Pub Date : 2024-10-16eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1448488
Hannu Lehti, Markus Laaninen
We studied the gender achievement gap in grades and standardised test scores in Finland, where the gender differences are largest among OECD countries. We compared the gender achievement gap in standardised test scores from PISA surveys and grades from high-quality school registers in literacy. Furthermore, we analysed how grades differ from standardised test scores by family background and students' SES composition of the schools. By using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method, we explored how different characteristics between girls and boys explain gender differences in grading. Our findings indicate that boys' grades were lower than can be expected based on standardised test scores. The gender gap in grades was explained by boys' lower reading interests, effort put into schoolwork, and conscientiousness on homework. However, even adjusting for schooling characteristics and competence, boys have lower grades than test scores in schools that have low SES student composition.
{"title":"The gender achievement gap in grades and standardised tests-what accounts for gender inequality?","authors":"Hannu Lehti, Markus Laaninen","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1448488","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1448488","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We studied the gender achievement gap in grades and standardised test scores in Finland, where the gender differences are largest among OECD countries. We compared the gender achievement gap in standardised test scores from PISA surveys and grades from high-quality school registers in literacy. Furthermore, we analysed how grades differ from standardised test scores by family background and students' SES composition of the schools. By using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method, we explored how different characteristics between girls and boys explain gender differences in grading. Our findings indicate that boys' grades were lower than can be expected based on standardised test scores. The gender gap in grades was explained by boys' lower reading interests, effort put into schoolwork, and conscientiousness on homework. However, even adjusting for schooling characteristics and competence, boys have lower grades than test scores in schools that have low SES student composition.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1448488"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11521978/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-14eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1412161
Patrícia Branco
Courthouses, as public edifices, serve as the physical backdrop for the administration of justice. Simultaneously, they are spaces inhabited and visited by a diverse array of court users, ranging from judicial professionals to litigants. This article explores the nuanced interplay between courthouse spaces and the emotional experiences they generate. It starts by surveying existing studies that examine such an intricate relationship. Then, and by drawing from a sample of interviews conducted across two distinct time periods (2010-2011 and 2017-2019) in Portugal, the article delves into the lived experiences of judges, prosecutors, and litigants. Their narratives provide a multifaceted view of the emotional experiences associated with the Portuguese (Family) Court buildings. To analyse these experiences, I turn to Henri Lefebvre's concept of lived space. Lived space refers to the emotions, memories, and interactions within a particular spatial context. Such dimension, in relation to courthouses, directly connects to the lived experience of legitimacy loss and low self-esteem affecting decision-making, on the one hand, and estrangement and rights' exclusion, on the other hand, felt by those subjects. By investigating how the spatial configurations of courthouses shape our emotions, we gain insights into the profound impact of such built environments on our understanding of the justice system, and the physical and symbolic obstacles in accessing it.
{"title":"What's emotion got to do with it? Reflections on the buildings of the Portuguese (Family) Courts.","authors":"Patrícia Branco","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1412161","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1412161","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Courthouses, as public edifices, serve as the physical backdrop for the administration of justice. Simultaneously, they are spaces inhabited and visited by a diverse array of court users, ranging from judicial professionals to litigants. This article explores the nuanced interplay between courthouse spaces and the emotional experiences they generate. It starts by surveying existing studies that examine such an intricate relationship. Then, and by drawing from a sample of interviews conducted across two distinct time periods (2010-2011 and 2017-2019) in Portugal, the article delves into the lived experiences of judges, prosecutors, and litigants. Their narratives provide a multifaceted view of the emotional experiences associated with the Portuguese (Family) Court buildings. To analyse these experiences, I turn to Henri Lefebvre's concept of lived space. Lived space refers to the emotions, memories, and interactions within a particular spatial context. Such dimension, in relation to courthouses, directly connects to the lived experience of legitimacy loss and low self-esteem affecting decision-making, on the one hand, and estrangement and rights' exclusion, on the other hand, felt by those subjects. By investigating how the spatial configurations of courthouses shape our emotions, we gain insights into the profound impact of such built environments on our understanding of the justice system, and the physical and symbolic obstacles in accessing it.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1412161"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11513384/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142523267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-14eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1501580
Bethany Simmonds, Maria Berghs
{"title":"Editorial: Intersections of ageing and disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Bethany Simmonds, Maria Berghs","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1501580","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1501580","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1501580"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11521348/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-11eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1493733
Licia Paglione
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1406156.].
[此处更正了文章 DOI:10.3389/fsoc.2024.1406156]。
{"title":"Corrigendum: When artistic is altruistic: the <i>power of beauty</i> from P. A. Sorokin's sociology to <i>Building Beauty</i> social project.","authors":"Licia Paglione","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1493733","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1493733","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1406156.].</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1493733"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11502462/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142509673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-10eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1420124
Mia Sisic, Evangelia Tastsoglou, Myrna Dawson, Catherine Holtmann, Lori Wilkinson, Chantelle Falconer
Little research has been done on conceptualizing gender-based violence (GBV) against immigrant and refugee women as a continuum of violence. The objective of the larger study was to understand gender-based violence in migration and analyze the ways in which discriminations and inequalities interact to increase vulnerability and decrease access to supports and services for some women. Using (a) the concept of continuum of [sexual] violence and (b) intersectionality, we demonstrate the need to both document the range of violence in women's lives and the tactics of victimization among immigrant and refugee women and show how they are different than the cumulated literature showing victimization tactics against the Canadian-born population. Using semi-structured interviews via phone or video, we asked professionals (N = 43) who worked with migrant women across Canada about forms of GBV experienced in the immigrant and refugee populations they worked with. Participants reported that non-physical forms of violence are more normalized, but also more commonly experienced than physical forms of violence in Canada. Additionally, intersecting social identities impact both the distinct and amplified forms of GBV immigrant and refugee women experienced. Results contribute theoretically and empirically to the conceptualization of the GBV experiences by immigrant and refugee women in Canada.
{"title":"The continuum of gender-based violence experienced by migrant and refugee women in Canada: perspectives from key informants.","authors":"Mia Sisic, Evangelia Tastsoglou, Myrna Dawson, Catherine Holtmann, Lori Wilkinson, Chantelle Falconer","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1420124","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1420124","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Little research has been done on conceptualizing gender-based violence (GBV) against immigrant and refugee women as a continuum of violence. The objective of the larger study was to understand gender-based violence in migration and analyze the ways in which discriminations and inequalities interact to increase vulnerability and decrease access to supports and services for some women. Using (a) the concept of continuum of [sexual] violence and (b) intersectionality, we demonstrate the need to both document the range of violence in women's lives and the tactics of victimization among immigrant and refugee women and show how they are different than the cumulated literature showing victimization tactics against the Canadian-born population. Using semi-structured interviews via phone or video, we asked professionals (<i>N</i> = 43) who worked with migrant women across Canada about forms of GBV experienced in the immigrant and refugee populations they worked with. Participants reported that non-physical forms of violence are more normalized, but also more commonly experienced than physical forms of violence in Canada. Additionally, intersecting social identities impact both the distinct and amplified forms of GBV immigrant and refugee women experienced. Results contribute theoretically and empirically to the conceptualization of the GBV experiences by immigrant and refugee women in Canada.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1420124"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11513851/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142523266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-09eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1453226
Gali Bloch
Transnational families manage complex language dynamics, with multifaceted linguistic practices representing a key aspect in shaping communication among family members, where balancing heritage and host country languages impacts both cultural preservation and integration into a new society. The situation complicates when multilingual and multicultural families relocate to a country with a new majority language, while maintaining ties to their original society. This study analyzes language ideologies of seven transnational participants who were repatriated to Israel from post-Soviet states (PSS) during childhood and decades later relocated to Finland with their children. The study based on the data gathered through semi-structured interviews addresses two key questions: What are the language ideologies held by Israeli Generation 1.5 parents in transnational multilingual families residing in Finland? What are the parental language beliefs concerning their and their children's social integration in Finland? Thematic data analysis reveals parents' efforts to balance multiple languages, driven by their overwhelmingly positive views on their children's multilingualism. The language choices impact language acquisition and maintenance, while also preserving old social connections and building new ones for the entire family. Findings highlight key factors shaping parental ideologies on language transmission, multilingualism, code-switching, and integration, mostly influenced by personal convenience and practicality. This study presents a novel perspective on the language ideologies of multilingual parents. By examining individual parental beliefs and attitudes toward each language involved, it identifies recurring collective ideologies regarding multilingualism overall and each specific language, thus enriching discussions on linguistic diversity and multicultural integration in transnational contexts. Additionally, informing policymakers about the linguistic challenges encountered by transnational multilingual families can facilitate the promotion of inclusive educational practices and foster cultural awareness initiatives, thus contributing to the creation of a more equitable and supportive environment for such families managinglinguistic diversity.
