Protecting What’s Ours: Examining Identity Work and Status among Post-9/11“Wounded Warriors”

• In Event: 336 - Section on Body and Embodiment Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Bodies and Identity

Abstract

Increased public attention on wounded and injured veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars has popularized the term “wounded warrior. “Wounded warrior” is a new and symbolic phrase that parallels a shift in the larger social context for post-9/11 wounded veterans. I examine the symbolic meaning of “wounded warrior” and how this construct creates social expectations that impact the community and everyday lives of wounded post-9/11 veterans. Using in-depth interviews with 40 post-9/11 wounded/injured/ill veterans and a content analysis of the mainstream media coverage of wounded veterans over the past decade, this project analyzes how the “wounded warrior” context shapes the social relationships, identity, and structural resources for the newest generation of wounded veterans. This research uses the visibility of one’s injuries (whether they are seen or not) as a comparative focal point for analyzing the perception and experiences of veterans within the “wounded warrior” construct. Upon the completion of 12 interviews, emerging themes indicate that post-9/11 wounded veterans have a moral investment in the larger portrayal of wounded veterans. The identity work of post-9/11 veterans establishes meaning, but it also draws lines between ‘authentic’ and ‘inauthentic’ wounded veterans. Wounded veterans are vigilant about “fakers” who are just trying to play up status as a wounded veteran to get money, resources, or attention. To avoid being perceived by others as fakers, wounded veterans emphasize “being humble” and engage in identity work to ensure that they are seen as asking only for what they need and nothing more.

Author

• Sidra J. Montgomery, University of Maryland