Perceptions of women in U.S. Army combat units: A mixed-methods study post-gender integration

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of exposure to serving with women on male opinions about gender integration in the formerly all-male Infantry and Armor branches of the U.S. Army. This mixed-methods study used primary survey data collected in 2021 from soldiers serving in the 33 active-duty Army brigade combat teams. A total of 8,798 respondents answered the anonymous electronic questionnaire. Data were examined using descriptive statistics, regression, and content analysis of qualitative comments. Results indicated that the presence of women within an infantry or armor platoon or squad, or exposure to a female leader, predicted that a male respondent was significantly more likely to support gender integration in combat arms and less likely to worry about effects on unit cohesion and performance. Qualitative analysis of 1,121 comments from infantry and armor men revealed five main themes about gender integration in combat arms and offer insight into quantitative findings.

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