Abstract
While numerous studies explore veteran and current military member reintegration challenges from a psychological or sociological perspective, few have examined the impact of discourse on the ability to locate a post-service or post-deployment identity within larger society. To that end, this research investigates veterans’ and active duty military members’ interpretations of the ritualistic expression of “thank you for your service,” and other public acknowledgments and disclosures of their military service. This paper describes two studies each employing qualitative and quantitative methodologies for data analysis and verbatim transcriptions are interwoven throughout the corresponding results sections to support the qualitative findings. The multi-methodological application of focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth personal interviews revealed that “thank you for your service” was regarded by study populations as an injunctive norm that frequently elicited feelings of awkwardness, objectification, impostor syndrome, and even resentment. Further, study subjects expressed a general unwillingness to disclose their military service with anyone beyond their self-ascribed ingroup, demonstrating an underlying fear of being labeled as either a hero or victim. To explain their responses and their fears, this paper proposes the hyper-humility model, which describes the confluence of sense of duty, guilt, and/or shame from a perceived comparative lack of hardship or elevation to the standing of those perceived as more deserving, and acute manifestation of imposter syndrome. Lastly, this paper offers a path toward more meaningful civilian-military interaction, by broadening discourse to include more personalized, genuine dialogic exchanges.
Highlights
In Tribe, Sebastian Junger (2016) explores the mechanisms behind resiliency during and after traumatic experiences and the psychological benefits inherent in a sense of belonging
There is reason to suspect that, in this transition from military ingroup to a perceived civilian outgroup, the ritualistic acknowledgements of service may widen the gap between veterans and civilians, making reintegration more difficult and leading to feelings of alienation and separation. This leads me to ask the following questions: RQ1: How do military members and veterans interpret the conversation ritual of “thank you for your service”? RQ2: How do military members and veterans feel about public acknowledgements of military service? Investigating these questions will examine why some veterans and military members experience a negative reaction when confronted with the comment TYFYS
The research questions that pertain to this study are restated below: RQ1: How do military members and veterans interpret the conversation ritual of “thank you for your service”? RQ2: How do military members and veterans feel about public acknowledgements of military service? RQ3: To what extent, if at all, do military members and veterans feel willing and able to share their military experiences, to include combat if applicable, with loved ones, friends, and/or strangers?
Summary
Veterans, like other traditionally muted groups, are subsequently limited and constrained; that is, they are sometimes unable to voice their collective and individual models of reality due to limitations inherent in the language of the majority—a language that is tailored for the civilian populace often characterized by a collective cone of silence regarding combat To this point Zoli et al The issue of instrumentalization, when combined with the previously discussed problems posed by the silencing effects inherent to veterans’ and military members’ elevated status and values-laden labels like “hero,” creates a fundamentally challenging discursive environment This environment, it would seem, is punctuated by reduction and dehumanization wherein the veteran is turned into a symbol or a signifier for use by others and robbed of his or her individuality. Percentages were calculated for the most prominent individual coded references
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
