Military Service and Reintegration into Civilian Life

Session Submission Type: Invited Session (90 minute)

Description

Sociologists frequently examine group-specific life course outcomes. For example, individuals with military backgrounds experience overall trajectories different from the general population. The relationship between military service and subsequent outcomes is complex. While many veterans experience improvements (e.g., in wages and occupations), others face challenges, and the factors shaping civilian reintegration remain poorly understood. Due to recent data collection and integration efforts, social scientists can now conduct analyses at a completely different scale and with contemporary samples/respondents. The papers in this session will examine patterns related to a range of outcomes (health, family dynamics, educational, and occupational). To that end, this session showcases findings using a variety of secondary data sources (from e.g., Federal Statistical Research Data Centers), as well as original quantitative and qualitative data collection projects and analyses.

Sub Unit

• Special Session

Presider

• Regina E. Werum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Individual Presentations

• Occupational Prestige Rankings of Military Officers - Morten G. Ender, United States Military Academy

• Connections Between Military Service, Health, and Economic Security: Insights from the Veterans Economic Wellbeing Project (VEWS) - Lori Kowaleski-Jones, University of Utah

• How do Selection and Exposure Dynamics Shape STEM Trajectories? A Comparison of Civilian and Military-Affiliated College Students - Christina R. Steidl, University of Alabama-Huntsville

• The Impact of Military Service and Access to Benefits on Opportunities to Finance College - Shawn M. Ratcliff, U.S. Census Bureau; Simon Cheng, University of Connecticut

• Military Service and Confidence in Institutions: Insights from the General Social Survey - Steven Cassidy, Duke University

Discussant

• Regina E. Werum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Session Organizer

• Regina E. Werum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln