Recent global conflicts have increased North American military involvement, leading to higher rates of combat-related stress amongst soldiers. Although physical activity is directly correlated with improvements in mental health, the relationship between physical activity and combat-related stress has not been investigated. Using a mixed methodology approach, in this study, local military and ex-military personnel from Winnipeg, Canada, participated in a six week physical activity program in order to examine the influence of physical activity on combat-related stress. It was found that Canadian military members regularly deal with post-combat stressors, value camaraderie, and consider post-deployment support inadequate. The findings may lead to the integration of physical activity into the healing options of war related emotional stress. Future recommendations from this study are proposed. / February 2016

Karate is a sensuous martial art-come-sporting practice. Through a combinations of tacit exchanges of kicks and punches, sweaty touches, sweaty smells, aggressive shouts, communal laughs and helping tweaks of the body karate practitioners come to develop their practice, know their body and one-another, and assert their status in the karate hall. As a combative bodily practice, karate replicates an imagined, and often real, source of men’s power over, and distinction from, women. Yet in practice karate is an arena where women and men spar, sweat, and laugh together whereby, through inter-bodily, sensory, interactions, women can, and often do, out perform men. As such, karate presents a fruitful arena for exploring the sensory formation of gendered relations and embodiments of gender. Despite the integral role of the body and the senses to embodied participation in sport, and indeed in our gendered performances of self and distributions/assertions of power between women and men, exploration of the role of the senses in our sporting and gendered embodiment is largely absent from existing literature. This thesis argues that to understand gendered embodiment within karate requires reflection to these multidimensional, multi-sensory threads spun between sportsmen and women in embodied play. Building a sensory ethnographic framework for conducting the research, data was gathered from 9 months of ‘sensuous participation’ at 3 karate clubs engaging in mixed-sex and a women-only classes, 6 photo-elicitation interviews and 11 semi-structured interviews with women and men from across the three clubs, and reflections from my own embodied history as a karate athlete. The findings suggest that in both mixed-sex and women-only classes karate practice could ‘undo’ conventional performances of gender, and in turn gendered embodiments, through asking its participants to engage in a range of sensory bodily motions that are conventionally seen as masculine – such as combative movements and aggression – and feminine – such as control, elegance, and artistic performance. These embodied ways of being held magnified gender subversive potential in mixed-sex karate practice whereby ideas of men’s inherent superiority in sport could be challenged, and ideas of distinction between women and men could be challenged. Recognition of similarity as karate practitioners through shared physical engagements side-lined the importance of gender to practitioners embodiment. Together the findings of this thesis point towards the role of the minute, mundane, and thus often overlooked or unconscious elements of our bodily practice in ‘naturalising’, reproducing, or subverting gendered arrangements of power. In this way, this thesis contributes to sociological understandings of both embodiment and gender.

Orientador: Eduardo Strachman / Banca: Sérgio Queiroz / Banca: Rogério Gomes / Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta a história e faz uma avaliação da indústria internacional e brasileira de carros de combate, discorrendo também sobre a trajetória da maior empresa brasileira do segmento, a Engesa. Inicialmente foi realizada uma caracterização geral do setor de defesa e da indústria específica de carros de combate, com o intuito de compreender o modus operandi deste importante setor da indústria de defesa, para posteriormente podermos analisar a história recente desta indústria e suas peculiaridades. Em seguida, apresentou-se, de forma sintética, a história do surgimento da indústria de defesa no Brasil, tendo sempre como pano de fundo o processo de industrialização do país, sobretudo no pós-II Guerra Mundial, até o final do período militar (1964-1985). Os resultados do trabalho levaram às seguintes conclusões: (a) o sucesso mundial da Engesa deveu-se tanto a sua percepção privilegiada para ocupar um novo nicho de mercado como à relação especial existente entre seu presidente e o alto comando do Exército brasileiro; (b) a empresa beneficiou-se da mão-de-obra qualificada formada pelos institutos militares brasileiros; (c) uma combinação de fatores negativos, internos e externos, levou a empresa à falência no inicio da década de 1990; e (d) foi identificado um potencial imenso de negócios dentro de setor, que poderia estar sendo ocupado pela empresa, se esta não tivesse falido, ou por uma sucessora ou concorrente desta. / Abstract: The dissertation presents the history and makes an evaluation of the Brazilian and international combat vehicles industry, disclosing the trajectory of the largest Brazilian company of the sector, Engesa. At first, we made a general characterization of the defense sector, more specifically of the combat vehicles industry, with the objective of understanding the modus operandi of this important sector of the defense industry. Later, we analyze the most recent history of this industry and its peculiarities. In the ensuing chapter, it was presented, in a synthetic way, the history of the beginning of the Brazilian defense industry, always relating the events with the Brazilian industrialization process, mainly after the II World War until the end of the military period (1964-1985). The results of this dissertation lead to the following conclusions: (a) the worldwide success of Engesa was due to its privileged perception to occupy a new market niche as well as to the special relations existing between the corporation president and the high command of the Brazilian Army; (b) the corporation was helped, mostly in its beginning as a producer of armaments, by the qualified labor force formed by the Brazilian Military Institutes; (c) a combination of negative factors, internal and external,, brought the company to bankruptcy in the beginning of the decade of 1990; and (d) it was identified a huge business potential in the sector that could have been occupied by the corporation, if it still existed or by a successor or competitor. / Mestre

