Linda Burton Victor Ray Duke University
Using original qualitative data this dissertation will examine racial and gender differences in patterns of reintegration for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Taking the post- service transition into civilian life as the unit of analysis, this work uses primary data to analyze how race and gender may structure the transition from military service. Prior research in the life course tradition has identified the transition from military service to civilian life as a key ?turning point? in the lives of disadvantaged men. This research will integrate and expand upon life course approaches with theoretical insights from ?racialized social system? and ?intersectional? frameworks to explore the possibility that life course transitions vary by racial and gender statuses. In order to accomplish theses goals data collection will focus on three primary research questions. 1. Are all military benefits created equal? That is, do post-service socio-economic outcomes for women and minorities parallel those of their white counterparts? 2. Is the experience of reintegration color qualitatively different for women and people of than it is for white male veterans? If so, what does this add to our understanding of ?turning points? over the life course? 3. How do institutions, such as the Veteran?s Administration, facilitate reintegration for particular issues facing women and people of color? Data will be derived from two primary sources, 50 in-depth interviews with recently returned veterans and a nine-month ethnographic investigation at a veteran?s center. The research will provide a clearer understanding of veterans? reintegration strategies and the ways in which these strategies are possibly shaped by racial and gender stratification.
Broader Impact. The study offers a major theoretical contribution to studies of the life course by incorporating cutting-edge racial and gender theories of stratification. The research provides a qualitative account of the post-service transition to civilian life in general, and insights into the racial and gender complexities of reintegration. Further, findings from this work may inform service providers on strategies to meet the needs of diverse veterans. Also as the first study of its kind, this work will provide a methodological and theoretical model that essential for understanding the complex process of reintegration.
In my study, I interviewed 50 black and white, male and female veterans about discrimination, family life, work, and mental health and analyzed their responses using modified grounded theory. I found that the military can subtly reproduce inequality by punishing those who come forward with complaints of discrimination or mental health problems, despite programs aimed at alleviating these issues. I have labeled this process "punitive empathy," a mechanism through which institutions unwittingly perpetuate inequality. Other pertinent findings from my research are represented in the respective chapters of my dissertation. In Chapter One, I examine how the military deals with mental health complaints. I argue that the response to these complaints becomes "decoupled" from formal institutional programs offering treatment. For the military, having deployable soldiers fit for combat—"force readiness", in military jargon—is a paramount internal goal. However, force readiness may be at odds with publicly popular "front stage" policies mitigating the psychological impact of combat. When mental health issues conflict with force readiness, programs designed to identify people needing help may instead serve as a sorting mechanism, removing those seen as damaged. In Chapter Two, presented at the American Sociological Association meeting in New York this year, I explore the contradiction between formally color-blind policies in the military and the reality of discriminatory "race talk" among soldiers. I show how specific organizational settings vary regarding norms of colorblindness and argue for "middle range" race theories that are contextually specific. The third chapter of my dissertation examines gender in the military and how overt and covert mechanisms contribute to gender inequality. I find that the masculine culture of the military, coupled with normalized harassment, undermines meritocratic claims. The final chapter continues with the theme of opposing formal organizational policies to individuals’ lived experiences by assessing how the military’s policies promoting family life are supported or undermined with the stresses of deployment. My dissertation is a major contribution to work on discrimination, as it provides a parsimonious explanation for multiple forms of inequality (race, gender and mental health). Further, this work can directly engage in current policy debates surrounding the military’s response to discrimination.
