Perception and practices of military service from modern masculinity to postmodern masculinities

Military service is a must for every healthy male citizen of the Republic of Turkey. Military service, which has a cultural meaning in addition to its defense and education function, is one of the most important stages of the masculinity-building process. While it is possible to talk about common military practice, it is very difficult to talk about single and unchanging masculinity. Therefore, every man perceives and experiences military service differently. The aim of this study is to reveal how the male(s) differentiated by the transition from modernism to postmodernism perceive and experience military service. In this context, face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 male participants who fulfilled their military service and were residents in different districts of Istanbul.