Introduction
Women have never enjoyed their freedoms in society due to barriers put in place by men (Oaxaca 10). Feminist theorists consider ways in which physical differences between men and women are used to show that women should be allocated inferior and degrading activities such as motherhood and secretary.
Moreover, women are subjected to stereotypes, which portray them as weak. Women are often excluded from public activities and are relegated to the private domain of the home. In society, women are ascribed feminine qualities and identities through the process of socialization.
Women grow up knowing that their existence in society depends on the decisions made by men (Manning and Robinson 74). Therefore, women live in a state of false consciousness. Feminists observe that the subjection of women to the power of men originated from the rise of private property, the family, and the state (Scott and Lyonette 28).
A number of scholars have come up with discussions giving various views as regards to the position of veteran women in the United States. In the American society, the process of reintegration of female combat veterans is very much different from that of men.
Much focus is given to the reintegration of men because it is believed that women would reintegrate automatically. This is against the rights of women because each gender should be given enough attention regarding reintegration program.
I (Valerie) intend to understand the reintegration process through gathering information from Marcia Buckley, one of the feminists working with Team Red, White, and Blue. Marcia Buckley’s views would be utilized in understanding the position of female advocates regarding female combat veterans in the American society.
Analysis of the Interview
As I interviewed Marcia Buckley, she responded to twelve questions whereby I (Valerie) first asked her why she chose to work with one of the local organizations championing for the interests and welfare of women. Marcia Buckley observed that the organization, Team Red, White and Blue, has contributed a lot to the championing of women rights and freedoms.
Her friend, Mike Erwin, introduced the organization to her and her husband. Erwin had been deployed to Afghanistan variously, having served in several capacities. Erwin was an active soldier since he participated in various military activities, including Wounded Warrior Project whereby he participated by funding races.
Erwin saw that it would be productive to come up with an organization such as Team Red, White, and Blue to support combat veterans. The interviewee wanted to take part in helping soldiers in Afghanistan other than sending care packages. The second question delved into the role of Marcia Buckley in the organization and how she was paired with a veteran.
Marcia Buckley responded that she first filled an interview form, even though she had no military experience. In the third question, Marcia Buckley gave her perceptions towards the organization since she later noted that somebody of her caliber was what the organization was looking for.
Her perception was that veterans are individuals who have very many problems, including physical injuries. She even thought that veterans are amputees, with one or no limb.
Based on this, Marcia Buckley did not believe that she would be of any help to such individuals. At this moment, she thought that the role of reintegrating combat veterans was a male’s work because she suggested that her husband would have a bigger role as compared to her.
In the fourth question, I requested Marcia Buckley to state whether her perceptions changed the moment she joined Team Red, White, and Blue organization. Her answer was that things changed so much because she was even paired with me, a female combat veteran.
She was scared to learn that her partner was a veteran hence she raised some concerns and requested to be replaced since the distance between my home and her home was even larger. She was encouraged that she would get used to working with me, a female combat veteran, since I am an ordinary person just like other individuals in society.
Marcia Buckley even learned that there are quite a good number of female combat veterans who might be in need of her services. In the fifth question, Marcia Buckley responded that she had so far came across only one female navy doctor who had never been deployed.
She was to serve a number of veterans who were all men since she had not yet come across a woman combat veteran who had been deployed in a foreign country to defend her country. My experience with her changed her perception since she always thought that all soldiers are men.
I was very different since I had been deployed in a number of countries and had managed to execute my duties successfully. In this regard, I needed some help since I was just like any other woman, who even had a child and I had to learn some of the ways that would help me to reintegrate into society.
Moreover, I needed help regarding the upbringing of my child. This proved to the Marcia Buckley that all human beings are just equal since I could not manage bringing up the teenager alone without the support of other societal institutions.
Marcia Buckley learned through experience that combat veterans struggle a lot in bringing up their children since they have no skills on how to nurture their families.
In the sixth question, Marcia Buckley admitted that veterans come home with invisible injuries meaning that those who lack physical injuries are not safe. She used some of the statistics from the Rand organization to claim that 26% of all veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.
In fact, the percentage could be higher because the study was conducted four years ago. The most saddening thing is that over 400000 cases of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic disorder are undiagnosed. In the seventh question, Marcia Buckley noted that organizations such as Team RWB play critical roles in mitigating problems facing combat veterans.
