The SFRS Lab is conducting a data collection project on societal militarization—the expanding presence of the military across social, political, and economic spheres. Beyond the barracks and battlefield, armed forces around the world are taking on responsibilities such as law enforcement, education, environmental management, public health, infrastructure development, and domestic security.
The pilot data collection by the SFRS Lab across 47 countries reveals that militarization has grown markedly in the past two decades, especially in the wake of 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic. While existing research has primarily focused on direct political involvements, the SFRS Lab aims to draw attention to all other aspects of societies where militaries are involved in through:
- Collecting the first comprehensive cross-national dataset (1970–2024) capturing the full spectrum of military domestic roles
- Developing new theory explaining the causes and consequences of this trend,
- Conducting surveys in multiple countries to understand public perceptions of increasing societal militarization.
This work will not only advance scholarship on civil-military relations but also provide an invaluable resource for policymakers and civil society actors confronting the risks posed by unchecked militarization.