prone to corruption, corruption is fairly widespread across different sectors of both the economy and the government,? state the researchers.

?Countries with corrupt, non-democratic politics are also likely to have lower levels of economic well-being and be at war; all of these factors can be expected to adversely affect civilian populations, pushing mortality rate higher. These other characteristics ? corruption, non-democratic governance, low levels of economic development and armed conflict ? all of which are associated with praetorian militarization, may actually be the source of poor life chances of the general population,? explain the researchers.

The researchers state that ?Careful consideration should be made concerning whether to provide economic aid to countries where militarization and other factors mitigate its use to benefit the general population.?

The study was supported by funding from the UC Charles Phelps Taft Fund and the UC Department of Sociology.

Source: http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.aspx?id=16069

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