Marcia Buckley actually used the word reconnect to describe the role of these organizations because they reconnect veterans to civilian life. Marcia Buckley claimed that so many American soldiers were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to restore peace and democracy. In some few years, they will be retiring meaning that the society should be ready to reintegrate them back to the civilian life.
However, Marcia Buckley lamented that Americans are not ready to undertake this crucial responsibility for people who defended them. She observed in the eighth question that her organization plays a critical role in reintegrating veteran combats, including women who have been neglected for years.
In fact, she observed that women suffer most, given the fact that they constitute a larger percentage in the modern military as compared to the previous years. Women combat veteran come home with many injuries as compared to men because of the way they are deployed.
The American government foes not give women combat veterans the care that can be equated to that given to men. Team RWB is more organized to respond to the problems affecting women as compared to large bureaucracies such as those in government.
Large veteran organizations do not believe that chemotherapies could help women get out of the problems facing them as result of injuries sustained in the war. Team RWB has conducted an extensive research to establish the real cure of stress and depression. Even though no cure has been invented, the use of exercise is always employed successfully.
The ninth question asks Marcia Buckley whether she was briefed of what to expect while executing her duties. It is obvious that she could come across injuries, behavior change, and restrictions. However, she was not briefed at all, neither was she trained on how to handle issues raised by veterans.
Marcia Buckley claimed that the role of Team RWB is to reintegrate veterans into the community hence no specific technique can be employed. In the tenth question, the veteran is tasked to give some of the worst stories she has ever heard from veterans.
Unfortunately, she did not have a worst story, even though she admitted that sometimes she is so helpless. In the eleventh question, the main question related to the time limit that a veteran is usually given to recover and reintegrate. The answer was that her organization does not set a time limit because veterans differ in their coping abilities.
The last question was challenging because she was asked to commend whether she would prefer a woman. She noted that two women would not combine perfectly to offer quality services. In this case, pairing a woman with a man would be more viable and productive.
Personal View
The interviewee views oppression in society as inevitable in all male dominated societies. Since political and economic power is concentrated in the hands of men, women have little chances of excelling. Radical feminists observe that there is a substantial social differentiation between sexes (Wood 67).
Functionalist feminists agree that it is impossible to change gender roles in society without revising the social structure since the current social structure supports the activities of men in science. In this regard, the main aim of functionalist scholars is to revise the social structure in order to reflect the interests of women in sciences.
In fact, this is the main concern of the interviewee. The main concern of the radical feminists is to incorporate women into major societal activities (Williams 34). For functionalists, if change in the social structure were enhanced, social disorder would be inevitable, even in the way the society distributes services (Sullivan and Sullivan 14).
Therefore, gender equality in the field of reintegration should be approached cautiously. Conflict theorists on their part observe that no social structure is safe if it is maintained by oppressing a majority of its citizens in one area (Kristof and WuDunn 88).
For such feminists, women are to be provided with reintegration services without discrimination. In this case, women are to be allowed to come up with reintegration program. In society, women are not allowed to engage in social activities that are perceived to belong to men (Mussweiler 12).
Works Cited
Kristof, Nicholas, and WuDunn, Sheryl. Half the sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. New York: Random House, 2009. Print.
Manning, Alan and Robinson, Helen. “Something in the Way She Moves: A Fresh Look at an Old Gap.” Oxford Economic Papers, 53.3 (2004): 169-188. Print.
Mussweiler, Timothy. Focus of Comparison as a Determinant of Assimilation versus Contrast in Social Comparison. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27.1 (2001): 38-47.
Oaxaca, Ronald. “Discrimination and the Decomposition of Wage Differentials.” Journal of Econometrics, 6.3 (2004): 5-24. Print.
Scott, Jacqueline, and Lyonette, Clare. Gender Inequalities in the 21st Century: New Barriers and Continuing Constraints. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2010. Print.
Sullivan, Courtney, and Sullivan, Courtney. Click: When we knew we were feminist. New York: Seal Press, 2010. Print.
Williams, Jim. Unbending Gender: Why Family and Work Conflict and What to Do about It. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Print.
Wood, Robin. Sexual Politics and Narrative Film: Hollywood and Beyond. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Print.