Graduate Studies, UNL

 

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

First Advisor

Dawn Braithwaite

Second Advisor

Jordan Soliz

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Committee Members

Gilbert Parra, Jody Koenig Kellas

Department

Communication Studies

Date of this Version

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Major: Communication Studies

Under the supervision of Professor

Lincoln, Nebraska, December 2025

Comments

Copyright 2025, the author. Used by permission

Abstract

Military voluntary kin (MVK) refer to relationships between Service members and/or Veterans that they consider to be “like family,” despite lacking blood or legal ties. The purpose of this qualitative/interpretive communication study was to explore how female Veterans, who are the largest growing population of U.S. Veterans, discursively construct MVK relationships, navigate communication, privacy management, and boundary turbulence with their MVK and biolegal families (BLF). The researcher undertook in-depth interviews with nine female U.S. Veterans who reported having at least one MVK. The researcher posed four research questions, engaging in an interpretive analysis.

Participants described three ways they navigated interactions in five different types of MVK relationships, including the new MVK to BLF type discovered in this study. These MVK types were discursively constructed and transformed at different points during and after time in service. Guided by Petronio’s communication privacy management theory, the researcher found female Veterans interacted and navigated privacy boundaries via individual and collective ownership. They coordinated privacy boundaries between MVK and BLF and navigated boundary turbulence via explicit understandings and implicit assumptions. Participant responses were organized into five themes: (a) mental health especially surrounding military sexual trauma (MST), (b) personal values, (c) mentors, (d) pregnancy and motherhood, and (e) family rituals.

Theoretical implications included: (a) support for CPM in translational research; (b) insight into boundary turbulence between Veterans, MVK, and BLF; (c) support for Petronio’s five criteria of privacy rule development with MVK and BLF; and (d) extending CPM via the confidant roles. Practical implications for the greater military community included: (a) allowing military leaders to better provide for their troops; (b) creating understanding of how emerging technologies affect communication within that community; and (c) aiding Service members, Veterans, and their families. Future researchers should consider the influence of combat roles on privacy management, how military demographics affect disclosures of pregnancy and sexual trauma, and the impact of military rank on MVK.

Advisors: Dawn O. Braithwaite and Jordan Soliz

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