Abstract

This qualitative study explored how American Prisoners of War (POWs) from the Vietnam War coped with the dramatic imbalance of power between them and their North Vietnamese captors. Semi-structured interviews with POWs (n = 16) were analyzed using phenomenological and grounded theory approaches to identify major themes and coping strategies embedded in their experiences of powerlessness. POWs shared emergent themes of Communication, Connection, Heroic Leadership, Establishing Our Routine, and Honor and Loyalty, which were then linked with components of Emerson’s theory of power-dependence relations. Many of these strategies functioned interdependently, which allowed these men to more effectively combat imbalances of power and produce a limited sense of agency for themselves and their fellow captured service members. These findings may aid clinicians in identifying critical areas for intervention with individuals who suffered traumas in group settings and may inform how future service members are trained.

LLU Discipline

Psychology

Department

Psychology

School

School of Behavioral Health

First Advisor

Bryan Cafferky

Second Advisor

David Vermeersch

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Degree Level

Psych.D.

Year Degree Awarded

2022

Date (Title Page)

9-2022

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Male; Vietnam; Grounded Theory; Adaptation, Psychological; Prisoners

Type

Doctoral Project

Page Count

ix, 39 p.

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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