Tough Talks: An Action-Project Method Analysis of Parent-Child Conversations about Military Life

Bonneville, Dominique Ashley

Tough Talks: An Action-Project Method Analysis of Parent-Child Conversations about Military Life

dc.contributor.advisor	Domene, José
dc.contributor.author	Bonneville, Dominique Ashley
dc.contributor.committeemember	Mudry, Tanya
dc.contributor.committeemember	Schwartz, Kelly
dc.date	2023-11
dc.date.accessioned	2023-09-26T14:29:53Z
dc.date.available	2023-09-26T14:29:53Z
dc.date.issued	2023-09-15
dc.description.abstract	Military service can have significant impacts on the entire family system, including frequent relocations, parental deployments, and constant adjustments in family dynamics and support networks. Civilian spouses often bear the burden of managing childcare, family matters, and household responsibilities during deployments. Military-connected children face unique circumstances that can impact their development and social-emotional wellbeing. The functioning and wellbeing of military spouses and their children are largely interconnected, and communication between spouses and their children can play a vital role in shaping children’s ability to cope with and understand military life. Nonetheless, there is relatively little previous research on this topic. In this study, I utilized the action-project method (A-PM) to explore the following question “How do military spouses communicate with their middle school-aged children about the realities of military life?” I conducted video-assisted qualitative interviews with five military spouses and their children from across Canada. A consensus-based qualitative analysis grounded within Contextual Action Theory revealed several projects, actions, and supplementary themes throughout within- and cross-case analyses. Common projects across the parent-child dyads included: (a) fostering closeness and connection within the family; (b) creating shared understandings of military life; and (c) imagining and planning for the future related to relocation and deployment. Additionally, the cross-case analysis revealed nine common patterns of actions that families engaged in as they navigated conversations about military life. Finally, five salient supplementary themes emerged from the cross-case analysis. These findings provide insight into how families navigate unique stressors, make sense of their shared experiences, and bring forth innovative coping strategies. Considerations for those engaging in counselling work alongside military families are discussed.
dc.identifier.citation	Bonneville, D. A. (2023). Tough talks: an action-project method analysis of parent-child conversations about military life (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/117131
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	Military
dc.subject	Families
dc.subject	Parent
dc.subject	Child
dc.subject	Communication
dc.subject	Action-Project
dc.subject	Deployment
dc.subject.classification	Educational Psychology
dc.subject.classification	History--Military
dc.title	Tough Talks: An Action-Project Method Analysis of Parent-Child Conversations about Military Life
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Education Graduate Program – Educational Psychology
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.