Brief Summary:
This qualitative study explored civilian husbands’ experiences as “tied-migrant workers” – spouses whose careers and employment opportunities tend to rely on their wives’ military careers. The tied-migrant worker experience may be especially unique for husbands in patriarchal cultures, which expect men to be the family’s main financial provider; the study therefore explored how civilian husbands viewed their masculinity in light of their tied-migrant worker role. 22 civilian husbands were interviewed about their experience being married to Servicewomen and how this related to their perceptions of their masculinity. 3 themes emerged: shifts in perceptions of masculinity, the feeling of being a minority in the military, and the complexities of being a tied-migrant worker.
Summary provided by Military REACH at Auburn University
Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) Report:
Created by our partners at Military REACH at Auburn University, TRIP Reports summarize the key findings and implications of this study to provide actionable insights in accessible language for practitioners, policy makers, and families.
Reference:
Dowling, L. E., Jackson, J. B., & Landers, A. L. (2024). Gender role reversal: Civilian husbands of U.S. military servicewomen as tied-migrant workers. Family Relations, 73(1), 441–465. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12936