Reinstitutionalizing families: Life course policy and marriage in the military
Research Report:
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Lundquist, J., & Xu, Z. (2014). Reinstitutionalizing families: Life course policy and marriage in the military. Journal of Marriage and Family, 76(5), 1063–1081. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12131
Focus:
Couples
Branch of Service:
Army
Military Affiliation:
Active Duty
Subject Affiliation:
Active duty service member
Child of a service member or veteran
Military families
Spouse of service member or veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Methodology:
Cross-Sectional Study
Qualitative Study
Secondary Analysis
Authors:
Lundquist, Jennifer, Xu, Zhun
Abstract:
The transition to adulthood has become an increasingly telescoped process for Americans, with marital formation occurring increasingly later in the life course. It is therefore striking to find a context like the U.S. military, in which marriage rates bear an anachronistic resemblance to those of the 1950s era. Using narrative data from life history interviews with military affiliates, the authors show that the military has reinstitutionalized military families at the same time that civilian families are becoming deinstitutionalized. Structural conditions of modern military service, such as war deployment and frequent geographical relocation, have created policies that rely on families to make these conditions more bearable for military personnel. These policies are part of an overarching institutional culture that directly and indirectly promotes marriage. The authors bring together life course literatures on turning points, the welfare state, and linked lives to show how the military has reinstitutionalized families in these ways.
Publisher/Sponsoring Organization:
Wiley
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Author Affiliation:
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, JL
Renmin University of China, ZX
Keywords:
military, marriage, institutionalization, life course policy
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary
Sponsors:
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
REACH Newsletter: