G.I. Jane and the Study of Sociology

The blockbuster movie G.I. Jane spawns several concepts and perspectives that can be related to the study of Sociology

The blockbuster movie G.I. Jane revolves around Lieutenant O’ Neil ( Demi Moore), a military geographical analyst who was selected to undergo C.R.T. (Combined Reconnaissance Team) training with member of the Navy SEALs, Delta Force and Marine Force Recon. Her selection was conducted with the purpose of aiding the political ambitions of a senator who was trying to advocate women’s role as a combat soldier in the military. The malicious training of C.R.T. spearheaded by inhuman and ruthless Navy SEAL instructors becomes a test of courage and determination for Lieutenant O’Neil once it became clear that no one—powerful politicians, top military brass or her male Navy SEAL teammates—wants her to succeed. The content of this movie spawns several concepts and perspectives that can be related to the study of Sociology.

The elite Navy SEALs are known for their aggressive, violent and secretive combat nature. These specially trained commandos who are often dispatched to conduct covert operations in foreign countries that involve dispelling terrorism or assisting military adventures in unconventional warfare have a taint reputation seeing that most of their actions are classified by the Pentagon. Knowing that every detail regarding their involvement in every military conflict is highly classified, Navy SEALs are often regarded as “dirty” soldiers instead of honorable and majestic heroes within the military community. By practicing cultural relativism to understand the culture of this elite unit, the Navy SEAL must be viewed within the context of its background. Navy SEALs are the Special Forces of the United States army therefore they have very different roles from conventional infantries. Unlike conventional soldiers, Special Forces are dispatched deep behind enemy lines for the purposes of reconnaissance, sabotage and counter terrorism (Mc Manners, 2006). Their actions are highly secretive in order to avoid enemy detection and in the event that they are captured by enemy forces, their existence is usually denied by the government. Due to their secretive nature, Navy SEALs are specially trained for combat in squads of small numbers for stealth purposes. Although they operate in small groups, their combat capabilities which are equivalent to several companies of infantries make them an elite fighting unit. Their combat capabilities are fueled with physical tormenting training and tactical combat exercises together with sophisticated equipments provide the SEALs with an arsenal of violent yet effective tactics on the battleground. By understanding the background of the Navy SEAL, the role that they play in the military community justifies their culture as an elite unit.

The concept of a subculture within a subculture can be illustrated by the United States Navy SEAL. The division of the Navy in the United States army consists of a variety of departments like the submarine force, the navy diving unit, the battleship force and the naval special operation groups. Seeing that each department has a different role and function in the Navy, every one of these departments can be regarded as a subculture within a subculture (that is the military as a whole in society). The SEALs fall under the naval special operation groups and since it has a different role from other navy departments, the SEALs can also be considered a subculture within a subculture. Values and principal of the SEALs that strongly prioritize comradeship and mission success can be illustrated by their mottos of “leave no man behind” and “failure is not an option”. This sets the SEALs apart from other navy department. Furthermore, the physically and mentally torturing training they undergo during the BUD’s (Basic Underwater Demolition) “Hell Week” makes the SEALs different from any other division in the Navy that has a lenient training program. A SEAL operator’s job description which involves a life of anonymity, thankless hard work in miserable conditions, morale-sapping danger and relentless, exhausting training (Mc Manners, 2006) distinct the Navy SEALs from other department of the Navy or any other military units. Consequently, it would not be exaggerating to qualify the SEALs as a subculture within a subculture.

