American Athena a Feminist Sophistic Analysis of the Discourses of Women Servicemembers
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American Athena A Feminist Sophistic Analysis of the Discourses of Women Servicemembers Nancy Ann Fox A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2020 Reading Committee: Gail Stygall, Chair Anis Bawarshi Candice Rai Christine Harold Program Authorized to Offer Degree English © Copyright 2020 Nancy Ann Fox University of Washington Abstract American Athena: A Feminist Sophistic Analysis of the Discourses of Women Servicemembers Nancy Ann Fox Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Gail Stygall Department of English In classical mythology the goddess Athena is the embodiment of strategic intelligence and prowess in war. She inherited these gifts from her mother, Metis, who carried her to full maturity within the body of her father, Zeus, from whose forehead she was delivered, armed for battle. In this guise she serves as representation for the identities created and conveyed in the discourses of American women servicemembers. This study presents a grounded theory analysis of 99 narratives collected from personal interviews and culled from published sources in which women describe and interpret their experiences as enlisted personnel in the U.S. military. This method, discovered in the 1960’s by Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss, studies narrative content to discern an emergent theory from that data. Recent renovation of this method by Kathy Charmaz, Adele E. Clarke, and others allows for this theory to align with existing ideas, if relevant and not imposed on the data a priori – which led to the feminist sophistic design of this Athena study, the terms derived from the work of classicist Susan Jarratt and defined by values within the narratives themselves. This study presents the sophistic through an original model, “the Athena,” which analyzes the women’s complicated, but promising, relationship to power. The mission for this study and its future potential is its deceptively simple process: to ask each woman to tell her story her own way, and to listen. Ultimately the study shows that women’s imagining and shaping a new military identity, while problematic in terms of traditionalist ideologies, represents to them a standpoint of their own on grounds to which they stake a claim. This empowering standpoint is composed of their commitment to mission, unquestioned sense of equality, and strategic intelligence (or metis) to see it through. The narratives portend transformation for the women themselves; they also offer opportunity for systemic changes in both military and civilian worlds. The poet and classical scholar Robert Graves makes a critical point about the mythological female warrior that has resonance with the resolutions of the women in this study: Athena, he notes, does not lose. (As required by ProQuest, the compendium of nine supplemental files in various media is presented and described as part of the abstract on the following two pages. In the text of the dissertation they are referred to as "Appendix 3 Supplemental Files.") Appendix 3 Supplemental Files Appendix 3 is a compilation of supplemental material that either cannot be embedded in the dissertation file (video; audio; etc.) or serves to add color, detail, depth, or development to incidents in the story the study tells. Included in this collection are the following various textforms: 1) A video, “Serve Each Other,” from Jordyn Bohon (pictured here from opening of film), my student in Spring 2019 at UWF, who created this documentary profile for a class project. Jordyn explained to the class that the profile “is my story of how 9/11 affected me and how I think we can achieve all of our Dream Americas” (Foxnote: “Dream America” was the theme of the class). In the discussion forum about her video, Jordyn wrote this: “The American dream has always been about the ability we all have to actually chase our dreams, if we choose to do so. We, as Americans, can support each other in every aspect and possibly even be able to compromise (one day) instead of (recently, on all sides of the spectrum) throwing temper tantrums and manifesting hate for one another. We all, deep down, want what is best for every American. Our views, morals, and values might be different but if we root each of our ideas with the question of "How can this help or serve someone? How can this make someone happy? How can we support each other? Will this hurt someone?", our ideals would be rooted in a spectrum of good instead of inflicting pain onto others. The fact that every American has a RIGHT to their opinion is truly something that should be cherished and not taken advantage of. Serving each other leads to caring for each other. Imagine if Americans started caring for each other??? Oh the places we could go, if that happened.” 2) Audio .wav file of Tabitha Nichols’ interview, 11 May 2017 (59 minutes).Tabitha has been, as noted in the dissertation, an active participant in the veterans’ reading group at UWF and veteran advocate in Pensacola. She is part of the “Telling” Project that travels nationwide and offers testimony to the experience of war. Tabitha (pictured here in a photo she contributed) had been open in the reading group about the wounds she sustained and her suffering later, expressed in her poem “Living with PTSD” that opens Chapter Five; however, there were always hints in Tabitha’s comments of an acutely sensitive awareness of the landscape and people, especially the women and children, in Iraq, and I wanted her to feel there was room in our interview for those stories. Also, I’d noticed that Tabitha has a wicked sense of humor, and I hoped her wit would find free play. The poetry and other writings she sent subsequent to our meeting, which are part of the Athena story here, show the perceptions and understandings that women bring to, and beyond, American military culture. Tabitha joined with she was 17. 3) A short video clip of Amber Nadeau (pictured here in the first frame of the film) describing the parachute jump she had just completed. Her reflection on her decision to serve in this capacity accompanies the film reference in the Athena text, Chapter Five, Playing the Game. 4) A written interview from Nancy Bullock-Prevot, who established the HER foundation in Pensacola, Florida which creates shelters for homeless women veterans and helps them set up a new life. Nancy was also a member of the UWF veterans reading group, where I met her; serendipitously, I was at the same time teaching her daughter, Kourtney, who assisted with this interview. It was Nancy who introduced the issue of “double discrimination” that Black women in the military – and in American culture – endure 5) A summer 2019 letter from Judy Young, writing professor at UWF, who wrote to me extensively about her experience in the Navy. Judy’s acute perception and insight about women in military professions informed my understanding. I was grateful to meet her for coffee and to receive her writings, such as the letter attached here. 6) The poster, “I traded in my stilettos for boots’: Storylines of women service members,” from Nancy Ann Fox University of Washington (Ph.D. Candidate) & University of West Florida (Faculty) Introduction Dulcie Burrow LaRayne Hurd This poster presents excerpts from accounts I grew up poor, black, and in the South. The that comprise the dissertation, “American I wanted a new change. I was Acquiring the Veterans in Society Conference at Virginia decision to enlist for me was a decision to take Athena,” which studies the discourses of going to school, with a full load female of credits, doing 20 credits a the lifeline in front of me and do something, Quest Stories service women. These selected storylines anything with my life that would give it meaning. military provide evidence that women’s decision to semester, working three jobs, and got kinda tired of it, and I seriously had no doubts about being able to identity enter military culture is a quest that reflects said I need a change in my life. reach my goals. I wanted to be a leader and I the complexity of women’s lives in America I felt proud. I got to wear this had spent so much of my life dealing with (as explored by Lazar). That critical process uniform that made me different. I discrimination that came from my skin color that is here defined as “acquiring a female military was not the same person it never occurred to me that my sex/gender Tech, March 26-27 2018. identity.” Gender in that context is a trait, not anymore. Just don’t let the would ever be a hindrance to anything. limitation, and service in uniform is “pride in uniform intimidate you. It is pride. It’s an honor what I could do,” as Brandy Lockhart says. and I joke around all the time: I traded in my Kylie Pugh “It’s a very deep passionate sense.” stilettos for boots. And I do not regret it because I had a very big moment of ‘I’m never going to Theoretical inspirations those boots are so comfy. finish school, what am I going to do, how am I going to do this, what are my options.’ The We aren’t honorary men. Women have to find Lisa Bradley recruiter was very good about putting me in themselves and find where they are valued. Wearing the uniform gave me a sense of contact with other women; it was, “Hey! there Be confident enough to be women. We bring Materials and methods belonging and to this day, if I find myself among are women in these male-dominated career compassion and empathy.