Dustin Mattei, Dixie State University
Wing Commander A.J. Lyle Raf, identified a trend throughout warfare. He theorizes that an adopted perception often drives technological development and the justified advancement of its use. This is the case with drones and their subsequent participation in military operations. During the last seven years nearly 60,000 articles and journals concerning drones and their relation to current and future effects on the battlefield were published. This represents a dramatic increase from the decade before. The topic of this proposed research will focus on the military use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as drones, and their effect on the global society. The primary research issue is; does the use of military drone strikes degrade cultures, norms, and social cohesion of the five basic institutions found in every global society? In essence, will the institutions of a target government, economics, education, religion and families, receive irreparable harm as direct result of military drone operations. Chamayou, Gregoire and Gregory, Derek called attention to the degradation of culture and the societies in which these actions are performed. Stanford-NYU report states that people must cope with the realization that they cannot defend themselves. Cohn, Marjorie and Mirer, Jeann found evidence that a human right of peace is not affordable to those who live in these partnership zones. Further, they indicate that if a signature strike is ordered then all combat eligible males are prospective targets. This strike could happen at their homes, schools, places of employment, weddings and even funerals. Ahmad Shakeel adds that with local governments seen as ineffective and unable to protect the civilians, a radicalization can occur. Hudson, Leila; Owens, Colin S; Flannes, Matt published a paper in Middle East Policy, that coins the term accidental guerrilla. This phenomenon is a result of casualties among non-combatants in these designated strike zones. The authors continue that the resultant conflicts could be blowback from the perception of America’s infractions as a United Nation country. This reveals a plausible feedback loop that could undermine global ties as we know them. The proposed research will utilize qualitative methods, with a supporting mix of quantitative data collection analysis, that should result in a high probability confidence toward accurately identifying the answer to the posed question. The preliminary literary review indicates a support for the conclusion to the proposed issue and identified theoretical hypothesis that drone strikes do have a detrimental effect on the world’s societies.