Military to civil transition: a critical and creative writing analysis of the experience of British Army veterans. Punching Out: A Novel

Fergus Geofrey Newlands, Smith

Abstract

This research explores the experience of Military to Civil Transition (MCT) for British Army veterans during the period 2000-2020. I propose that there is a common flow to the experience such that it can be articulated as a process map.

The first part of this thesis describes the mixed methods approach employed. A literature review defines the theoretical, literary, and academic context within which the research is situated. An online survey highlights quantitative and qualitative insights about MCT that are used to draft an initial, high-level process map and identify areas for further investigation. These are explored using oral history interview techniques. The findings include a through-life process map of the MCT journey and a set of five key principles - critical pillars - that underpin the full range of possible outcomes. I argue that MCT is never deterministic. The majority of veterans become successful civilians despite the pressures of service. However, some do not, and some simply get by. This spectrum of outcomes is explained by the application of the critical pillars.

The second part of this thesis is a novel with the working title Punching Out. The story articulates how a set of characters experience the MCT journey and how their lives are affected by the presence or absence of the critical pillars.

The work is original because it is the first to fully map the through-life experience of military service. It has impact because there are between two and three million former servicepeople and their families in the UK population, a corpus that is politically and economically active. It is significant because it provides practical guidance for policy makers, administrators, civilians, and service leavers themselves.

Citation

Fergus Geofrey Newlands, S. Military to civil transition: a critical and creative writing analysis of the experience of British Army veterans. Punching Out: A Novel. (Thesis). Keele University. Retrieved from https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1018552

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Dec 16, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 19, 2024
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1018552
• Award Date: 2024-12