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“You'd be Very Surprised at What the War Has Done to People”: Veterans Talk about the War
Author(s) -
WalkerBirckhead W.,
Davison B.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
australian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 0726-4240
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.1995.tb00715.x
Subject(s) - narrative , independence (probability theory) , identity (music) , affect (linguistics) , qualitative research , psychology , variety (cybernetics) , world war ii , spanish civil war , gender studies , gerontology , medicine , history , sociology , social science , art , statistics , mathematics , communication , archaeology , artificial intelligence , computer science , literature , aesthetics
This paper examines how people's war experiences affect their emotional and physical health and sense of identity in old age. It is part of a larger qualitative study into health and independence in old age which involves old people from a variety of Australian and migrant backgrounds, adult children and general practitioners. In this study old people talk about their health and illness experiences, and how they see their lives now and in the future. Most were young adults during the war years. This paper presents case histories of three people whose lives have been affected as soldiers and civilians by war and its aftermaths. It uses narrative and interview material to explore the meanings of wartime experiences in old age, and develops specific themes around pain and survivorship which are associated with these experiences.