| ID | 165045 |
| Title Proper | Professionalization of a Nonstate Actor |
| Other Title Information | a case study of the Provisional IRA |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Finnegan, Patrick |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Can nonstate militants professionalize? That is the core question of this piece. Discussions of professionalism have spread to the state military from civilian professions such as education, medicine, and law. This piece examines whether nonstate actors exhibit the same fundamental processes found within these state-based organizations. These fundamentals are the creation of a recognized internal ethos, which acts as a collective standard for those involved. A commitment to expertise and the punishment of those who do not reach these collective expectations reinforce this ethos. To answer this question, this piece examines the development of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) during the Troubles. It highlights consistencies and inconsistencies with traditional forces and argues that groups like the PIRA can professionalize and increase their effectiveness in doing so. This widens the field of professionalism studies and provides an additional lens through which to examine nonstate groups. |
| `In' analytical Note | Armed Forces and Society Vol. 45, No.2; April 2019: p.349-367 |
| Journal Source | Armed Forces and Society Vol: 45 No 2 |
| Key Words | Military Organization ; Leadership ; Provisional Irish Republican Army ; PIRA ; Disintegration ; Discipline ; Military Effectiveness ; Cohesion ; Professionalism ; Provisional IRA |