Contradictions and Praxis Contextualized by Wartime Deployment: Wives' Perspectives Revealed through Relational Dialectics

Abstract

With the continued US military presence throughout the world, it is important to understand the struggles of family members left behind during war, because they are important to the “success” of military marriages and potentially deployments. We asked 50 Army wives to discuss their experiences before, during, and after their husbands’ most recent deployment. Using relational dialectics as the theoretical framework for understanding marriage and deployment, we identified three contradictions (uncertainty–certainty during predeployment, autonomy–connection during the deployment, and openness–closedness during reunion) and several praxis patterns within them, some of which reflect potentially problematic dynamics for these military partners.

Keywords:

• Deployment
• Marriage
• Relational Dialectics

Acknowledgements

The research in this project was partially funded by a grant from the JF Milne Publications Center for the study of Long Distiance Relationships (http://www.longdistancerelationships.net/research.htm)

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Erin Sahlstein

Dr Erin Sahlstein is at UNLV, Department of Communication Studies, Las Vegas, USA

Katheryn C. Maguire

Dr Katheryn C. Maguire is at Wayne State University, Department of Communication, Detriot, USA

Lindsay Timmerman

Dr Lindsay Timmerman is at UWM, Department of Communication, Milwaukee, USA