Rebecca L. Schiff
Encyclopedia
Rebecca L. Schiff is a scholar of military studies and a professional fundraiser. She is best known for her concordance theory of civil-military relations
. Concordance theory revises conventional approaches to civil-military relations
that argue for the separation of a country’s civil and military institutions to prevent domestic military interventions such as coup d'état
. Schiff's concordance theory does not preclude separation as a condition for concordance but offers it as one alternative among many, ranging from complete separation to full integration of a country’s military and society establishments.
in Los Angeles, Calif. and earned both her master’s (Social Science) and Ph.D. (Political Science) from the University of Chicago
. Currently, Schiff serves as associate editor of the academic journal Armed Forces & Society
and is a council member of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society. She has held visiting professorships at the University of Michigan
and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. She is currently an adjunct professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
In addition to her academic career, Schiff has held institutional advancement and development positions at Harvard University
, University of Michigan
and Brandeis University
. Her areas of development expertise include major gifts, corporate and foundation relations, alumni giving and annual giving.
Schiff has also been an active supporter of the LGBT
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered) communities. She has held national board positions for the Human Rights Campaign
and PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
theory is how to determine the conditions under which the military will intervene in the domestic politics of the nation. Many scholars agree with the theory of objective civilian control of the military (Samuel P. Huntington
), which focuses on the separation of civil and military institutions. This view relies heavily on the U.S. case, from an institutional perspective, during the post-World War II period. Schiff provides an alternative theory, from both institutional and cultural perspectives, that explains the U.S. case as well as several non-U.S. civil-military relations case studies.
Concordance theory does not preclude a separation between the civilian and military worlds; but it does not require such a condition to exist. Schiff argues that three partners – the military
, political elites and citizenry – should aim for agreement among four primary indicators:
If agreement occurs among the three partners with respect to the four indicators, domestic military intervention is less likely to occur. In her book, The Military and Domestic Politics, Schiff applies concordance theory to five cases studies: U.S. Post-Revolutionary Period (1790–1800); Israel (1980–90); Argentina (1945–55); India (post-Independence and the 1980s); and Pakistan (1958–69).
Schiff’s concordance theory was first introduced in her 1995 article "Civil-Military Relations Reconsidered: A Theory of Concordance" published in Armed Forces & Society
. The 2009 publication of her book The Military and Domestic Politics: A Concordance Theory of Civil-Military Relations offers a more comprehensive examination of her theory among several national contexts. Schiff's approach is considered both timely and an important advancement in the field of civil-military relations
by such scholars as Charles Moskos
and John Allen Williams.
The Military and Domestic Politics also examines how concordance theory has evolved from the field of military studies to “corporate concordance,” which focuses on the military-industrial complex
. It suggests that many corporations have now shifted their priorities from building arms and military technology to corporate philanthropy and social responsibility.
strategy. Her most recent work is "When the 'Normal' Theory Falls Short: Concordance Theory, Counter-insurgency Strategy and Targeted Partnership." The essay critiques the "normal theory" of civil-military relations
and introduces the new concept of “targeted partnership” which is a distillate form of concordance theory or agreement involving reciprocity between the military
, the political elites and society
for a limited period of time to accomplish a very specific objective. Targeted partnerships allows the military to interact effectively with policy makers and other military personnel on critical issues, such as counter-insurgency strategy, without breaching a nation's broad standard for civil-military relations
.
Civil-military relations
Civil–military relations describes the relationship between civil society as a whole and the military organization or organizations established to protect it. More narrowly, it describes the relationship between the civil authority of a given society and its military authority...
. Concordance theory revises conventional approaches to civil-military relations
Civil-military relations
Civil–military relations describes the relationship between civil society as a whole and the military organization or organizations established to protect it. More narrowly, it describes the relationship between the civil authority of a given society and its military authority...
that argue for the separation of a country’s civil and military institutions to prevent domestic military interventions such as coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
. Schiff's concordance theory does not preclude separation as a condition for concordance but offers it as one alternative among many, ranging from complete separation to full integration of a country’s military and society establishments.
Biography
Schiff was born on January 11, 1963 in San Diego, Calif. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude from Occidental CollegeOccidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
in Los Angeles, Calif. and earned both her master’s (Social Science) and Ph.D. (Political Science) from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. Currently, Schiff serves as associate editor of the academic journal Armed Forces & Society
Armed Forces & Society
Armed Forces & Society is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes scholarly articles and book reviews on civil–military relations, military sociology, military institutions, conflict management, arms control, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, military contracting, terrorism, and...
and is a council member of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society. She has held visiting professorships at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. She is currently an adjunct professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
In addition to her academic career, Schiff has held institutional advancement and development positions at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
. Her areas of development expertise include major gifts, corporate and foundation relations, alumni giving and annual giving.
Schiff has also been an active supporter of the LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered) communities. She has held national board positions for the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
and PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
Concordance theory
One critical question in civil-military relationsCivil-military relations
Civil–military relations describes the relationship between civil society as a whole and the military organization or organizations established to protect it. More narrowly, it describes the relationship between the civil authority of a given society and its military authority...
theory is how to determine the conditions under which the military will intervene in the domestic politics of the nation. Many scholars agree with the theory of objective civilian control of the military (Samuel P. Huntington
Samuel P. Huntington
Samuel Phillips Huntington was an influential American political scientist who wrote highly-regarded books in a half-dozen sub-fields of political science, starting in 1957...
), which focuses on the separation of civil and military institutions. This view relies heavily on the U.S. case, from an institutional perspective, during the post-World War II period. Schiff provides an alternative theory, from both institutional and cultural perspectives, that explains the U.S. case as well as several non-U.S. civil-military relations case studies.
