THE ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND IDENTITY IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ‘DEFENCE’ IN THE UK

Abstract

Today, the notion of ‘defence’ and its practice differs greatly from the military-centric version of the twentieth century. To understand what this new, transformed ‘defence’ is, I have used my position within a well-respected defence and security think-tank to access those individuals who make the large, sweeping policy decisions as well as those who make the smaller, less newsworthy decisions. From these conversations I have found that a large part of the defence identity is being constructed around how the notion of ‘value’ is perceived in defence. I argue that the demilitarisation of defence in practice is a result of a fundamental shift in the UK’s defence identity—one which is made up of the identities of the numerous individuals who form the defence community as well as those members of the public who have expectations of what defence should be and/or do. Although there is a perceivable push to frame value as an ‘objective’ and ‘measurable’ fact, the conceptualisation of ‘defence’ is inherently linked to those personal values individual decision-makers hold—in particular, to the frames of reference which enable them to determine and legitimise their concept of ‘value’. In evoking the term ‘frames of reference’ I am recalling Foucault’s theory of ‘regimes of truth’, which, coupled with Lukes’ theory of the third dimension of power, form the pillars of the theoretical framework which underpins this research

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