A Case Study of the Closing of Fort Devens
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University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-1998 Lifestyle management education : a case study of the closing of Fort Devens. Janet B. Sullivan University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Sullivan, Janet B., "Lifestyle management education : a case study of the closing of Fort Devens." (1998). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 5347. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/5347 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE CLOSING OF FORT DEVENS A Dissertation Presented by JANET B. SULLIVAN Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION February 1998 School of Education ® Copyright 1998 by Janet B. Sullivan All Rights Reserved LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE CLOSING OF FORT DEVENS A Dissertation Presented BY JANET B. SULLIVAN Approved as to style and content: C. Carey, Member ft SM-C+' ^/Sheila Mammen, Member Dean ACfQPMLEDGMENTS "Be All That You Can Be" is the Army's recruiting motto. I have been employed by the US Army since 1974. First, I was an Army officer; and now I am a federal civilian employee working as The Equal Employment Opportunity Officer at Fort Carson, Colorado. Throughout the years I have taken this motto as a personal challenge to realize my potential. The call to use my veteran's benefits at the University of Massachusetts to pursue an Education Doctorate in Humanistic Psychological Education was another opportunity for personal and professional growth that I seized. I am grateful to these two fine institutions, the US Army, and the University of Massachusetts, for providing me with structure and content in which to develop my knowledge, talents, skills, and abilities to their fullest. I am proud to have been associated with these great organizations. Throughout the years I have had numerous supervisors who have permitted me to take advantage of the opportunity to continue my doctoral education while working full time at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and Fort Carson, Colorado. I want to thank Colonel DeBlois, Colonel Newell, Colonel Hess, and Colonel Davis for their support. I want to thank the faculty of the defunct Humanistic Psychological Education department of the University of Massachusetts. Sid Simon, Jerry Weinstein, and Al Alschuler taught me about values clarification, self-knowledge, and iv human development. They lead the way for my own journey of personal discovery and expansion. I'd like to thank Dr. David Schuman for serving as my original advisor and helping me to find a direction in which to move towards in my research study and I wish him the best of everything. Dr. John Carey joined my dissertation committee at a late stage, but has been a compassionate leader that I respect and admire. Dr. Sheila Mammen has provided me with unwavering support throughout the comprehensive exam and dissertation process. I cannot adequately express how much I have admired and appreciated her dignified style of role modeling. Johnstone Campbell came to my aid and helped me to complete this degree. How can you say "thank you" to someone who has provided the necessary assistance and guidance so that you can achieve a lifetime goal? I am forever grateful and indebted to Dr. Campbell for his wisdom, kindness, and tutelage. There are so many members of my family and friends who must also be recognized for contributing to this endeavor. I'd like to acknowledge my parents, Carl and Mary Barbera, who are both deceased. Dad showed me how to set a goal and work towards it with determination and enthusiasm. Mom gave me unconditional love which helped me to become myself. My sister Mary Ann Becraft has been a lifetime source of inspiration and encouragement. My first husband, Jerry Sullivan, showed me that I have no limits; and my second v husband, Emerick Nelson, planted the seed in my mind to seek a doctorate instead of a second masters degree. My friends stood by me throughout the spectrum of good and difficult times. Andrea Larson not only typed my manuscript but also became my dear friend and confidant. Thank you all for being there at key moments when I needed you. Finally, I would like to acknowledge and thank all of the case study participants for their time and candor. They permitted me to cross the boundary from professional domain into the private property of their lives. I truly appreciate their willingness to pull aside the curtain to the windows of their personal thoughts and feelings, and permit me to view their private worlds. With their assistance, I learned even more about how to "be all you can be." vi ABSTRACT LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF THE CLOSING OF FORT DEVENS FEBRUARY 1998 JANET B. SULLIVAN, B.A., WIDENER UNIVERSITY M.L.S., RUTGERS UNIVERSITY Ed.