Life Course Perspectives on Military Service by Janet M. Wilmoth Andrew S. London

Author:Janet M. Wilmoth, Andrew S. London [Janet M. Wilmoth, Andrew S. London]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781138920859
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2015-05-21T00:00:00+00:00

What Do We Know about Military Base Communities?

To the extent that service in the armed forces determines the geographic location of military personnel and their families, the characteristics of base communities matter. Localities that house military bases differ from other areas on a number of important dimensions, which may have positive or negative influences on various life-course trajectories and outcomes. For example, neighborhoods located on post, as well as in the surrounding neighborhoods, tend to be among the most racially integrated in the country (DeFina and Hannon 2009; Farley and Frey 1994). However, residential neighborhoods that house large military populations are also quite likely to be located near environmentally toxic sites (Heitgerd and Lee 2003).

As Table 9.1 demonstrates, counties that house large military bases also have social, economic, and demographic profiles that vary substantially from those of the broader United States. Active-duty military personnel—and their family members—typically live in communities that are younger and have a larger percentage of veterans than is true of the nation as a whole. Additionally, although these communities tend to have higher-than-average proportions of adults with high school diplomas, local areas that host Army and Marine Corps bases have lower-than-average rates of college graduates. To the degree that these contextual differences shape young adults’ and children’s expectations and experiences, they similarly shape life-course development.

Table 9.1 Comparing Social, Economic, and Demographic Characteristics of the U.S. to Those of Communities with Large Military Presence, 2006–2008

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