Dr. Michael Messner joins me to discuss his new book "Unconventional Combat: Intersectional Action in the Veterans’ Peace Movement." We discuss the way in which veterans who are women, racial, and sexual minorities have affected the military and the Veterans for Peace movement. We also discuss how these transformations serve as a cautionary tale to all social justice movements.
Michael Messner is a professor of sociology and gender studies at the University of Southern California. He has been honored with the Pursuit of Justice Award from the California Women’s Law Center for his research and advocacy for girls and women in sport; the Feminist Mentoring Award from the Sociologists for Women in Society; and the Jessie Bernard Award from the American Sociological Association in recognition of contributions to the understanding of women’s lives. Messner is the author or editor of nineteen books, and has in recent years focused his research on U.S. military veterans who become lifelong advocates for peace and social justice. The first book based on this research, Guys Like Me: Five Wars, Five Veterans for Peace, was published by Rutgers University Press in 2019. The new book, Unconventional Combat: Intersectional Action in the Veterans’ Peace Movement is hot off the press from Oxford University Press. The website is https://unconventionalcombat.com