A Sociological Analysis of Military Resilience: Opening Up the Debate. (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McGarry, Ross; Walklate, Sandra; Mythen, Gabe
• Is Part Of: Armed forces and society. Volume 41:Number 2(2015:Apr.)
• Page Start: 352
• Page End: 378
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: resilience -- soldiering -- masculinity -- stigma -- barriers to care -- comprehensive soldier fitness -- sociology; Sociology, Military -- Periodicals; Sociology, Military -- United States -- Periodicals; Armed Forces -- Periodicals; United States -- Armed Forces -- Periodicals; 306.27
• DOI: 10.1177/0095327X13513452
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0095-327X

Abstract

The term 'resilience' has grown in its usage across a range of disciplines and practices. The US military and the British armed forces have typified this increasing use of 'resilience' in recent years within such initiatives as Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) and throughout British Army Doctrine. However by unpacking what being 'resilient' for soldiers might mean we explore the interaction between their personal 'masculine' characteristics, the structural environment within which they operate, and the civilian life they return to. In doing so this paper offers a critical sociological analysis combining the agency of the soldiers' body with the structure of the military as a [total institution] to problematize issues of masculinity, stigma and resilience within the military setting. As such, we question if the fostering of 'resilience' in military personnel is something that may be productive during service, but counter-productive thereafter when service personnel return to civilian life as veterans.