Military service and STEM employment: Do veterans have an advantage?

Werum, Regina; Steidl, Christina R.; Harcey, Sela R.; Absalon, Jacob Paul

doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2020.102478

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Analyses of American Community Survey data (ACS 2014–2018) presented here extend extant research, suggesting that even though a positive association between military service and STEM outcomes exists for women (Steidl et al, 2020; Werum et al, 2020), the same cannot be said universally for underrepresented minorities. In fact, among several groups of male veterans, intersectional patterns exacerbate classic disparities regarding STEM degrees earned.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…Second, previous research has documented the underrepresentation of women and racial minorities in STEM (Flowers & Banda, 2015;Hanson, 2013;Kim et al, 2009;Riegle-Crumb et al, 2019;Whitten et al, 2007). And finally, previous research has shown a consistently positive association between military service and STEM degree earning, especially for women (Steidl et al, 2020;Werum et al, 2020). Thus, we expected to find that military service would similarly be associated with higher rates of STEM degree earning among Black and Hispanic veterans, in particular.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

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STEM Degrees and Military Service: An Intersectional Analysis

Harcey

Steidl

Werum

2021

Armed Forces & Society

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Given that the U.S. military uses science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) exposure as a key recruitment tool, one should expect that military service is associated with STEM outcomes. While research demonstrates this pattern for women veterans, we know little about racialized and intersectional patterns. This article uses the American Community Survey data (2014–2018) to examine the association between military service, race/ethnicity, and gender to STEM degrees earned. We find that military service operates contingently: White men’s plus white, Hispanic, and multiracial/other women’s predicted probability of earning a STEM degree increases with military service. In contrast, for other minority groups, military service is not associated with a higher predicted probability of earning a STEM degree. Indeed, for groups typically overrepresented in STEM fields (i.e., Asian veterans), a negative association exists. These findings inform extant research on the long-term impact of military service on civilian reintegration, including educational and occupational outcomes.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

STEM Degrees and Military Service: An Intersectional Analysis

Harcey

Steidl

Werum

2021

Armed Forces & Society

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“…To date, contemporary social scientists have tended to pay greater attention to the role of military service in shaping subsequent life‐course transitions (Landes, London, and Wilmoth 2021; MacLean and Elder 2007; Werum et al. 2020) than to the potential influence of military background on various facets of civic engagement and public opinion. This imbalance is unfortunate because the latter works have shown important links between military service and (a) civic and political participation and (b) political attitudes, particularly regarding those issues that have particular relevance with respect to the military (Ellison 1992; Endicott 2020; Wilson and Ruger 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our goals in this study have been twofold: (a) to augment the significant literature on public opinion regarding guns and gun policy attitudes by identifying a potentially important, and hitherto neglected, factor and (b) to contribute to the modest but growing literature that links military background-and combat experience in particular-with distinctive social and political behaviors and attitudes. To date, contemporary social scientists have tended to pay greater attention to the role of military service in shaping subsequent life-course transitions (Landes, London, and Wilmoth 2021;MacLean and Elder 2007;Werum et al 2020) than to the potential influence of military background on various facets of civic engagement and public opinion. This imbalance is unfortunate because the latter works have shown important links between military service and (a) civic and political participation and (b) political attitudes, particularly regarding those issues that have particular relevance with respect to the military (Ellison 1992;Endicott 2020;Wilson and Ruger 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In one major line of investigation, social scientists have examined the influence of military background on a broad array of subsequent life course transitions (MacLean and Elder 2007). Examples of such research have focused on (a) the formation and duration of marital and intimate unions (Heerwig and Conley 2013;Karney and Crown 2011;Routon 2017); (b) trajectories of health, morbidity, and mortality (Landes, London, and Wilmoth 2021;Teachman 2011;Wilmoth, London, and Parker 2010); (c) desistance from delinquent and criminal behavior (Johnson and Giordano 2021); and (d) stratification outcomes, including skills acquisition and occupational attainment, earnings, and other socioeconomic attainments (Brown and Routon 2016;Martorelli et al 2013;Werum et al 2020).…”

Section: The Military and Social Sciencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How do veterans view gun policies? Evidence from the Guns in American Life Survey

Ellison

Kelley

Leal

et al. 2022

Social Science Quarterly

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Objective Do veterans of the U.S. armed forces, a population with unique knowledge of and experience with guns, have distinctive views of gun control policies? While veterans are commonly assumed to be conservatives and Republicans, an emerging body of work has begun to explore the complexities of their policy opinions, partisanship, and voting behaviors. Such work provides needed nuance about this symbolically and politically important group. Methods Using the Guns in American Life Survey (2018, n = 3103), we test whether veterans (with combat and noncombat experiences), family members of veterans, and nonveterans have different perspectives, even after taking into account factors such as gun ownership and partisanship. Results The findings indicate that veterans (and particularly combat veterans) are more supportive than nonveterans of expanding civilians' gun carrying rights. On the other hand, veterans with and without combat experience are more likely to favor banning AR15 and military‐style rifles and high‐capacity ammunition clips. Veterans are also more likely to favor a 14‐day waiting period for all gun purchases, but they do not have unique positions on mental health screening for gun purchases. Conclusion Taken together, these findings appear to reflect a veteran population that is positively disposed toward guns in general but also understands the destructive power of military‐style weapons.

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