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Suicide, social integration, and masculinity in the U.S. military

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  • Braswell, Harold
  • Kushner, Howard I.

Abstract

Reports indicate that suicide in the U.S. military has increased significantly in recent years. This increase has been attributed to a number of factors, including more frequent deployments, more relaxed screening of recruits, combat trauma, economic difficulty amongst soldiers, and the breakdown of interpersonal relationships. In this article, we add an element that we believe is crucial to an understanding of military suicide: the socio-cultural environment of the military itself. In particular, we examine the role that the masculine ideologies governing military life play in the internalization of individual frustrations and in suicidal behavior. Suicide investigators often have ignored the role of masculine ideologies in military suicide because of the assumption that suicide results from social disintegration. In contrast, we argue that military suicide is driven largely by excessive social integration. From this perspective, current explanations of military suicide are constrained by gender and etiological assumptions. Finally, this paper suggests the implications of these findings for designing more effective prevention programs for military suicide.

Suggested Citation

  • Braswell, Harold & Kushner, Howard I., 2012. "Suicide, social integration, and masculinity in the U.S. military," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 530-536.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:74:y:2012:i:4:p:530-536
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.07.031
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Durlauf, Steven N., 2002. "Bowling Alone: a review essay," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 259-273, March.
    2. Livingston Armytage, 2010. "Judicial reform in Asia: case study of AusAID's experience in Papua New Guinea: 2003-2007," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(4), pages 442-467.
    3. Kushner, H.I. & Sterk, C.E., 2005. "The limits of social capital: Durkheim, suicide, and social cohesion," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(7), pages 1139-1143.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dabovich, Paula A. & Eliott, Jaklin A. & McFarlane, Alexander C., 2019. "Individuate and separate: Values and identity re-development during rehabilitation and transition in the Australian Army," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 222(C), pages 265-273.
    2. Mueller, Anna S., 2017. "Does the media matter to suicide?: Examining the social dynamics surrounding media reporting on suicide in a suicide-prone community," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 152-159.
    3. Peng, Sihui & Yang, Xiaozhao Yousef & Rockett, Ian R.H., 2019. "A typology of social capital and its mixed blessing for suicidal ideation: A multilevel study of college students," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    4. Arendt, Florian & Mestas, Manina, 2023. "Suicide among soldiers and social contagion effects: An interrupted time-series analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).

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