Uniforms ended desertion by making the soldier legible to observers

Evidence

As an aside, it might be noted that one of the more interesting aspects of uniforms is their capacity for signaling identity so quickly that, even in interaction, the uniformed other may be relegated to the status of nonperson, to use Goffman’s term (1959:151). … A cat may not everywhere look at a king, nor does a person of position always look at a person of none. I was once a party to a practical joke, the point of which was to see whether a certain lady would recognize her own son were he to attend us, her guests, as a valet. She did not, as she never looked at his face. — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 485 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Uniforms functioned as a technological fix against desertion; Military uniforms functioned primarily as a mechanism for controlling desertion. — Timothy Mitchell, Colonising Egypt, 141; Marching armies faced highest desertion risk because soldiers felt unwatched — Khaled Fahmy, All the Pasha_s Men_ Mehmed Ali, his…, 717 (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Uniforms functioned as a technological fix against desertion #expands (0.92)
• Uniforms can render their wearers invisible nonpersons in interaction #complicates (0.80) — Lyn H. Lofland, World of Strangers_ Order and Action in…, 485