Background: As military women enter roles directly related to combat, they will have greater risk of injury. The present study examined the prevalence of mental health conditions among female service members one year postinjury, and analyzed factors which may place women at risk for mental health concerns and lower quality of life (QOL). Methods: A total of 1,012 U.S. servicewomen who sustained combat-related injury in Iraq and Afghanistan were identified from the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database (EMED). Injury severity was calculated and QOL scores were collected from a subset of the women. Injury severity, military occupation, branch of service, age, rank, marital status, number of deployments, initial treatment facility, and environment of care were collected as predictor variables. The Military Health System Data Repository was queried for mental health International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th Revision codes occurring within one year postinjury. Results: Within the first year postinjury, 404 women (40%) were diagnosed with mental health conditions. The most common were posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (n = 203, 20%), depressive disorders (n = 123, 12.1%), adjustment disorders (n = 92, 9.0%), and anxiety disorders (n = 81, 8.0%). Logistic regression identified that women with minor or moderate injuries had lower odds of mental health diagnoses. Occupation categories of combat support and communications predicted fewer mental health issues. Enlisted women had increased risk of mental health issues. Linear regression showed that officers had higher QOL compared with enlisted women 0.055 (95% CI, 0.005-0.183), p<.05. Women serving in the Air Force had higher QOL postinjury 0.119 (95% CI, .055-.183), p<.000. An independent samples t-test showed that women with mental health diagnoses postinjury (M = 0.46, SD = 0.12) had significantly lower QOL scores (range 0-1) compared to those without mental health diagnoses (M = 0.52, SD = 0.13), t(3.46), p <.05. Conclusions: These findings showed that PTSD, depression, adjustment disorder, and anxiety comprise the most prevalent mental health diagnoses in this population. QOL is significantly lower in injured women with mental health issues after injury. Further research is needed to discover strategies for maintaining optimum health in this population.

More than 1.6 million US military personnel have deployed during the past 10 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, also known as Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), respectively. As a result of the protracted combat operations in two fronts, many military personnel have suffered traumatic experiences from seeing people die, coming close to death, or having killed people. Even for those who have not encountered direct combat, long deployments (commonly 12 months, but some experienced 15 months) and multiple deployments (often more than two), have caused many to suffer from combat stress. Hence, American military has focused much effort and spent lots of money on addressing the result of combat stress induced psychological injury known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly referred to as PTSD, and the treatment thereof. However, research shows that only about 20% of combat veterans suffer from actual PTSD. In fact, most combat veterans probably suffer more from stressors of being in a combat deployment, with what is being referred to as 'combat stress injury', 'moral injury', or 'soul injury'. Furthermore, other research shows that growth (in various aspects of one's life) is possible; a greater percentage of people with various traumatic experiences report this potential to grow as a result of the traumata. Research shows that spirituality/religious faith helps people grow from traumatic experiences, and can lead to what is referred as Posttraumatic Growth (PTG). The central theological question of the thesis is: What is it about religious faith that helps people to eventually grow from trauma? The qualitative research conducted for this thesis indicates that the key element to PTG is actually community, more specifically, the community of faith, more than the individual's faith. The essential theological inquiry is how ecclesiology is embodied in the military chaplaincy context.

This mixed-methods study’s purpose was a systematic comparison of contents and aftereffects of near-death experiences (NDEs) occurring in a variety of circumstances with those occurring in combat. They completed an online survey: a demographic questionnaire, the Near-Death Experience Scale, the Life Changes Inventory-Revised (LCI-R), and four narrative response items. Survey completers were 68 participants: 20 combat near-death experiencers (cNDErs) and 48 non-NDErs (nNDErs). The 29% of participants who met NDE Scale criterion for an NDE was comparable to NDE incidence findings from previous retrospective studies. For statistical analyses, significance was set at p < .05, and effect size (Cohen’s d) was calculated. Mean total NDE Scale scores were significantly lower for cNDErs than variety-of-circumstance NDErs from one of two comparable studies (t = 5.083, p < .0001, d = -1.26), possibly suggesting cNDEs may have “less depth” than other-variety NDEs. Regarding cNDE aftereffects, absence of previous LCI-R data made comparison impossible. Cronbach’s alpha analysis yielded acceptable reliability on the total scale and seven of nine subscales, a finding that matched Schneeberger’s (2010); however, factor analytic results did not support the hypothesized subscale structure of the LCI-R. Although cNDErs did not score significantly higher than nNDErs on the total scale or subscales after Bonferroni correction, results indicated a possible trend toward greater absolute changes (p = 0.02, d = 0.74) and spirituality (p = 0.02, d = 0.67) with the latter finding substantiated by narrative responses. Informal analysis of narrative responses yielded several themes.

