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A Study of Veterans and the Peace Movement Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1-1-2010 War, Peace, and Principled Action: A Study of Veterans and the Peace Movement Laura Kay Wegener Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Wegener, Laura Kay, "War, Peace, and Principled Action: A Study of Veterans and the Peace Movement" (2010). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 392. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.392 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. War, Peace, & Principled Action: A Study of Veterans and the Peace Movement by Laura Kay Wegener A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Sociology Thesis Committee: Peter Collier, Chair Johanna Brenner Martha Balshem Portland State University © 2010 Abstract Throughout the history of the United States (U.S.), there have been service members who, upon leaving the service, have spoken out against U.S. involvement in wars. The current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and their increasing unpopularity, have contributed to this trend. Recently veterans have begun to come forward in larger numbers to speak out against the current wars and have self-identified as members of peace movements. The purpose of this research project was to explore veterans’ understandings of the peace movement and their involvement in veterans’ peace movement organizations. This study hoped to answer the following questions: 1) How does a veteran understand the current peace movement? 2) Which, if any, parts of the current peace movement does a veteran find to be in line with his or her own values? 3) What do veterans feel it means to be a veteran for peace? 4) How do veterans come to identify with the current peace movement? 5) How do veterans take a stand against the current peace movement? 6) What do veterans feel is gained by involvement in the peace movement? The study was conducted using a qualitative approach, and 27 interviews were conducted either face-to-face or over the phone with U.S. veterans from across the country, who have served since the Vietnam War. Veterans who were no longer serving in an active duty capacity were selected via a snowball sample of the researcher’s circle of military colleagues and friends around the U.S. i The identity of “veteran in the peace movement” is a complicated one, and the result of a long, complex, series of lived experiences. This study let participants describe the process of identity acquisition, or rejection in their own words in order to create a realistic and honest narrative about the emotional and mental processes, and life events that trigger or influence these, that influenced identification or not with a veterans’ peace movement organization. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of my incredible friends and families. Even when you didn’t understand what I was doing, or I why I was subjecting myself to the “thesis torture,” you offered support, love, and encouragement. Most importantly, you kept me grounded and sane – when I had lost my motivation and my mood was low, you brought me back to earth with laughter and love. You restored my commitment and my passion for the research. I could not have done it without each one of you. Thank you to my committee for your wonderful input and support. To my Chair, I offer my most heartfelt gratitude for your patience and guidance during this process. You kept me focused and on task when we both know I would have gone off into the Land of Literature, never to be heard from or seen again. Thank you so very much, all of you. Finally, I would also like to offer my thanks and gratitude to the amazing veterans who agreed to let me interview them. I am humbled and honored that you were willing to share your stories of pain and joy, failure and triumph, with me. It is my hope that this work will reflect the honor you all so richly deserve, and the respect I feel for you and all that you have done, and continue to do, for this country. iii Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii List Of Figures ................................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1: Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................ 1 Study’s Significance ........................................................................................................ 3 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 4 Historical Background ..................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2: Literature Review And Theoretical Framework ............................................ 13 Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 13 Symbolic Interactionism ............................................................................................... 14 Role Theory ................................................................................................................... 15 Identity Theory .............................................................................................................. 17 Identity Organization ..................................................................................................19 Salience / Prominence ................................................................................................19 Role Mastery: Learning A New Role .........................................................................23 Meadian Concept Of Role ............................................................................................. 24 Role As Resource .......................................................................................................25 iv Differentiated Model & Role Mastery........................................................................28 Social Identity Theory ................................................................................................... 30 Salience .......................................................................................................................33 Social Movement Theory .............................................................................................. 34 Theoretical Approaches ..............................................................................................34 Identity Construction ..................................................................................................36 Activist Narratives ......................................................................................................37 Military Socialization .................................................................................................... 38 Integrating The Literature ............................................................................................. 42 Chapter 3: Methods .......................................................................................................... 47 Project Design ............................................................................................................... 47 Interviews ...................................................................................................................... 48 Interview Tool ............................................................................................................... 49 Confidentiality ............................................................................................................... 49 Potential For Bias .......................................................................................................... 50 Data Collection .............................................................................................................. 50 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 52 Chapter 4: Findings .......................................................................................................... 54 General Findings ........................................................................................................... 55 v Interaction Of Veterans’ Demographic Information And Experiences ......................55 Types Of Veterans ......................................................................................................58 Feelings About Service ...............................................................................................62 The Peace Movement & Getting Involved .................................................................... 67 Views On The Peace Movement ................................................................................67 Coming
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