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Dr. Johnstone Campbell This study examines how civilian workers managed stress at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, after the 1991 Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) selected the post for closure. The post shut down operations in September 1995, two years ahead of the schedule mandated by related legislation. After the closure announcement in April 1991, a number of events further compounded the problem of base closure. First, there was a deep recession in New England. Second, general downsizing of the federal government and of the Department of Defense, in particular, severely decreased potential job opportunities for many workers. These events created a climate of stress at Fort Devens. At the same time closure was announced, Fort Devens made available to all civilian employees the opportunity to attend a lifestyle management course called Fit to Win, the purpose of which was not stress management but better fitness through exercise and proper nutrition. This study examines how employees coped with the stress of losing their jobs at Fort Devens, and to what degree the Fit to Vll Win program was an effective tool in helping them manage their stress. Qualitative research methods were used. A case study with in-depth interviewing was the primary mode of inquiry. The study was composed of a purposeful sample of six civilian Fort Devens employees who also attended the Fit to Win course of instruction. In addition to taped and transcribed interviews, an interviewer's journal was also used to conduct the research. The findings suggest that Fit to Win is an effective lifestyle management program. All of the participants thought the course content was sound and the results were worthwhile. Those individuals who fully engaged in the program, theoretically and in application, reaped the greatest rewards. The findings also suggest that Fit to Win has varied impact on participants: temporary, permanent, and no change. Additionally, the findings suggest that a lifestyle management program comprised of exercise and nutritional guidance can effectively help individuals to cope with stress. Furthermore, the findings suggest that Fit to Win education can be a vehicle for successful transition from stress management to lifestyle management, or improved wellness. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Pacre ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iv ABSTRACT. vii LIST OF TABLES. xii LIST OF FIGURES .xiii CHAPTER 1. BASE CLOSURE, FORT DEVENS, AND FIT TO WIN ... 1 Introduction . 1 Base Realignment and Closure . 3 Fort Devens. 8 Fit to Win . 14 Method and Design. 17 Rationale for Design of Study . 17 Values and Principles of Qualitative Research. 19 The Case Study Method . 2 0 Interviews . 23 Data Management and Analyses . 24 Limitations of Study . 25 Significance and Implications of Study .... 29 2. STRESS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT EDUCATION .... 31 Introduction . 31 Definitions of Stress . 31 Symptoms of Stress . 3 8 Physiology of Stress . 39 Fight/Flight . 43 Immunological System . 44 Control and Stress . 46 Effects of Stress. 48 Mind-Body Connection . 53 Coping . 54 Stress Management . 63 Stress Management Education . 64 Fit to Win Compared to Stress Management Education . 68 Fit to Win Compared to Worksite Health Promotion Programs . 74 ix 3 . SIX FORT DEVENS EMPLOYEES 83 Introduction . 83 Bob. 83 Bob's Method of Coping With Stress. 88 Carol. 90 Carol's Method of Coping With Stress .... 94 Alma . 96 Alma's Method of Coping With Stress .... 99 Mindy. 101 Mindy's Method of Coping With Stress .... 103 Tom. 106 Tom's Method of Coping With Stress. 109 Jim. Ill Jim's Method of Coping With Stress. 117 Follow-Up Interviews . 119 4. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA . 126 Life Change Units. 126 Mind-Body Connection . 128 Wellness and Distress . 130 Wellness. 132 Distress. 138 Resilience . 142 Spirituality . 144 Control and Change . 14 6 Stress Management Components . 147 Personal Growth . 149 5. FINDINGS . 153 Lifestyle Management . 153 Positive Effects . 157 Education for Wellness . 160 Human Resources Implications . 162 Conclusions. 164 x APPENDICES A. BASES RECOMMENDED FOR CLOSURE . 173 B. BASES RECOMMENDED FOR REALIGNMENT . 175 C. FIT TO WIN HEALTH RISK APPRAISAL. 177 D. FORT DEVENS CIVILIAN FIT TO WIN PROGRAM .... 186 E. CONSENT FORM. 189 F. SYMPTOMS OF STRESS. 192 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 196 Xll LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. The Stresses of Life . 34 2. Stress Management Components . 69 3. Summary of Interventions, Methodology, Effects, and Rating for Each of the Areas Reviewed . 76 4. Rating System for Individual Articles and the Overall Literature . 79 xiii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Sequence of events in the general adaptation syndrom (GAS).