The Enigmatic History of Sociology at the United States Naval Academy

In: Armed forces & society, Band 35, Heft 1, S. 106-121

Abstract

Since its inception in 1845, the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, has often faced the challenge of balancing technical and professional training demands of the naval service against the social and cultural conditions of an increasingly complex world. Despite the institution's attempts to address the multiple demands of the social and military contexts, the study of behavioral science in general, and sociology in particular, has been until recently largely absent. In response to challenges and deficiencies associated with its educational program, the Naval Academy has undertaken a path of reform to balance professional training with the need to educate graduates as competent and effective leaders. This article addresses some of the institutional, organizational, and curricular changes at the Naval Academy, with a focus on the inclusion and development of courses in human behavior and sociology as a means to study this process of leadership education.