A particular scene from the movie where Lieutenant O’Neil begins her C.R.T. training in a boot camp can be a perfect example to illustrate the concept of total institutions as an extreme spectrum of resocialization. Lieutenant O’Neil who is only a military geographical analyst prepares herself to undergo a harsh process where she will learn new norms, values, attitudes and behaviors that is needed to be a member of America’s elite naval commando unit. Like the rest of the C.R.T. trainees, Lieutenant O’Neil is cut off from the rest of the society as her training camp is located in a highly restricted military base. The trainees are strictly monitored and controlled by the merciless Master Chief Urgayle (Virgo Mortenssen) and his instructors. As the new batch of C.R.T. trainees stood by waiting nervously to commence their training, they were all greeted by a degradation ceremony where instructors constantly yelled and humiliated every one of them. The verbally abusive instructors were constantly reminding the trainees in an insulting and degrading manner that in order to be part of an elite fighting force, they will have to drop their current pathetic characteristics and adopt a tough one. Such actions from the instructors and Master Chief Urgayle clearly exemplified the purpose of the degradation ceremony—to recreate the self by stripping away the individual’s current identity and stamping a new one in its place ( Henslin, 2007). The entire lives of the trainees—eating, training, showering and sleeping are all closely supervised by the Master Chief and his instructors which further reinforced the concept of a total institution. Apart from monitoring the lives of the trainees, the Master Chief and his instructors were also in charge of distributing the rewards and punishments. Failing to complete an exercise within a given time or performing an exercise in an inappropriate manner, the trainees are often punished by being required to re do the exercise. Trainees who complete certain training or pass a graded exercise will be rewarded by the instructors with additional rest time. The aspects of C.R.T. training that Lieutenant O’ Neil underwent clearly illustrate the concept of total institutions as a method of resocialization.

The award ceremony of Navy Wings to the trainees after successfully completing an escort mission in the Middle East at the end of the movie is an example of the status symbols concept. The presented Navy Wings indicated that the trainees of C.R.T. have graduated from the training program and they are officially members of the elite Navy SEAL. These medals pinned to their uniform clearly inform others that they are active members of a Special Operations community specifically the United States Navy SEAL which distinguish them from other soldiers. Besides that, the Navy Wing is a display that indicates the soldier’s unique combat capabilities to perform tremendously in military campaigns that involve unconventional warfare or special operations. Since the Navy Wing is more than just a tiny metallic plate because it identifies a status, the idea of status symbols can be related in the movie.

The participation of Lieutenant O’Neil in the Navy SEAL sparks status inconsistency. Navy SEAL is the only Special Operation Force that limits their enrolment to males only due to physical issues. Seeing that Lieutenant O’Neil is a female, her participation in the C.R.T training program contradicted the SEAL entry requirement. As a result of such status inconsistency, her male teammates are upset about her unexpected presence in their training camp as this was illustrated by Sergeant Cortez’s (David Vadim) constant dislike for her. Having a woman around also confused the male trainees as they were unsure about whether they should treat the Lieutenant as a woman or a man. Because of the Lieutenant’s participation in the C.R.T. program, a contradiction in terms of the entry requirements occurred which angered and confused most of her male trainees thus making the concept of social inconsistency an obvious element in the movie.

To sum it up, the content of G.I. Jane spawns several concepts and perspectives that can be related to the study of Sociology. The movie exposed a controversial possibility of women serving in a highly dangerous and secretive unit such as the SEALs which ignited debates regarding gender equality. Apart from that, G.I. Jane also provided the audience with an in depth exploration regarding the training process of America’s specially trained naval commandos that have been defending America’s liberty since the Kennedy administration.

The Navy SEAL's entry requirement is only limited to males only. Shown above is the participation of Lieutenant O' Neil in the SEAL's C.R.T. training program that triggered status inconsistency as the entry requirement has been contradicted which also angered and confused the male trainees.


The award ceremony of Navy Wings in the movie strongly illustrates the concept of status symbols. Navy Wings are more than just a tiny metallic medal as it informs others that they are official members of the Navy SEAL.

Boot camp is an example of a total institution as a method of resocialization. The trainees are welcomed with a degradation ceremony where they are constantly yelled and degraded by verbally abusive drill instructors. The trainees are disconnected from society during their training periods and their daily life at the camp are strictly monitored by drill instructors. Rewards and punishment usually related to the trainees training performance are administered by the drill instructors.