Psychological growth in aging Vietnam veterans: redefining shame and betrayal

McCormack, Lynne; Joseph, Stephen

Abstract

This study offers alternative interpretations of war-related distress embedded within the social and political context of the Vietnam War. Subjective interpretations from aging Vietnam veterans were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. A central theme—Moral authenticity: Overcoming the betrayal and shame of war—overarched five subordinate themes. Four subordinate themes encapsulated layers of war-related betrayal associated with shame. Shame was likely to be described as either (a) internal/sense of personal failure, with no acts of rage; or (b) external/reckless or threatening acts of others, engendering rage. A fifth theme, reparation with self, reflected humility, gratitude, and empathy, currently undefined domains of the growth construct.

Citation

McCormack, L., & Joseph, S. (2014). Psychological growth in aging Vietnam veterans: redefining shame and betrayal. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 54(3), https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167813501393

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 22, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Aug 29, 2013
• Publication Date: Jul 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Mar 8, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 8, 2016
• Journal: Journal of Humanistic Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0022-1678
• Electronic ISSN: 1552-650X
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 54
• Issue: 3
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167813501393
• Keywords: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), shame, war-; related betrayal, humility, empathy, gratitude, posttraumatic growth, self-acceptance
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/729673
• Publisher URL: http://jhp.sagepub.com/content/54/3/336