No description available.

Combat sports can be defined as sports that involve the physical domination of opponents in order to win. Previous research on combat sports as they relate to psychopathy and anti-social behavior has produced limited information regarding subtypes of trait psychopathy. While there is evidence suggesting participation in certain combat sports can lead to an increase in anti-social behavior (Endresen & Olweus, 2005), there has never been a direct investigation into primary psychopathy, which has other distinct features such as fearless dominance and lack of remorse. These traits may be useful in the further examination of psychopathologies within a sports context. In the current study, a history of involvement with combat sports is investigated with primary and secondary psychopathy. Empathy, age range(s) of involvement, and perceived level of violence within the sport participated were observed as moderators, as well as a history of watching violent TV shows and playing violent videogames. A sample size of 55 participants was used, with 23 of them having a history of combat sports involvement (56.5% male) and 32 had never participated (34.4% male). Two MANCOVAs were used for both the entire sample and combat sports participants alone. Primary and secondary psychopathy severity were used as dependent variables, with participation and participation by sex interaction as independent, as well as aforementioned moderators as covariates. Results revealed a significant increase in primary psychopathy among males who had participated in a combat sport, and an increase in secondary psychopathy among males as the age of first participation rose. This study provides framework for identifying relationships between combat sports and psychopathy and influencing factors, enabling research on the formation or development of this trait in individuals who have involvement in combat sports, as well as investigating motivating factors for people with varying psychopathy scores to engage in these sports.

A review of literature, coupled with years of personal clinical experience treating combat veterans, particularly those serving in National Guard and Reserves, indicates a dearth of research on the impact repeated combat deployments have on veterans in their family relationships. Reintegration problems are too often manifested as work/life readjustment stress, family role adjustment issues, relational dysfunction, child neglect and abuse, and domestic violence. These pressing problems highlight the need for greater focus by behavioral health, healthcare, federal agencies and other non-governmental organizations to create reintegration protocols and programs that enable combat veterans to more successfully reintegrate within their marital and family relationships. This qualitative study utilized a single case-study approach to explore spousal perceptions of marital and family relationship disturbances resulting from repeated combat deployment and reintegration of long-term active-duty service members. Although based on the responses from one military spouse, four themes emerged from this study that are likely to be common for other spouses and families who live through repeated deployment cycles: choice, progression, adaptability, and acceptance. Based on these thematic findings, there must be a greater focus on feedback, insights, and constructive suggestions directly from service members, their spouses and children as related to coping more successfully with repeated deployments and reintegration cycles. The results of this research are expected to be useful for military officials, governmental agencies, counselors, educators, and other mental health service providers who engage with this at-risk population of service member and their families about more effective educational and treatment options that can improve comprehensive services. / Doctor of Education / A review of literature, coupled with years of personal clinical experience treating combat veterans, particularly those serving in National Guard and Reserves, indicates a lack of research on the impact repeated combat deployments have on veterans in their family relationships. Reintegration problems are too often manifested as work/life readjustment stress, family role adjustment issues, relational dysfunction, child neglect and abuse, and domestic violence. These pressing problems highlight the need for greater focus by behavioral health, healthcare, federal agencies and other non-governmental organizations to create reintegration protocols and programs that enable combat veterans to more successfully reintegrate within their marital and family relationships. This qualitative study utilized a single case-study approach to explore spousal perceptions of marital and family relationship disturbances resulting from repeated combat deployment and reintegration of long-term active-duty service members.

In this thesis, I analyze responses to the 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule (DGCDAR), the policy that until January 24, 2013 formally barred women from serving in combat. Specifically, I use feminist theories of embodiment, equality, and difference to interpret how interlocutors represent female service members in the "Letters" section of the Marine Corps Gazette and interviews I collected from members of the military community. I find that the most common arguments against women in combat locate gender difference in the physically sexed body, centering primarily on female nature, sexuality, and strength. Throughout this project, I demonstrate how these arguments are persuasive because the discourse understands equality as sameness to a male norm. This equality as sameness paradigm perpetuates gender-based barriers to parity by expecting women to function just like men. Ultimately, I argue for a more inclusive conception of equality that acknowledges difference. / Master of Arts