“The association between unemployment status and physical health among veterans and civilians in the United States” by Than V. Tran, Julie Canfield, & Keith Chan makes a sound argument supporting the increase of vetrean employment programs in order to reduce the negative health impacts of being unemployed. Throughout the article, the author’s emphasize the health disparities that can arise from unemployment as well as the the hardships unemployed people have to go through in order to join the workforce. This process becomes increasingly burdensome for veterans due to their need to adjust to civilian life not to mention any other outstanding medical issues they may have gained while serving.
Tran, Cainfelid, and Chan relied on the evidence found in the “Interaction effect of employment status and veteran/civilian status” study. “This study hypothesized that the status of being unemployed would have an adverse effect on physical health across the populations, but specifically, this effect would be greater for veterans compared to non-veterans.”. Through this, the authors are “expanding the canon” of diversity and inclusion by adding to the collection of works created with the intent of increasing public awareness of the struggles that marginalized people face as a result of the current systems of America.
This article, in conjunction with others that make up the canon of diversity and inclusion, have enlightened me on the privileges that I have and the struggles of those who are different then me. Because of this I have been inspired to further my research in order to engage in meaning full forms of activism that spread awareness of these issues and bring about change. One of the most striking pieces of work that I have uncovered in my search was this Ted Talk that focused on the struggles of the shift from military to civilian life. In the video Brian O’connor, a United States Marine Corps veteran, makes an analogy between the dissociation of identity that he felt after service in which he says “This bryant outfit doesn’t fit anymore, its like I stole a young kid’s clothes”. This quote allowed me to experience a fraction of what it feels like to be a veteran.
References:
Tran, T. V., Canfield, J., & Chan, K. (2016). The association between unemployment status and physical health among veterans and civilians in the United States. Social Work in Health Care, 55(9), 720–731. https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2016.1191582