Projects / Programmes
Military specific risk and protective factors for military family health outcomes
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.03.00 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S000 |
Social sciences |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
military families, intergenerational support, health outcomes, risk factors, long term absences (deployments)
Researchers (12)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
We need to put the military families’ research into the wider social context, especially in the context of social changes. Among the phenomena that have to be considered we find changes in gender roles, division of labour in the family and reconciliation of work and family responsibilities, and changes in relation to children or new social imperatives regarding parenting. In Slovenian context we must not overlook the fact that despite the predominant model of two-generational families, we have strong and well-developed intergenerational and kinship networks.
Based on the previous research findings in Slovenia as well as in international environment, we have identify three problems related to the military family health outcomes. Hence we will address the problem of national and institutional normative frame and its ability to address the appropriate issues related to the risk/protective factors and the health outcomes. The second problem is that the comprehensive approach has not been applied for measuring the various negative health outcomes. In the case of Slovenian military families, the potential negative health outcomes have never been surveyed yet. Neither have various risk factors been observed simultaneously on various eco-social levels. The third problem is that we cannot be sure whether the risk factors for negative health outcomes are actually derived from the military. The research aims to reveal whether risk/protective factors are military-specific.
We will apply an integrative approach to understanding risk and protective factors for family well-being/health outcomes in the military context in Slovenia. Military puts specific demands on service members (e.g. devoting or taking another man’s life). The current research reveals that such demands often lead to negative health outcomes (i.e. alcohol or drug abuse, child maltreatment, parental depression & PTSD, intimate partner violence, relationship dissatisfaction, poor child-parent relationship, child’ behavioral and emotional problems) in military family, which have a long-term negative impact on society. Military families are integral part of the society, herein minimizing the negative health outcomes and strengthening the family well-being is an important issue for society as a whole. So far, risk/protective factors for health outcomes have been mostly observed on the Bronfenbrenner's ecological micro-level, while this proposed research aims to make a step forward and identify the risk/protective factors on the meso- and macro- level. Based on the current research findings we have developed a model of major military family health outcomes and risk/protective factors. The model will be tested and modified. Research in military families in this area is underdeveloped.
The project has four objectives. 1) Review current national policies and support programmes, as well as comparing general national and specific military support programmes and policies. 2) Modify the list of identified military family health outcomes based on social and cultural specifics and evaluating the appropriateness of the selected measurement tool. 3) Identify key risk/protective factors for each health outcome within an individual socio-ecological level and develop an integrative risk/protective factors model, along with suggestions for prevention. 4) Establish whether risk/protective factors are military-specific.
To achieve the objectives we will apply the qualitative and quantitative methods. We will analyse the normative acts, carry out focus groups with relevant stakeholders, military families and divorced service members. Furthermore, we will carry out the quantitative survey among military and civilian families.
Significance for science
Our research aims to become the first comprehensive survey of military families and their comparison with civilian families on the issues of health outcomes and risk/protective factors in Slovenia. Until now, there have been only three very limited research projects on military families, carried out by Slovenian social scientists. The first one was an applicative project on military personnel, conducted in 2005, which dealt with the life/work conflict in military families. It was carried out on a limited number of respondents (Majda Černič Istenič, Duška Knežević Hočevar). The second one was a doctoral thesis researching military families in Slovenia in the field of military sociology (Jelena Juvan, Vojasˇke druzˇine: usklajevanje zahtev med druzˇino in vojasˇko organizacijo). Finally, perceptions of service members regarding the level of support from their families during their deployment were measured as part of a broader survey (Ljubica Jelušič et al., Social analysis of Slovenian armed forces’ deployments. 2008.)
As far as surveys of civilian families in Slovenia are concerned, we must recognize that we have had excellent research teams, a well-developed university course of sociology of the family, and many distinguished researchers in this field (Alenka Švab, Tanja Rener, Mateja Sedmak, etc). Our proposed project aims to bring together the experiences of anthropologists, psychologists and military sociologists in order to upgrade the current knowledge on military families with a broader and more comprehensive survey (including various methods, models, and theoretical approaches) carried out on a representative sample of Slovenian military families. This survey would fundamentally enrich the range of military sociology topics researched in Slovenia. It would bring Slovenian research efforts closer to international scientific networks regarding military families (Karin de Angelis, David G. Smith and Mady W.Segal, Military Families: A Comparative Perspective, in Giuseppe Caforio (editor) 2018, Handbook of the Sociology of the Military).
Our Model proposes the integration of various health outcomes with impact of the risk/protective factors on different socio-ecological levels. In the event of a successfully conducted survey in Slovenia, our model and research findings will enable scientists internationally to reuse the model on their own samples, deepening the collective knowledge on military families. The proposed survey will integrate different scientific approaches and perspectives, leading to a comprehensive methodology for studying military families. The tested Model of risk/preventive factors of family health outcomes will enable various stakeholders (e.g. military support structures, military leaders, teachers) to recognise the problems that are specific to military families, and find tools to address them.
Significance for the country
Our research aims to become the first comprehensive survey of military families and their comparison with civilian families on the issues of health outcomes and risk/protective factors in Slovenia. Until now, there have been only three very limited research projects on military families, carried out by Slovenian social scientists. The first one was an applicative project on military personnel, conducted in 2005, which dealt with the life/work conflict in military families. It was carried out on a limited number of respondents (Majda Černič Istenič, Duška Knežević Hočevar). The second one was a doctoral thesis researching military families in Slovenia in the field of military sociology (Jelena Juvan, Vojasˇke druzˇine: usklajevanje zahtev med druzˇino in vojasˇko organizacijo). Finally, perceptions of service members regarding the level of support from their families during their deployment were measured as part of a broader survey (Ljubica Jelušič et al., Social analysis of Slovenian armed forces’ deployments. 2008.)
As far as surveys of civilian families in Slovenia are concerned, we must recognize that we have had excellent research teams, a well-developed university course of sociology of the family, and many distinguished researchers in this field (Alenka Švab, Tanja Rener, Mateja Sedmak, etc). Our proposed project aims to bring together the experiences of anthropologists, psychologists and military sociologists in order to upgrade the current knowledge on military families with a broader and more comprehensive survey (including various methods, models, and theoretical approaches) carried out on a representative sample of Slovenian military families. This survey would fundamentally enrich the range of military sociology topics researched in Slovenia. It would bring Slovenian research efforts closer to international scientific networks regarding military families (Karin de Angelis, David G. Smith and Mady W.Segal, Military Families: A Comparative Perspective, in Giuseppe Caforio (editor) 2018, Handbook of the Sociology of the Military).
Our Model proposes the integration of various health outcomes with impact of the risk/protective factors on different socio-ecological levels. In the event of a successfully conducted survey in Slovenia, our model and research findings will enable scientists internationally to reuse the model on their own samples, deepening the collective knowledge on military families. The proposed survey will integrate different scientific approaches and perspectives, leading to a comprehensive methodology for studying military families. The tested Model of risk/preventive factors of family health outcomes will enable various stakeholders (e.g. military support structures, military leaders, teachers) to recognise the problems that are specific to military families, and find tools to address them.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
