Date of Award
3-23-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Department
College of Business
First Advisor
Donald Schoffstall, Ph.D.
Committee Members
Eric A. Brown; Shawn S. Washington
Keywords
Military studies; Gender studies; Womens studies; Culturally competent care; Female veterans; Employment opportunities
Abstract
The reintegration experiences of BIPOC female veterans remain underrepresented in scholarship and policy discourse, despite evidence of race, gender, and veteran status intersect to shape post-service outcomes (Fox, 2019; Hunt & Aggad, 2024). Existing research has largely centered on male or non-minoritized veterans, limiting understanding of how structural inequities influence employment, healthcare access, community integration, and psychological well-being for BIPOC women (Lawrence et al., 2021). This gap constrains the development of culturally responsive policies and support systems. Guided by intersectionality theory (Crenshaw, 1989) and reintegration frameworks (Sayer et al., 2011), this primarily quantitative study, supplemented with open-ended survey responses, examined the challenges and successes of BIPOC female veterans transitioning to civilian life. Three research questions addressed reported reintegration challenges, relationships between perceived support factors and reintegration outcomes, and the predictive influence of support factors on successful reintegration. Data were collected from 128 participants using an integrated survey instrument which included the Military to Civilian Questionnaire (M2C-Q), the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), structured measures of community, healthcare, and employment support, and open-ended qualitative items. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistical techniques, while open-ended responses were examined through thematic analysis. Findings indicated widely shared reintegration challenges across participants, with no statistically significant demographic differences. Significant positive relationships emerged between perceived support factors and reintegration outcomes. Collectively, these findings emphasize without intentional, intersectional informed policy and programmatic reforms, the reintegration needs of BIPOC female veterans will remain insufficiently unaddressed, perpetuating disparities in access to healthcare, employment opportunities, and community support systems.
Recommended Citation
Screen, Ruby, "Exploring and Identifying the Challenges and Successes of Reintegration Experiences of BIPOC Female Veterans" (2026). JWU Dissertations & Theses. 32.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/jwu_etd/32
