Doctoral Dissertation Research: In Service of Those Who Serve: An Ethnography of Psychologists, Ethics, and the Care of Soldiers

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Doctoral student Shana Lessing (Graduate Center of the City University of New York), supervised by Dr. Vincent Crapanzano, will undertake research on how professional and ethical goals may be shaped by disciplinary histories, institutions, and practices. The case on which she will focus is the military psychologist. Against a background of debate about psychological care of soldiers, the researcher will examine how ethical questions are figured in the everyday work of treating, diagnosing, and producing authoritative knowledge. Findings from the research will provide a situated analysis of how practitioners negotiate between clinical and military institutional priorities.The research will be conducted over 11 months. In Phase I, the researcher will conduct an ethnographic investigation of military psychology's professional cultures in the Washington, D.C., area. In Phase II, she will shift her attention to psychologists who serve soldiers at an army base. She will collect data using a mix of social science methodologies including interviewing and participant observation in local activities. Data collection will focus on institutional structures, professional cultures, and theoretical and clinical approaches; professional-ethical discourses and frameworks; identification and resolution of ethical conflicts.Findings from this research will contribute to social science understanding of the relationship between personal and professional ethics and institutional contexts. Investigating military psychologists' own perspectives on the value and efficacy of current treatment models in a military context, this research will expand understandings of the factors shaping mental health care in the military. Supporting this research also supports the education of a graduate student.