Abstract: This essay compares findings of Marie Deschamps’ 2015 report on sexual harassment and assault in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) with my earlier 1990s study of gender integration in the CAF. Both demonstrate that CAF culture is sexualized and misogynistic. Deschamps argues that changing this culture is a pre-requisite for addressing sexual misconduct. But is such cultural change possible if the CAF’s mandate and principal organizational features remain unchanged? I argue that (1) gendered military culture is grounded in the CAF’s hierarchal social structure, disciplinary system, and conditions of service designed to achieve operational effectiveness; and (2) the CAF’s normalized atmosphere of sexualized hostility to women soldiers originates in tensions within the military’s internal relations of domination designed to preclude soldiers’ resistance and ensure that they enter harm’s way to execute the military’s mandate of state-sponsored lethal violence. As long as these hold, the problem of sexual misconduct may remain intractable.
Abstract: Introduction: Persistent inequities exist in obstetric and neonatal outcomes in military families despite universal health care coverage. Though the exact underlying cause has not been identified, social determinants of health may uniquely impact military families. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively investigate the potential impact of social determinants of health and the lived experiences of military individuals seeking maternity care in the Military Health System. Materials and methods: This was an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol. Nine providers conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with individuals who delivered within the last 5 years in the direct or purchased care market. Participants were recruited through social media blasts and clinic flyers with both maximum variation and homogenous sampling to ensure participation of diverse individuals. Data were coded and themes were identified using inductive qualitative research methods. Results: Three main themes were identified: Requirements of Military Life (with subthemes of pregnancy notification and privacy during care, role of pregnancy instructions and policies, and role of command support), Sociocultural Aspects of the Military Experience (with subthemes of pregnancy as a burden on colleagues and a career detractor, postpartum adjustment, balancing personal and professional requirements, pregnancy timing and parenting challenges, and importance of friendship and camaraderie in pregnancy), and Navigating the Healthcare Experience (including subthemes of transfer between military and civilian care and TRICARE challenges, perception of military care as inferior to civilian, and remote duty stations and international care). Conclusions: The unique stressors of military life act synergistically with the existing health care challenges, presenting opportunities for improvements in care. Such opportunities may include increased consistency of policies across services and commands. Increased access to group prenatal care and support groups, and increased assistance with navigating the health care system to improve care transitions were frequently requested changes by participants.