Research Guides: Sociology: Government

Academics on Veterans

Anthropologist Zoe Wool
Most of her ethnographic work explores the intimacies, socialities, and materialities of life making among injured US soldiers and veterans.

Topic Areas

United States Marine Corps	U.S. Military
US Department Of Defense Appropriations And Expenditures	Armed Forces
United States Military Policy	Military Policy
United States Department Of Defense	Soldiers
National Security United States	Humans
Armed Forces Appropriations And Expenditures	War
United States Department Of Defense Procurement	Veterans
United States Armed Forces Appropriations And Expenditures	Foreign Relations
Economic Assistance	Psychology
United States Veterans Administration	Iraq
Military Personnel	Defense Contracts

Government Resources

A Decadal Survey of the Social and Behavioral Sciences by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Committee on a Decadal Survey of Social and Behavioral Sciences for Applications to National Security
ISBN: 9780309487610

Publication Date: 2019-12-05

The primary function of the intelligence analyst is to make sense of information about the world, but the way analysts do that work will look profoundly different a decade from now. Because these changes are virtually inevitable, the Intelligence Community will need to make sustained collaboration with researchers in the social and behavioral sciences (SBS) a key priority if it is to adapt to these changes in the most productive ways.

Intro

Government Issues arise in a variety of places, whether it's close to home in city ordinances or national policy, trying to understand legalities within numerous layers of context is overwhelming at times. Whether the topic is privacy, military (military lives), veterans or national security.

How to research these themes: Research governmental guidelines. Research the federal and international policies in similar global economies for comparison. Research health (stress, mental health, morbidity) outcomes for people in government focused careers. Research the security nets in place for our soldiers.

Veteran Research

Resources

National Veterans Foundation
The National Veterans Foundation (NVF) has taken reasonable steps to vet this list of Veteran resources. We believe them to be good programs working in good faith to assist veterans. In some cases, we have a direct experience in working with these organizations. In other cases, we are recommending them based on their reputation and the information we have available.
Military One Source
The Department of Veterans Affairs and other government agencies offer a substantial number of programs and services for veterans, their dependents and survivors. Beyond benefits, these programs and services can help you make the most of your post-military life.
Military-Veteran Support
Local Orange County 211 Veterans Portal with helpful icons to local services and support services for veterans.
Student Veterans
Connects students to relevant academic and career services, wellness, financial and personal development tools to support your success to, through, and beyond higher education.
Journal of Veterans Studies
Topics include but are not limited to, combat exposure, reintegration challenges, and the complex systems and institutions (VA) that shape the veteran experience.

News

Department of Veteran Affairs
Index to press releases, benefits, facilities, special programs, organizational structure, and data.
WikiLeaks
This source provides insight of the daily military workday through leaks of pertinent information.
U.S Department of Defense News
This page provides news articles and statistics regarding our department of defense.

Digital National Security Archive
Declassified government documents covering U.S. policy toward critical world events – including their military, intelligence, diplomatic and human rights dimensions – from 1945 to the present.

Data Statistics

Evaluation of the Disability Determination Process for Traumatic Brain Injury in Veterans 2019 by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Reviews the process by which the VA assesses impairments resulting from traumatic brain injury for purposes of awarding disability compensation. This report also provides recommendations for legislative or administrative action for improving the adjudication of veterans’ claims seeking entitlement to compensation for all impairments arising from a traumatic brain injury.

Department of Defense Suicide Event Report
The annual Department of Defense Suicide Event Report (DoDSER) standardizes suicide surveillance efforts across the military services and tracks the total suicide deaths, manner of death, and other variables.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
A national resource to support states, territories, Tribes, and local communities in strengthening their capacity to address the behavioral health needs of our service members, veterans, and their families.

Jobs

Careers in the Military
Find career titles that are offered through the military, which are categorized by branch of the military, training, work environment, and active status while working that position.
Vault Guide to Military Services Jobs
A vault guide book to the various military jobs that there are within the Air Force.

Films

Iraq Paper Scissors
A documentary film that takes us into the lives of five Iraq War veterans struggling with PTSD as they discover that they have dreams and talents beyond machine guns and combat. Through the Combat Paper Project, these young vets have created a unique way to cope - by transforming their combat uniforms into paper, books and art. Expressing themselves as artists and individuals, those who have served are refusing to be forgotten and, more importantly, hoping to be understood.

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More Veteran Videos are available!

What About Military Life?

Start searching the military websites

Search your term in Google for "anything in site:.mil" and you can search "site:.gov" for other general government material.

Defense Manpower Data Center [DMDC]
Department of Defense identity management, serving uniformed service members and their families, includes statistics and reports
Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program
Directs efforts in the prevention of and response to sexual harassment, sexual assault and associated retaliatory behaviors

Family of Service Members

Military Family News
National Military Family Association collects and distributes featured new stories.
Military Family Benefits
This articles shows the various benefits that military families during the stressful time of deployments, relocation, and other aspects of military life.
Working Around the Military Challenges to Military Spouse Employment and Education
This is an online book stressing the martial difficulties that follow military spouses during their employment associations with the military.
Strengthening the Military Family Readiness System for a Changing American Society
Consensus Study Report from National Academies with associated groups.
Military One Source - Deployment Resources for Families
Connection to a wide array of support designed to assist military families

Military Sample Research

US Military Equipment in Iraq (2007)

This Wikileaks article focuses on military life through excel sheets that display the various weapons used to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007. The article shows various weapons used to partake in combat which the US banned for the opposing countries.

Collateral Murder (2010)

This WikiLeaks article focuses on military life in turmoil as both Iraqi civilians and staff from Reuters News were injured or killed. Though the people shot weren't connected to the military, the source shows how the military attempted to cover the occurrence by providing little to no information.

The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States (2 ed.): Military Justice

The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States (2 ed.), which is an online journal, provides information towards military justice by describing the system of legal policies, procedures, and penalties applicable to persons under the jurisdiction of the armed services.

GI Press - Independent Paper during Vietnam

Collection of GI independent presses from around the world dating back to the Vietnam era (Portrays the military life back in the 70s.)