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MA/PhD Theses Abstracts of Current Students & Alumni |
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Redfern-Vance, Nancy. 1999. Narratives of Women Veterans: The Experience of Sexual Abuse.
Abstract: This narrative study of women veterans who were sexually abused while serving in the military examines how those women’s personal biographies intersected with the organizational culture of the military to influence their definitions of sexual abuse. Nineteen women veterans who acknowledged having been sexually abused or harassed during their military service volunteered to relate their life histories. Interviews ranged from one to six hours in length. A total of 65 hours of audiotaped interviews (1356 pages) were transcribed, then analyzed in four separate realms, including 1) interviewee-narrator interactions; 2) dramatic presentation and performance; 3) structural analysis; and 4) metaphors and symbolic themes. The women veterans favored an expanded definition of sexual abuse, since hurtful treatment they received was not always overtly sexual even if due to gender. The women’s military experiences were vastly different than those of their male colleagues due to sociocultural factors such as the stigma attached to women in traditionally male social roles. What the women wanted most was a non-stereotypical validation of their career choices and more respectful treatment when they present for benefits and health care. Specific policy and training recommendations are offered.
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