Understanding Veterans Through the Lens of Dialogical Psychology and Theology

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 139 - 160, 15.08.2018

Jan Grimell

Abstract

A dialogical self theory framework has shown to be a promising methodology in the pursuit of mapping and gridding the psychological topography among military personnel during transition from military to civilian life and thereby advance the understandings of self-identity work in the process. This article demonstrates this methodology through a case study example drawn from a longitudinal research project that followed nineteen Swedish service members with annual interviews over a three-year period as they transitioned to civilian life. This case study example evolves into a discussion about a potential vulnerability that may be inherit among service members with distinct religious/spiritual/ethical positions in the self when or if those I-positions perceive themselves to be violated as a result of military service. The implication of such violations or transgressions may result in a type of spiritual injury that disconnects the spiritual capacity of the self to varying degrees. It is proposed that such spiritual injury is typically followed by monologue instead of dialogue. Theological concepts of forgiveness and acceptance may gradually restore the dialogical capacity between a violated position(s) and a traumatized military position within the self. Acceptance and dialogical evolution may then begin to heal the spiritual damage.

Keywords

Dialogical self, military to civilian life, self-identity work, spiritual injury

Diyalojik Psikoloji ve İlahiyat Bakış Açılarından Gazileri Anlamak

Abstract

Diyalojik benlik kuramı çerçevesi, ordudan sivil hayata geçiş sürecinde askeri personelin psikolojik topoğrafyasını “haritalama” ve derinlemesine inceleme ve böylece bu süreç içerisinde öz kimlik süreçlerini daha iyi anlama arayışı açısından umut verici bir metodoloji olarak görülmüştür. Bu makale, bu metodolojiyi, yıllık görüşmelerle on dokuz İsveçli askerin sivil hayata geçişlerindeki üç yıllık süre boyunca takip eden boylamsal bir araştırma projesinden alınan bir durum çalışması ile sunmaktadır. Bu durum çalışması, benlikleri içinde belirgin dini/manevi/ahlaki konumlara sahip askerlerde, bu ben-konumları (I-position), askerlik hizmetinin bir sonucu olarak ihlal edildiğinde ortaya çıkan potansiyel zedelenebilirlik hakkındaki bir tartışmaya dönüşmektedir. Bu ihlal veya haddini aşmalar, benliğin ruhsal kapasitesini değişen derecelerde koparan bir tür manevi incinme ile sonuçlanabilmektedir. Bu tür bir manevi incinmenin tipik olarak diyalog yerine monolog tarafından izlendiği düşünülmektedir. Teolojik kavramlar olarak affetme ve kabul etme, ihlal edilen pozisyon(lar) ile zedelenmiş askeri pozisyon arasındaki diyalojik kapasiteyi kademeli olarak onarabilir. Kabul ve diyalojik tekamül böylece manevi hasarı iyileştirmeye başlayabilir.

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