{"title":"Language ideologies in transnational families with Israeli background in Finland.","authors":"Gali Bloch","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1453226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1453226","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transnational families manage complex language dynamics, with multifaceted linguistic practices representing a key aspect in shaping communication among family members, where balancing heritage and host country languages impacts both cultural preservation and integration into a new society. The situation complicates when multilingual and multicultural families relocate to a country with a new majority language, while maintaining ties to their original society. This study analyzes language ideologies of seven transnational participants who were repatriated to Israel from post-Soviet states (PSS) during childhood and decades later relocated to Finland with their children. The study based on the data gathered through semi-structured interviews addresses two key questions: What are the language ideologies held by Israeli Generation 1.5 parents in transnational multilingual families residing in Finland? What are the parental language beliefs concerning their and their children's social integration in Finland? Thematic data analysis reveals parents' efforts to balance multiple languages, driven by their overwhelmingly positive views on their children's multilingualism. The language choices impact language acquisition and maintenance, while also preserving old social connections and building new ones for the entire family. Findings highlight key factors shaping parental ideologies on language transmission, multilingualism, code-switching, and integration, mostly influenced by personal convenience and practicality. This study presents a novel perspective on the language ideologies of multilingual parents. By examining individual parental beliefs and attitudes toward each language involved, it identifies recurring collective ideologies regarding multilingualism overall and each specific language, thus enriching discussions on linguistic diversity and multicultural integration in transnational contexts. Additionally, informing policymakers about the linguistic challenges encountered by transnational multilingual families can facilitate the promotion of inclusive educational practices and foster cultural awareness initiatives, thus contributing to the creation of a more equitable and supportive environment for such families managinglinguistic diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1453226"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11497075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142509674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-09eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1453455
Yaqun Li, Jean Martin Rabot, Rosalina Pisco Costa
Historically, Chinese societies have been characterized by patriarchal structures (Confucianism and filial piety) that assign distinct roles to men and women within the family unit. These norms typically dictate that women take on the primary responsibility for childcare and household duties, while men are expected to be the primary breadwinners. As the authors observe the second generation of Chinese immigrants settling in Portugal, the immigrants grapple with the significant challenge of striving to preserve cultural heritage with the adaptation to Western norms. Therefore, there is a growing recognition of the need to reassess these traditional gender norms. Women in these families are increasingly participating in the workforce, challenging the notion that childcare should be solely to their domain. This study focuses on the experiences of Chinese immigrants, including both married couples and single individuals residing in Portugal. Through qualitative research methods such as interviews (involving 25 participants) and observations, the research aims to gain a nuanced understanding of the attitude and engagement toward childcare, and the ways it differs between men and women in these immigrant families. Participants' responses indicate that men's anticipation of women dedicating more time to childcare is notably influenced by educational attainment and financial circumstances. Conversely, women generally believe that being exempt from labor is not a viable alternative irrespective of their educational qualifications. The traditional distribution of caregiving duties does not consistently apply to Chinese female immigrants. By exploring the influence of traditional Confucian culture on migrants' perspectives and challenges in assuming parental responsibilities, this study highlights gender disparities among Chinese immigrants and propose solutions to address this gender conflict on division.
