New project to explore how the war in Ukraine affects men's social status

Postdoctoral researcher Sofie Rose from the Center for War Studies has been awarded a grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark under the funding instrument DFF Research Project 1, which supports independent and original research. Fellow Center for War Studies researcher Vincent Keating has also received funding in this funding round.

With a grant of almost DKK 3.7 million, Sofie Rose will investigate how class divisions influence the military roles that mobilised men serve in during the war in Ukraine, and how these roles affect their social status and opportunities for social mobility.

Challenging social hierarchies

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to large-scale military mobilisation in the country, but the war does not affect all men in the same way.

Evidence suggests that men from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be assigned to high-risk infantry positions at the front line, while military service may also result in higher earnings and increased social recognition compared with their pre-war circumstances. By contrast, men from more privileged backgrounds are more often assigned to less hazardous roles but may experience a decline in income compared with their civilian lives.

These dynamics form the basis of the research project for which Sofie Rose has now received funding. The project will examine how class shapes the distribution of militarisation and how this is experienced by mobilised men. Its aim is to generate new knowledge about how military mobilisation both reproduces and transforms existing social hierarchies.

To investigate these questions, Sofie Rose will combine analyses of mobilisation records and income data with in-depth interviews with Ukrainian men serving in different military positions.

Perspectives beyond Ukraine

The findings may have relevance beyond Ukraine at a time when several European countries are focusing on conscription, military expansion, and societal preparedness.

The research may also contribute to Ukraine’s future reconstruction efforts, where understanding the socioeconomic consequences of the war will be important for addressing inequality and strengthening social cohesion.

The title of the new project is: Mobilizing Men: How Class Reshapes Masculinities and Social Mobility in Times of War (MilCLASS).

This year, Independent Research Fund Denmark has awarded grants to 24 researchers from the University of Southern Denmark under the DFF-Research Project 1 funding instrument.