Open AccessMeaningfulness and Coherence? Experiences Among Young Soldiers in the Swedish Armed Forces
Author(s) -
Gunnar Gillberg,
Roland Kadefors,
Jan Holmer,
Anders Östebo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nordic journal of working life studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.322
H-Index - 15
ISSN - 2245-0157
DOI - 10.18291/njwls.123905
Subject(s) - chose , military personnel , coherence (philosophical gambling strategy) , psychology , social psychology , work (physics) , set (abstract data type) , sociology , political science , engineering , law , mechanical engineering , physics , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language
The twofold aim of the present study was to try to understand why young recruits to the Swedish Armed Forces chose a military career rather than a civilian one, and how their expectations were met when confronted with the realities of life as a soldier or marine. The study material consisted of 57 interviews with 37 young recruits; the interviews were carried out at units representing different branches of the Armed Forces. The interviews were semi-structured, transcribed, and categorized. It was found that the desire to remain employed as a soldier or marine in the Swedish Armed Forces is based on a set of individual and organizational factors: the selection process, the sense of meaningfulness and organizational coherence, the safety offered, and the salutogenic nature of military working life. The recruits are part of a system that offers good work conditions in return for taxing and stressful work assignments.