Periods of operational deployment contain unique experiences for military servicemen and servicewomen. Previous research has focused on the experiences of regular personnel and their families. Given the increased presence of reservists in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the proposals to include military servicewomen in frontline combat roles, further exploration of the needs of these populations is required. This thesis increases understanding of military identity and culture at a time when the number of servicewomen and reservists requiring care from the National Health Service is likely to increase significantly. Chapter one is a critical review of the qualitative research exploring military servicewomen’s experiences of deployment. Database and manual searches resulted in 13 studies being included in the review. Military servicewomen described experiencing widespread gender-based discrimination implicitly supported by a patriarchal military culture that eroded their military and feminine identities. The findings revealed that this has significant implications for their long-term wellbeing. The review highlights the need for radical culture change in the military that continues to view women as counter to the revered masculinity viewed as a requirement for combat. Suggestions for future research are discussed. Chapter two is a qualitative research study that explored reservists’ lived experiences of deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the study provides an in-depth account of the shifting identities of the reservists as they transition from civilian to soldier and back to civilian following deployment. The study reveals how their military identities are formed and crystallised by the deployment experience, leaving them detached from their former civilian selves. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future research are discussed. Chapter three is a reflective account exploring the integration of contextual identities within diverse roles. It explores the parallels between the research subject and the multiple roles of the clinical psychologist.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:731419 |
| Date | January 2017 |
| Creators | Robinson, Lee |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/97193/ |
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