Living with Ghosts of Truth, Duty, and Valour: A Narrative Inquiry into Canadian Veterans’ Stories of Institutional Betrayal
| dc.contributor.advisor | Kassan, Anusha | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Russell-Mayhew, Shelly | |
| dc.contributor.author | Beks, Tiffany Anne | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Schwartz, Kelly | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Estefan, Andrew | |
| dc.date | 2024-11 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-05-28T16:48:30Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-05-28T16:48:30Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-05-22 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Context. The term institutional betrayal (IB) has emerged as a way of conceptualizing the failure of powerful and trusted institutions to protect and support its members in the aftermath of traumatic events (Smith & Freyd, 2014). In the context of military service, research has found that IB may exacerbate military members’/veterans’ psychological distress in the aftermath of trauma, leading to more severe, complex forms of post-traumatic stress disorder (Monteith et al., 2016). While the literature pertaining to IB in the military has focused on experiences of veterans in the United States, there has yet to be a study investigating the experience of IB among Canadian military members/veterans. Goals. This study aimed to explore, in depth, Canadian military veterans’ experiences of IB. Through conversations with participants, I hoped to garner information that would provide guidance to psychological providers, military-veteran institution leaders, policymakers, and the military-veteran community on how to support military members’/veterans who have experienced IB. Methods. I employed narrative inquiry (NI; Clandinin, 2013) as the methodology for this dissertation. NI is a qualitative research methodology that views stories as a natural means of communication that people use to make meaning of their experiences in context (Clandinin, 2013; Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). I engaged in conversations and the co-composition of narrative accounts with three participants over the course of two years, meeting with each individual 6 to 10 times. Our conversations focused on stories of military service, harm or mistreatment endured during service, the veteran transition, and various life experiences that shaped participants’ experiences of service and IB. Results. Narrative accounts were written for each participant while attending to the three-dimensional NI space of temporality, sociality, and place. Across the three narrative accounts, five narrative threads were identified: (a) great expectations, (b) institutional camouflage, (c) shattered expectations, (d) stories to live by, and (e) ghosts of service. Discussion and Implications. Participants’ stories and the narrative threads were used to shape and inform implications for psychological practice, institutional policies and practices, and future research. The strengths, limitations, and future directions of this research were also identified. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Beks, T. A. (2024). Living with ghosts of truth, duty, and valour: a narrative inquiry into Canadian veterans’ stories of institutional betrayal (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1880/118823 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/46420 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Graduate Studies | |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Calgary | |
| dc.rights | University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. | |
| dc.subject | veterans | |
| dc.subject | institutional betrayal | |
| dc.subject | narrative inquiry | |
| dc.subject | military service | |
| dc.subject | trauma | |
| dc.subject.classification | Educational Psychology | |
| dc.subject.classification | History--Military | |
| dc.title | Living with Ghosts of Truth, Duty, and Valour: A Narrative Inquiry into Canadian Veterans’ Stories of Institutional Betrayal | |
| dc.type | doctoral thesis | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Education Graduate Program – Educational Psychology | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Calgary | |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | |
| ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent | I require a thesis withhold – I need to delay the release of my thesis due to a patent application, and other reasons outlined in the link above. I have/will need to submit a thesis withhold application. |