A Qualitative Exploration of the Military Mother During a Combat Era

• Main Author: Shin, Julienne D
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2020
• Subjects: Clinical psychology; Individual & family studies; Mental health; Military studies; Social psychology; Womens studies
• ISBN: 9798698559085

Since the inception of the most current U.S. wars in 2001, the population of women in the military has increased 11%. In 2009, servicewomen who are mothers accounted for more than 100,000 soldiers in the U.S. military. Due to the influx of women at war and the unique characteristics of the OEF/OIF/OND wars, there are many unanswered questions regarding the female military population and the effect of participating in these wars. Female military who have deployed and are mothers remain even less examined. Although literature surrounding this population continues to grow, there is still a significant gap in research exploring this population. In order to begin the exploration of these effects, this study explores the lived experiences of military mothers. Through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological theory, this study provided insight into the experiences of a military servicemember who is a female and mother, who has deployed. Thematic analysis qualitative methodology was used for this study. The four major themes that emerged in this qualitative study were (a) motherhood, (b) impacts to career, (c) gender, and (d) mental health. Subthemes included facets such as pregnancy, intersectionality, and relationship dynamics. Some implications from this study include the awareness of a gender-biased environment in the military, the impact of separation of mothers from their children, and insight on how these women cope with trauma in a time of war.