Inquiry into the Transmutation of United States Special Operations Forces Social Kinds

Abstract

The research is a trans-disciplinary inquiry into the phenomenon of transmutation of US Special Operations Forces (US SOF) social kinds within dynamic, complex social contexts. The fields of complexity, sociology, cultural anthropology, philosophy, and organizational studies offer distinct theoretical explanations for social systems and institutional behavior from which to investigate social kinds emerge and evolve. The aims of this study are to uncover ways that US SOF transmute to maintain relevance in times of rapid, persistent change and to frame a tentative theory to induce purposeful transmutation in kinds of US SOF. This study employs a phenomenological interpretative method to evaluate the lived experiences of anonymous special operators that reveal six systemic factors conforming to Anthony Gidden’s structuration theory and with Pierre Bourdieu’s habitus and field. The research explores the dynamics underpinning transmutation in SOF social kinds using two distinct contemporary case studies and an historical case study. This research concludes that to keep pace with complex social dynamics, SOF transmutation requires organizational structures designed specifically to (a) mitigate the social structuring impacts of organizational bureaucracy, (b) delegate organizational change sensors to SOF operators engaging in complex systems at the point of need, and (c) cultivate SOF executive leadership willing to question established SOF orthodoxies, overcome bureaucratic inertia, and to promote persistent organizational innovation and divestment.

First Advisor

Jeffrey Shaw

Date of Award

1-1-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

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