Military Psychology For Africa

Military Psychology for Africaÿis the first textbook of its kind from Africa. Selected authors with competent military psychology knowledge, skills, expertise and experience each contributed a chapter to this unique book. The book empowers academics, students and military fellows to apply this knowledge at academic institutions and military units, during operations, and in presenting short courses. The book will also equip soldiers with new knowledge for advancing peace on the continent and abroad.

Contemporary Issues in South African Military Psychology, is a well‑timed, extremely thought-provoking, imperative, particular to the African context, and deals with a highly contemporary issue within the people management and the management studies fields specifically in the military field and context. This is specifically of importance as military psychology is a behavioural science that combines theory and practical application. - Prof Karel Stanz, University of Pretoria

Military Psychology for Africa' is the first textbook of its kind from Africa. Selected authors with competent military psychology knowledge, skills, expertise and experience each contributed a chapter to this unique book. The book empowers academics, students and military fellows to apply this knowledge at academic institutions and military units, during operations, and in presenting short courses. The book will also equip soldiers with new knowledge for advancing peace on the continent and abroad.

A well-timed, extremely thought-provoking imperative, particular to the African context, that deals with a highly contemporary issue within the people management and the management studies fields specifically in the military context.

Military psychology has become one of the world’s fastest-growing disciplines with ever-emerging new applications of research and development. The Routledge International Handbook of Military Psychology and Mental Health is a compendium of chapters by internationally renowned scholars in the field, bringing forth the state of the art in the theory, practice and future prospects of military psychology. This uniquely interdisciplinary volume deliberates upon the current issues and applications of military psychology not only within the military organization and the discipline of psychology, but also in the larger context of its role of building a better world. Split into three parts dedicated to specific themes, the first part of the book, "Military Psychology: The Roots and the Journey," provides an overview of the evolution of the discipline over the years, delving into concepts as varied as culture and cognition in the military, a perspective on the role of military psychology in future warfare and ethical issues. The second part, "Soldiering: Deployment and Beyond," considers the complexities involved in soldiering in view of the changing nature of warfare, generating a focal discourse on various aspects of military leadership, soldier resilience and post-traumatic growth in the face of extreme situations, bravery and character strengths and transitioning to civilian life. In the final section, "Making a Choice: Mental Health Issues and Prospects in the Military," the contributors focus on the challenges and practices involved in maintaining the mental health of the soldier, covering issues ranging from stress, mental health and well-being, through to suicide risk and its prevention, intervention and management strategies, moral injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. Incorporating enlightening contributions of eminent scholars from around the world, the volume is a comprehensive repository of current perspectives and future directions in the domain of military psychology. It will prove a valuable resource for mental health practitioners, military leaders, policy-makers and academics and students across a range of disciplines.

The critical link between psychology and the military is imprtant to recruiting, training, socializing, assigning, employing, deploying, motivating, rewarding, maintaining, managing, integrating, retaining, transitioning, supporting, counseling, and healing military members. These areas are hardly distinct, and the chapters in The Oxford Handbook of Military Psychology have contents that cross these boundaries. Collectively, the topics covered in this volume describe the myriad ways in which modern psychology influences warfare and vice versa. The extensive topics included come from within the areas of clinical, industrial/organizational, experimental, engineering, and social psychology. The contributors are top international experts in military psychology -- some uniformed soldiers, others academics and clinicians, and others civilian employees of the military or other government agencies. They address important areas in which the science and practice of psychology supports military personnel in their varied and complex missions. Among the topics addressed here are suitability for service, leadership, decision making, training, terrorism, socio-cultural competencies, diversity and cohesion, morale, quality-of-life, ethical challenges, and mental health and fitness. The focus is the ways in which psychology promotes the decisive human dimension of military effectiveness. Collectively, the 25 topical chapters of this handbook provide an overview of modern military psychology and its tremendous influence on the military and society as a whole.

Standby forces of the African Union are expected to deploy rapidly into high-intensity conflict zones. Inherently they stem from and are expected to work effectively with regional militaries of differing capabilities. But first, the AU has to muster the political will to deploy the force at all and do it all on a shoestring budget. VreA and Mandrup's edited volume illuminates through the chapter contributions the breadth of challenging political hurdles that the African Union's African Standby Force faces. They do this in clear and readable terms. This important book is imperative for anyone seeking to understand the rapid deployment forces on which African states have optimistically pinned the future of their collective security aspirations.

This timely book examines how the South African National Defence Force has adapted to the country’s new security, political and social environment since 1994. In South Africa’s changed political state, how has civilian control of the military been implemented and what does this mean for ‘defence in a democracy’? This book presents an overview of the security environment, how the mission focus of the military has changed and the implications for force procurement, force preparation, force employment and force sustainability. The author addresses other issues, such as: · the effect of integrating former revolutionary soldiers into a professional armed force · the effect of affirmative action on meritocracy, recruitment and retention · military veterans, looking at the difficulties they face in reintegrating back into society and finding gainful employment · gender equality and mainstreaming · the rise of military unions and why a confrontational, instead of a more corporatist approach to labour relations has emerged · HIV/AIDS and the consequences this holds for the military in terms of its operational effectiveness. In closing, the author highlights key events that have caused the SANDF to become ‘lost in transition and transformation’, spelling out some lessons learned. The conclusions she draws are pertinent for the future of defence, security and civil-military relations of countries around the world.