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This study is a narrative exploration of the experiences of individuals who grew up within a globally mobile community, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Defense. It seeks to surface, through their stories, any benefits of childhood that may have contributed meaningfully to their lives. Affectionately known as Brats (a group to which I proudly self-identify), we are the children of those who serve or are serving in the Armed Forces. Unfortunately, Brats are apt to be viewed from a position of sympathy; often identified by any number of negative characteristics presumed to result from their distinct childhoods. From a purposeful sampling effort highlighting some of the more typical features of Brathood (e.g., high mobility, living in foreign countries, frequent parent absence), ten Brats became participants in a journey using the Qualitative Research methodology of Narrative Inquiry. Their stories, although not generalizable, provide windows on an unfamiliar landscape; they unfold remarkable childhoods that suggest a more complex, rewarding lifestyle than stereotypically negative characterizations. This dissertation appeals to the art of story to advance a more positive identity of Brats, but not by negating any detrimental affect or effects of its noted features. Rather, it offers diversity and depth to a once-limited palette in order to provide a more complex, narrative counterpoint. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu |
