Scholars' Showcase 2018

Abstract

This study examines the effects of a parental military deployment on the child and parent relationship. Specifically, it focuses on the effects during, and after the deployment, as well as the long-term effects on the parent and child’s relationship. Thus far, the literature on the effects of a military deployment have been studied in children during and after the deployment. However, there is a gap in the research regarding the long-term effects on the parent and child relationship, particularly in regards to communication patterns. Koerner and Fitzpatrick’s Family Communication Patterns theory provides a framework to understand families’ conversation orientation and the long-term effects the deployment will have on these families. The researcher conducted seven, semi-structured, interviews with students who have experienced a parental military deployment in their lifetime. Preliminary results suggest that the deployment has negative long-term effects on the child’s communication patterns, but positive effects on the relationship they have with their family.

Keywords: deployment, family communication, family’s conversation orientation