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Narrative, Acculturation and Ritual: Themes from a Socio-ecological Study of Australian Defence Force Families Experiencing Parental Deployment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2016

Marg Baber
Marg Baber*
Affiliation:
Department of Early Childhood, School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
*
address for correspondence:Early Childhood, School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351. +61267735078. E-mail: mbaber@une.edu.au
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Abstract

Military deployment is typically considered a stressful period for families, generally lasting between 3 to 6 months for Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel. To date, insufficient research has been conducted concerning children and families who experience deployment within an Australian context. This study seeks to provide valuable insight into families with young children and explore their experiences of military deployment in an Australian context. Using a socio-constructivist approach, where truth is socially constructed both individually and culturally, ADF parents’ perceptions of their experiences are examined. Using Narrative Research, multiple methods of data collection are combined to gather various insights into families’ experiences. Data analysis was conducted using thematic verification identifying two main themes. Embracing an interpretivist epistemology, the researcher aims to create a shared knowledge around families’ understanding and experiences of deployment. Such knowledge will be helpful for effective support of parents, educators and professionals in their role with these children in the community.

Keywords

military familydeploymentacculturationcultural meta-narrative
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 41 , Issue 2 , June 2016 , pp. 141 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2016 

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