Not a Soldier, Not a Slacker: Conscientious Objectors and Male Citizenship in the United States during the Second World War

This essay argues that the 1940 Selective Service Act introduced new tensions between pacifism and male citizenship in the United States. Even as the draft required tens of millions of American men to answer Uncle Sam's call and promoted a new norm of male military obligation, it also specified...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gender & history 2007-11, Vol.19 (3), p.519-542
Main Author: Stewart-Winter, Timothy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American history
Citizenship
Conscientious objection
Draft (Military)
Federal legislation
Males
Masculinity
Military draft
Military Personnel
Pacifism
Sex roles
Soldiers
U.S.A
United States of America
World War II
World War Two
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Summary:This essay argues that the 1940 Selective Service Act introduced new tensions between pacifism and male citizenship in the United States. Even as the draft required tens of millions of American men to answer Uncle Sam's call and promoted a new norm of male military obligation, it also specified the acceptable grounds for conscientious objection and created bureaucratic mechanisms for distinguishing between sincere objectors and ‘slackers’. Using Selective Service and organisational records, letters, diaries, interviews and the media, I suggest that male citizenship has been defined not only by idealised and gendered duties, but also by the difficulties and exceptions involved in their practical realisation.
ISSN:0953-5233
1468-0424
DOI:10.1111/j.1468-0424.2007.00498.x