IDENTITY IN TENSION : THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE RELIGIOUS AND PROFESSIONAL IDENTITIES OF SENEGALESE MILITARY PERSONNEL DURING THE ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION PROCESS

Abstract

In this study, we examine the evolution of the religious identity of practicing soldiers during the organizational socialization phase. Our focus is on the Senegalese military and paramilitary services, given the diverse identities exhibited by the soldiers. We employed a qualitative methodology, conducting forty semi-structured interviews. The results indicate that the process of organizational socialization within the military is associated with identity frictions. We analyzed the role of anticipatory socialization in the integration of new recruits. Furthermore, the data suggest that the restriction of religious expression during training acts as a catalyst for the socialization process. We also observed that this is a process of identity transformation.