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The Uniform: Symbols of Power, Propaganda and Organization in Popular Culture
  • ISSN: 2050-0742
  • E-ISSN: 2050-0750

Abstract

United Nations (UN) peacekeepers have the responsibility of aiding nations that are affected by conflicts or disasters in their efforts to achieve peace. They are often referred to as ‘blue berets’ or ‘blue helmets’ due to the distinctly recognized light-blue coloured headwear during their deployments. While peacekeepers themselves represent international bodies of ‘peace’, ‘stability’ and ‘protection’, their uniforms, on the other hand, represent more complex symbols of culture and identity. The unique combination of this blue headwear worn by the peacekeepers in combination with clothing from their national institutions, such as military battledress, are more than mere items of clothing. Rather, the colour, material and style of the UN peacekeeper uniform represent juxtaposing economic, social and ideological symbols, that influence both micro (individual and group) and macro (organizational) behaviours, interactions and culture. Using data collected from semi-structured interviews with international human rights and gender experts from various fields and institutions, including media and journalism, legal, military and non-governmental organizations, this article examines the semiosis of UN peacekeepers’ uniforms. By focusing specifically on military personnel, the article discusses how traditional notions of the militarized solider have been appropriated and reimagined into the figure of the peacekeeper. I discuss that while uniforms continue to be used as symbols of ‘peace’ by the UN to sustain its institutional power and legitimacy in world politics, the ‘blue beret’ is often seen as a token of ‘fear’ or ‘distrust’ among host-peacekeeping nationals, thereby revealing the contradictory, and oft-times problematic, nature of UN peacekeeping.

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2024-10-31
2025-01-22
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/content/journals/10.1386/cc_00065_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): blue beret; clothing; culture; gender; human rights; identity; military; protection

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