Pathways to Pacifism and Antiwar Activism among U.S. Veterans

The Role of Moral Identity in Personal Transformation

By (author) Julie Putnam Hart, Anjel N. Stough-Hunter

Publication date:

08 November 2017

Length of book:

216 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

Dimensions:

239x159mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781498538633

Pathways to Pacifism and Antiwar Activism among U.S. Veterans seeks to answer the question of how and why some military personnel become antiwar activists. To examine this, the authors look at the stories of 114 veterans’ pathways from a militaristic perspective to either a Just War or pacifist perspective. Identity theory provides a lens for exploring this process. The authors argue that this postservice process of identity transformation is not pathological but healthy, as it offers healing and verification of multiple roles and social aspects of the veterans’ lives.

Introduction
1. Identity Theory
2. Research Methods
3. The Combat Catalyst of Identity Change
4. The Betrayal Catalyst of Identity Change
5. The Religious Conviction Catalyst of Identity Change
6. The Education Catalyst of Identity Change
7. Comparing Activist Veterans to Non-Activist Veterans
8. Renegotiating Masculinity for Anti-war Veterans
9. Findings
Conclusions and Implications

Through in-depth interviews of U.S. veterans who have become antiwar activists, Hart and Stough-Hunter make three important contributions to an informed citizenry: 1) empathy for the trauma many of our veterans have experienced in serving our country; 2) an interpretive analysis of sociological identity theory to help us understand how the processes of moral injury, betrayal, religious reorientation, and education contribute to identity transformation; and 3) practical recommendations for the U.S. military and faith communities to foster healing and reintegrate veterans into civilian life.