Date Awarded

2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

Advisor

Victoria Foster

Abstract

Military involvement in Operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn and Enduring Freed 3131 brings a focus on military families to the forefront of public and governmental attention. The military family represents a distinct cultural context, as each family is immersed in "the prevailing values, norms, philosophies, customs and traditions of the armed forces" (Collins, 2000, p. 213, i.e., military culture). Thousands of families live within these unique communities, but little is known about the role of such family experiences upon the development of children and their transitions into adulthood or the impacts of military family life throughout adulthood. Specifically, few studies are available that assess how being a part of a military family affects the choices, competencies, challenges, and patterns of children in regards to relationships as adults. This study utilized a sequential explanatory design, exploring friendships and romantic relationships of adult children from military families. One hundred and two participants completed the survey. of those participants, eight were chosen to participate in qualitative interviews. Quantitative and qualitative results were interpreted through current literature, the Family Life Cycle, and the Theory of Ego Development.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25774/w4-9dz0-tq94

Rights

© The Author

Download

Share Feedback

Share

COinS