"Female veterans carry special war baggage"

Submitted by anthony on Fri, 2011-11-11 20:33

Article here. Excerpt:

'For these women, spending time at war brings special complexities and conflicts, because in war, expectations for hypermasculine behavior are more extreme than at any other time. (This is true to some extent whether the soldier is serving in a provisions unit or as a mechanic.) Indeed, the association of the military with hypermasculinity makes it harder for men as well as women to figure out what to do with their tenderness, vulnerability, moral conflicts and spirituality.

It is not possible to say whether it is harder for women to try to live up to the traditional standards of the other sex--because the expectation is that they cannot and perhaps that they should not--or for men to risk failing to meet the traditional standards for their own sex.
...
In general, exposure to so much violence in the military can sap their patience, tenderness and resilience. Furthermore, for military women who had positions of power and authority when at war, to come home, where mothers' work is unpaid, often not respected, and often invisible, can make them feel "less consequential."'

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'For most men, spending time at war brings special complexities and conflicts, because in war, expectations for hypermasculine behavior are more extreme than at any other time. (This is true to some extent whether the soldier is serving in a provisions unit or as a mechanic.) Indeed, the association of the military with hypermasculinity makes it harder for men to figure out what to do with their tenderness, vulnerability, moral conflicts and spirituality.

It is not possible to say whether it is harder for men to try to live up to the traditional standards of their sex--because the expectation is that they must and perhaps that they also should not, given the way this role has been so openly denigrated in recent modern times.
...
In general, exposure to so much violence in the military can sap men's patience, tenderness and resilience. Furthermore, for military men who had positions of power and authority when at war, to come home, where work is either non-existent or under-paid, often not respected, and often invisible, it can make them feel "less consequential."'

And there you have it.

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Submitted by Matt on Sat, 2011-11-12 01:05