Concordance theory does not preclude a separation between the civilian and military worlds; but it does not require such a condition to exist. Schiff argues that three partners – the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
, political elites and citizenry – should aim for agreement among four primary indicators:
- Social composition of the officer corps
- The political decision-making process
- The method of recruiting military personnel
- The style of the military
If agreement occurs among the three partners with respect to the four indicators, domestic military intervention is less likely to occur. In her book, The Military and Domestic Politics, Schiff applies concordance theory to five cases studies: U.S. Post-Revolutionary Period (1790–1800); Israel (1980–90); Argentina (1945–55); India (post-Independence and the 1980s); and Pakistan (1958–69).
Schiff’s concordance theory was first introduced in her 1995 article "Civil-Military Relations Reconsidered: A Theory of Concordance" published in Armed Forces & Society
Armed Forces & Society
Armed Forces & Society is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes scholarly articles and book reviews on civil–military relations, military sociology, military institutions, conflict management, arms control, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, military contracting, terrorism, and...
. The 2009 publication of her book The Military and Domestic Politics: A Concordance Theory of Civil-Military Relations offers a more comprehensive examination of her theory among several national contexts. Schiff's approach is considered both timely and an important advancement in the field of civil-military relations
Civil-military relations
Civil–military relations describes the relationship between civil society as a whole and the military organization or organizations established to protect it. More narrowly, it describes the relationship between the civil authority of a given society and its military authority...
by such scholars as Charles Moskos
Charles Moskos
Charles C. Moskos was a sociologist of the United States Military and a professor at Northwestern University...
and John Allen Williams.
The Military and Domestic Politics also examines how concordance theory has evolved from the field of military studies to “corporate concordance,” which focuses on the military-industrial complex
Military-industrial complex
Military–industrial complex , or Military–industrial-congressional complex is a concept commonly used to refer to policy and monetary relationships between legislators, national armed forces, and the industrial sector that supports them...
. It suggests that many corporations have now shifted their priorities from building arms and military technology to corporate philanthropy and social responsibility.
Targeted partnerships
Schiff’s current policy work focuses on applying concordance theory to counter-insurgencyCounter-insurgency
A counter-insurgency or counterinsurgency involves actions taken by the recognized government of a nation to contain or quell an insurgency taken up against it...
strategy. Her most recent work is "When the 'Normal' Theory Falls Short: Concordance Theory, Counter-insurgency Strategy and Targeted Partnership." The essay critiques the "normal theory" of civil-military relations
Civil-military relations
Civil–military relations describes the relationship between civil society as a whole and the military organization or organizations established to protect it. More narrowly, it describes the relationship between the civil authority of a given society and its military authority...
and introduces the new concept of “targeted partnership” which is a distillate form of concordance theory or agreement involving reciprocity between the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
, the political elites and society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
for a limited period of time to accomplish a very specific objective. Targeted partnerships allows the military to interact effectively with policy makers and other military personnel on critical issues, such as counter-insurgency strategy, without breaching a nation's broad standard for civil-military relations
Civil-military relations
Civil–military relations describes the relationship between civil society as a whole and the military organization or organizations established to protect it. More narrowly, it describes the relationship between the civil authority of a given society and its military authority...
.
Publications
- The Military and Domestic Politics: A Concordance Theory of Civil-Military Relations (New York: Routledge Press, 2009), ISBN 0415549191
- "When the 'Normal' Theory of Civil-Military Relations Falls Short: Concordance Theory and Policy Implications." Paper presented at Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society (Chicago: October 2009)
- "From Military Professionalism to Coup d’etat: Concordance Theory in India and Pakistan," in Giuseppe Caforio (ed.) and Manas Chatterji (series ed.), Advances in Military Sociology: Essays in Honor of Charles Moskos (United Kingdom: Emerald Group Publishing, 2009), ISBN 1848558902
- "The Military and Domestic Politics." Book presentation for the European Research Group on Military and Society (ERGOMAS), Swedish National Defense College (Stockholm: June 2009)
- "Concordance Theory in Argentina: Juan Peron Era – a Case of Discordance." Paper presented at American Political Science Association Conference (Washington, D.C.: September 2005)
- "Concordance Theory: The Cases of India and Pakistan", in David Mares (ed.), Civil-Military Relations: Building Democracy and Regional Security In Latin America, Southern Asia, and Central Europe (Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press–Division of Harper Collins, 1998), ISBN 081332422X
- "The Indian Military and Nation-Building: Institutional and Cultural Concordance," in John P. Lovell and David Albright (eds.), To Sheathe the Sword: Civil-Military Relations in the Quest for Democracy (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1997), ISBN 0313300372
- "Civil-Military Relations Reconsidered: A Theory of Concordance", Armed Forces & Society 22 (Fall 1995): 7–24
Other resources
- Schiff, Rebecca L. "Concordance Theory: Response to Recent Criticism", Armed Forces & SocietyArmed Forces & SocietyArmed Forces & Society is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes scholarly articles and book reviews on civil–military relations, military sociology, military institutions, conflict management, arms control, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, military contracting, terrorism, and...
23 (Winter 1996): 277–83. - Schiff, Rebecca L. "Civil-Military Relations Reconsidered: Israel as an Uncivil State", Security Studies 1:636–38.
- Wells, Richard S. "The Theory of Concordance in Civil-Military Relations: A Commentary", Armed Forces & SocietyArmed Forces & SocietyArmed Forces & Society is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes scholarly articles and book reviews on civil–military relations, military sociology, military institutions, conflict management, arms control, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, military contracting, terrorism, and...
23 (Winter 1996): 269–75.