Hazing is a common practice in the military, used both to punish mistakes and to promote bonding. It can take many forms, including physical punishment, such as running or pushups; direct violence, like hitting or slapping; or psychological and emotional torment. High-stress environments and close quarters can lead to groupthink, which results in an “escalation of commitment” that typically involves hazing. There is an evolutionarily driven aversion to being in the “out-group,” and hazing is a way for members to solidify their allegiance to the “in-group.” By participating in these hazing rituals, a group can increase its collective self-esteem, improve social cohesion, and combat feelings of loneliness and isolation. Within a military environment, with its rigid and well-defined power structure, hazing is also a way to curry favor with those ranked higher.
As US Marine Corps Lance Corporal Colton Carlson mentions in his interview, “hazing” may not be the correct term for a lot of these rituals. Many of the wounds inflicted by hazing are seen as badges of honor for proving toughness and fortitude, and the experience of being hazed may create closer-knit bonds, as in a fraternity. However, the fact that soldiers’ own platoons inflict wounds on them inverts the norm of soldiers being wounded by the enemy “other.” Hazing forces the viewer to contemplate how injury in this context fits into traditional notions of friendship and brotherhood.
