Cramer publishes research on the communicative role of chaplains to veterans

Emily Cramer, North Central College assistant professor of communication, had a book chapter published in a collection titled “A Communication Perspective on the Military: Interactions, Messages, and Discourses” by editors Erin Sahlstein Parcell and Lynne M. Webb. The book is a comprehensive collection of essays and empirical studies on communication and the military.

The chapter by Cramer and coauthors Kelly Teuzak of SUNY-Buffalo and Mike Allen of the University of Wiscosin-Milwaukee is titled “Spirituality, Social Support, and the Communicative Role of the Chaplain in Veteran Populations.”

Cramer’s work extends research on the relationship between spirituality and health among veteran populations by exploring VA chaplain perspectives about the distinctive spiritual issues and concerns of those coming home to the United States after one or several tours of military duty. The study examines the communicative interventions provided by chaplains and the ways social support may benefit veterans’ mental and physical health.

Studies of chaplains serving veteran populations are relatively uncharted; therefore, Cramer and her coauthors used qualitative methods to observe fundamental themes and patterns emerging in representations of the profession and to identify areas of future research. Supportive messages among chaplains and veterans are framed by Cutrona and Suhr’s (1992) action-facilitating and nurturing categorizations of social support.

Click here to view Cramer’s faculty profile.