Pearl of War: Militarized Landscapes of the Philippines as Sites of Contested Access and Meaning
Open Access
Author:
Gorman, Peter Edward
Area of Honors:
Geography
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Melissa Wright, Thesis Supervisor Roger Michael Downs, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Military Geography Philippines Militarization
Abstract:
Since the end of World War II, a web of U.S. military bases has encircled the world in a geography that has too often been seen as the creation of a hegemon. The effects of these sites of concentrated military power have transformed landscapes and communities into parts of a larger process of militarization. This transformation bridges the theoretical and experiential attributes of military geography, providing valuable insights into how basing strategy transforms and is transformed by the communities it impacts. The U.S. bases on the Philippines, once some of the most important military centers in the world, have experienced a turbulent history with militarism. Communities have simultaneously been defined by militarism and resist its defining power through transgression of constructed norms and physical bounding. Through studying these relationships in detail, the true nature of militarism in base communities becomes evident as a relentless process of ensuring access to militarized space and the creation of military place
