Date

4-18-2025

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Leadership (PhD)

Chair

Donald Bosch

Keywords

Adaptive Leadership Theory, focus groups, military child, parenting, service member

Disciplines

Christianity | Leadership Studies

Abstract

Military children face unique opportunities and challenges associated with their upbringing. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual effects of study participants who experienced a military upbringing and uses their insights to recommend the most effective parenting practices military parents might employ to provide optimal support for their child’s development. The research participants were individuals between 18 to 40 years of age who were raised in a military home in which at least one parent served active duty for a minimum of 20 years and relocated a minimum of three times between birth and 18 years of age. Adaptive Leadership Theory was used in this study, as it offers a practical framework for parenting the military child that is transferable to different environments. This transcendental qualitative phenomenological study collected data through focus groups. In the focus groups, the researcher observed the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual impact a military upbringing had on 13 individuals who were raised in a

military home and heard recommendations for parenting practices which aid in the child’s development and which help stabilize children amidst military transitions. Three virtual focus groups were conducted over the digital platform Zoom. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the findings. The research may equip military parents with beneficial tools to help support their child’s development amidst the transient military lifestyle.

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