Right-wing politicians and advocates have complained recently that the military’s embrace of “woke” policies are to blame for its falling recruitment rates. But new survey data indicates that young people are rarely deterred by the military’s policies on inclusiveness — and in fact are significantly more likely to be discouraged from enlisting due to concern about discrimination within the military.
The Associated Press obtained data from a survey of thousands of 16- to 28-year-olds that was commissioned by the Army and carried out by a private research contractor. According to the AP, “On average, only 5% of the respondents in the surveys listed ‘wokeness’ as an issue, compared with 13% who say they believe that women and minorities will face discrimination and not get the same opportunities.”
More than double the proportion of people who are fazed by wokeness seem to think the Army isn’t woke enough.
It’s a bit strange to try to gauge wariness about “wokeness” through a poll, since it has become such a politically charged term. Advocates and users of the term in left-of-center political circles have considered it shorthand for attentiveness to social injustice tied to identity. But the right has now turned it into a pejorative to mock efforts at inclusivity and perceived political correctness. Nonetheless, the survey suggests that the military’s implementation of policies tied to inclusiveness in recent years — such as gender integration of combat units, a greater emphasis on diversity and equity in leadership positions, allowing trans people to serve in the military, and arguably vaccine mandates (which were dropped after the survey took place) — are not a serious obstacle for new recruits. Meanwhile, more than double the proportion of people who are fazed by wokeness seem to think the Army isn’t woke enough — that it’s an unwelcoming institution for people from marginalized backgrounds.
But by far the biggest…
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