Narrative Analysis of Parental Role Duality of Filipino Military Wives

ABSTRACT Parental role duality is common among military wives experiencing deployment of husbands. Utilizing a narrative approach, our goal was to examine how they organized their identities as they adopted the paternal role. Four themes were identified from interviews with eleven military wives. These illustrated a transition from exhibiting reliance on husbands toward embodying independence and uncovering strength. As military wives encountered numerous challenges, they had displayed a unique response mechanism – prioritizing their motherhood. Consequently, they were confident in facing future deployments to come. Notably, faith was a significant factor for the wives’ resiliency.