Reflections Paper - ACCEPTED VERSION.docx (75.18 kB)
Reflections on being a civilian researcher in an ex-military world: Expanding horizons?
journal contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 14:46 authored by Nick Caddick, Alex Cooper, Brett SmithThis paper provides a series of critical reflections on the tensions involved in researching the lives of military veterans. In particular, tensions arising when civilian researchers attempt to speak on behalf of veterans, combined with problematic attempts to achieve an academic ‘understanding’ of veterans’ lives generate concerns regarding the potential misrepresentation of their unique experiences. Following recent examples in critical military studies, these issues are brought to the fore through dialogue and critical debate with colleagues and research participants. The paper first introduces a theoretical backdrop to the tensions being debated. Following Gadamer, the concept of ‘horizons of understanding’ is then introduced to suggest how we might usefully consider and addresses these tensions. Horizons comprise that which we are able to understand based on prior knowing. It is argued that ‘dialogical’ research constitutes one possible means of expanding our horizons in work with veterans. Challenges to dialogical research are discussed in light of prevailing conditions within and beyond neoliberal academia, before concluding with practical suggestions of how dialogical research might generate more productive and responsible research with military veterans.
History
Refereed
- Yes
Volume
5Issue number
2Page range
95-114Publication title
Critical Military StudiesISSN
2333-7494External DOI
Publisher
Taylor & FrancisFile version
- Accepted version
Language
- eng
Official URL
Legacy posted date
2017-07-04Legacy creation date
2017-06-28Legacy Faculty/School/Department
ARCHIVED Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education (until September 2018)Usage metrics
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