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Reinstitutionalizing Families: Life Course Policy and Marriage in the Military
Author(s) -
Lundquist Jennifer,
Xu Zhun
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of marriage and family
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 159
eISSN - 1741-3737
pISSN - 0022-2445
DOI - 10.1111/jomf.12131
Subject(s) - relocation , military service , context (archaeology) , life course approach , military personnel , anachronism , narrative , military sociology , welfare , military policy , software deployment , military science , service member , political science , sociology , history , psychology , law , spanish civil war , military operations other than war , engineering , business , social psychology , philosophy , software engineering , linguistics , archaeology , computer science , programming language , politics , business administration , business management
The transition to adulthood has become an increasingly telescoped process for Americans, with marital formation occurring increasingly later in the life course. It is therefore striking to find a context like the U.S. military, in which marriage rates bear an anachronistic resemblance to those of the 1950s era. Using narrative data from life history interviews with military affiliates, the authors show that the military has reinstitutionalized military families at the same time that civilian families are becoming deinstitutionalized. Structural conditions of modern military service, such as war deployment and frequent geographical relocation, have created policies that rely on families to make these conditions more bearable for military personnel. These policies are part of an overarching institutional culture that directly and indirectly promotes marriage. The authors bring together life course literatures on turning points, the welfare state, and linked lives to show how the military has reinstitutionalized families in these ways.