An interpretative phenomenological analysis exploring the transition from army to civilian life

This thesis presents an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) exploring the transition from army to civilian life. The research purpose was to explore the experiences of ex-army personnel of their transition from army to civilian life by building an in-depth picture of each participant’s experience of transitioning from the army to civilian life, as well as an understanding of how they felt about their time in the army. The following research questions were used to guide the research, Question 1: How do ex-army personnel perceive their experience of their transition from military to civilian life? Question 2: How do ex-army personnel adjust to a civilian lifestyle? Question 3: How do ex-army personnel make sense of their identity during their transition to civilian lifestyle? Question 4: How do ex-army personnel perceive support could be further developed or introduced, to facilitate individuals in the transition from military to civilian life? The thesis addressed three research aims, Aim 1: to examine how ex-army personnel perceive their experience of their transition from military to civilian life, Aim 2: to explore how ex-army personnel adjust to a civilian lifestyle, Aim 3: to develop an interpretation of the best ways in which to support ex-army personnel during their transition to civilian life. The three aims were achieved through the use of an IPA approach to the analysis of 9 interviews. Participants were individuals who had served in the army and experienced the transition from army to civilian life first hand. Nine master themes were developed as a result of the analysis. The nine master themes identified were: Identity, Control, Personality, Perception of the army, Wellbeing, Civilian lifestyle, Civilian connection, Army life, and Support. In its unique contribution to knowledge, this thesis builds upon the existing quantitative research on the topic of the transition from army to civilian life creating further depth and understanding. It explores how individuals perceive their transition experience and how they made meaning of this in their reflections. In addition to this, it uses the examination and evaluation of the transition experience to develop an interpretation of how ex-army personnel may be better supported in their transition to civilian life