{"title":"Reconsidering gender norms in childcare within Chinese migrant families in Portugal.","authors":"Yaqun Li, Jean Martin Rabot, Rosalina Pisco Costa","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1453455","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1453455","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Historically, Chinese societies have been characterized by patriarchal structures (Confucianism and filial piety) that assign distinct roles to men and women within the family unit. These norms typically dictate that women take on the primary responsibility for childcare and household duties, while men are expected to be the primary breadwinners. As the authors observe the second generation of Chinese immigrants settling in Portugal, the immigrants grapple with the significant challenge of striving to preserve cultural heritage with the adaptation to Western norms. Therefore, there is a growing recognition of the need to reassess these traditional gender norms. Women in these families are increasingly participating in the workforce, challenging the notion that childcare should be solely to their domain. This study focuses on the experiences of Chinese immigrants, including both married couples and single individuals residing in Portugal. Through qualitative research methods such as interviews (involving 25 participants) and observations, the research aims to gain a nuanced understanding of the attitude and engagement toward childcare, and the ways it differs between men and women in these immigrant families. Participants' responses indicate that men's anticipation of women dedicating more time to childcare is notably influenced by educational attainment and financial circumstances. Conversely, women generally believe that being exempt from labor is not a viable alternative irrespective of their educational qualifications. The traditional distribution of caregiving duties does not consistently apply to Chinese female immigrants. By exploring the influence of traditional Confucian culture on migrants' perspectives and challenges in assuming parental responsibilities, this study highlights gender disparities among Chinese immigrants and propose solutions to address this gender conflict on division.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1453455"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11500467/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142509675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-08eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1419021
Leoni Vollmar
The impact of digitalisation at work on existing inequalities is a growing concern. Social inequality is not solely determined by material circumstances, but also by the new social practises that arise in the workplace. However, the discourse about the digitalisation of work lacks specific organisational references. From an organisational theory perspective, it is important to note that digitality always takes place in an organisation-specific manner. Therefore, digitality and organisation are in a reciprocal relationship, resulting in the development of new organisational practises that impact organisational actors as structural conditions of organisational digitality. How the changes at the organisational level affect the mechanisms of production of social inequality in the course of digitalisation has not yet been taken into account, which means that previous research on inequality in digitalised work only allows an organisation-unspecific view of the subject. In contrast, this article places the organisation at the centre of the debate and presents a methodical approach for researching social inequality in the digitalisation of work from the perspective of organisational theory.
{"title":"Revealing organisational influence: conceptual and empirical reflections on doing inequality in digital work organisations.","authors":"Leoni Vollmar","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1419021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1419021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The impact of digitalisation at work on existing inequalities is a growing concern. Social inequality is not solely determined by material circumstances, but also by the new social practises that arise in the workplace. However, the discourse about the digitalisation of work lacks specific organisational references. From an organisational theory perspective, it is important to note that digitality always takes place in an organisation-specific manner. Therefore, digitality and organisation are in a reciprocal relationship, resulting in the development of new organisational practises that impact organisational actors as structural conditions of <i>organisational digitality</i>. How the changes at the organisational level affect the mechanisms of production of social inequality in the course of digitalisation has not yet been taken into account, which means that previous research on inequality in digitalised work only allows an organisation-unspecific view of the subject. In contrast, this article places the organisation at the centre of the debate and presents a methodical approach for researching social inequality in the digitalisation of work from the perspective of organisational theory.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1419021"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11493731/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142509676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-04eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1389924
Jan Grimell
<p><p>As service members transition from deployment to civilian life, they are also expected to reintegrate into society. An important part of this process is to "soften up" veteran or warrior identities and open up the self for both existing and new identities, mindsets, and ways of life. Past research has shown that the warrior mindset, in particular, can have negative health implications in the long run. The mindset can be costly, not only for the individual and their loved ones, but also for the healthcare services and other agencies. This article draws from a recent interview study with 24 deployed Swedish veterans suffering from deteriorating mental health without receiving a clinical diagnosis. Purposeful sampling was conducted with the support of the medical staff at the Veterans' Clinic at Uppsala University Hospital. Participants had been screened for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but had not received a clinical diagnosis. This constitutes a large and understudied patient group in the clinic. The medical staff selected patients based on the following criteria: deteriorating mental health, increased suffering related to PTSD symptoms, and issues related to moral issues, existential concerns, and identity. The sample included veterans from both the Swedish Armed Forces and other deploying agencies. Of the 24 interviewees, 19 were from the Swedish Armed Forces (16 men and three women), and five (four women and one man) were deployed by other agencies. The number of overseas deployments varied widely, with some interviewees having completed 1-2 deployments, while others had completed 3-8. Additionally, some interviewees had interrupted planned or ongoing deployments for various reasons. At the time of the interviews, none were serving full-time in the armed forces; all were veterans. The interviews took place during an intense wave of COVID-19 infections in Sweden in early 2022, so the majority were conducted via videoconference. The participants' veteran identities were abductively analyzed through the mask of secrecy, the stoic mask, and the mask of denial, which are elements of the "Mask of the Warrior." This mask functions to safeguard mission focus, to endure, to execute tasks in extremely stressful situations, and to solve operational tasks during deployments and combat operations. The analysis of the interviews suggests that certain elements in these powerful veteran identities can serve as breeding grounds for suffering later in life. The veterans in the study tended to be stoic about their deteriorating mental health, kept the suffering to themselves, and denied the harmful aspects of their deployments. Thus, the Mask of the Warrior played a counterproductive role for the individual, their friends and family, and life in the aftermath of deployments. Another implication of secrecy and denial occurred on the societal or macro and system levels due to the absence of sufficient insight, knowledge, and understanding of veterans
{"title":"The Mask of the Warrior: unraveling deep-seated health vulnerabilities in veteran identities.","authors":"Jan Grimell","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1389924","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1389924","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As service members transition from deployment to civilian life, they are also expected to reintegrate into society. An important part of this process is to \"soften up\" veteran or warrior identities and open up the self for both existing and new identities, mindsets, and ways of life. Past research has shown that the warrior mindset, in particular, can have negative health implications in the long run. The mindset can be costly, not only for the individual and their loved ones, but also for the healthcare services and other agencies. This article draws from a recent interview study with 24 deployed Swedish veterans suffering from deteriorating mental health without receiving a clinical diagnosis. Purposeful sampling was conducted with the support of the medical staff at the Veterans' Clinic at Uppsala University Hospital. Participants had been screened for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but had not received a clinical diagnosis. This constitutes a large and understudied patient group in the clinic. The medical staff selected patients based on the following criteria: deteriorating mental health, increased suffering related to PTSD symptoms, and issues related to moral issues, existential concerns, and identity. The sample included veterans from both the Swedish Armed Forces and other deploying agencies. Of the 24 interviewees, 19 were from the Swedish Armed Forces (16 men and three women), and five (four women and one man) were deployed by other agencies. The number of overseas deployments varied widely, with some interviewees having completed 1-2 deployments, while others had completed 3-8. Additionally, some interviewees had interrupted planned or ongoing deployments for various reasons. At the time of the interviews, none were serving full-time in the armed forces; all were veterans. The interviews took place during an intense wave of COVID-19 infections in Sweden in early 2022, so the majority were conducted via videoconference. The participants' veteran identities were abductively analyzed through the mask of secrecy, the stoic mask, and the mask of denial, which are elements of the \"Mask of the Warrior.\" This mask functions to safeguard mission focus, to endure, to execute tasks in extremely stressful situations, and to solve operational tasks during deployments and combat operations. The analysis of the interviews suggests that certain elements in these powerful veteran identities can serve as breeding grounds for suffering later in life. The veterans in the study tended to be stoic about their deteriorating mental health, kept the suffering to themselves, and denied the harmful aspects of their deployments. Thus, the Mask of the Warrior played a counterproductive role for the individual, their friends and family, and life in the aftermath of deployments. Another implication of secrecy and denial occurred on the societal or macro and system levels due to the absence of sufficient insight, knowledge, and understanding of veterans ","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1389924"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11487641/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142476686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-01eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1487220
Andrzej Klimczuk, Guillermina Jasso, Mariah D R Evans, Jonathan Kelley
{"title":"Editorial: On poverty and its eradication.","authors":"Andrzej Klimczuk, Guillermina Jasso, Mariah D R Evans, Jonathan Kelley","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1487220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2024.1487220","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1487220"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11473586/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142476684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}