Evaluation of the experiences of disabled veterans in the context of military social work in terms of ableism and hegemonic masculinity

The fact that men who were raised within the patriarchal system and under the influence of military culture were injured during their military service experience and continued their lives as disabled individuals after becoming veterans can create a crisis situation in their lives. The aim of this research is to understand the experiences of disabled veterans after the fight against terrorism. Within the scope of the research, these experiences were considered in the ableism and hegemonic masculinity. The participants are made up of individuals who live in Ankara and have passed 1 year after receiving the title of 'disabled veteran'. In this study, which was designed with a qualitative research design, the subjects were reached by the purposeful sampling method. In this context, the data were obtained through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 23 subjects residing in Ankara. The obtained data were analyzed thematically. The findings of the research were presented under three themes: "Veterans' Ways of Understanding Veteran and Disability", "Veterans' Disability Experiences" and "Coping Mechanisms of Veterans". In this context, it has been concluded that veterans may have difficulty accepting the sudden changes they have experienced, they may wear out with the prolongation of official procedures, they may encounter various difficulties based on health, economic and psychological, their family life may be affected and they may have difficulty becoming an active participant in social life. The existing coping mechanisms of the subjects have been evaluated and suggestions have been made aimed at enabling them to realize more effective coping mechanisms with the difficulties they face.