This study used a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of six veterans,
who were employed by the military and who were fathers at the time of their military
employment. Semi-structured interviews with participants were used as the primary
method of data collection. The researcher asked participants, “What do I need to know to
understand what it is like to be a father in the military?” Additional probing questions
were used to clarify and expand on the participants’ experiences of bonding emotionally
with their children as a father in the military, as well the participants’ experiences of
separating from their family and subsequently reuniting following military deployments
and occupational travel. Using thematic analysis, the researcher constructed the following
themes: (1) “You miss out” (2) “You feel like and outsider” (3) “You try to disconnect
from family to deal with work” and (4) “The military comes first.” The current research
adds to our understanding of the subjective experience of fatherhood in the military. The
themes extracted will be helpful in delineating valuable counselling strategies for fathers
in the military, as well as developing military policies and practice that support these
fathers in their contribution to the healthy development of their children. / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/3875 |
| Date | 11 April 2012 |
| Creators | Larsen, Sean |
| Contributors | Black, Timothy G. |
| Source Sets | University of Victoria |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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