One of the courses offered by App State's Department of Sociology is SOC 3800: Sociology of War. This course defines the social institutions of war and the modern military, focusing on its effects on individuals, families, and communities in the United States and around the world. Lectures and discussions also focus on the origins, nature, experience, social consequences, and future of warfare; a discussion of contemporary social issues surrounding militarism and the military, including racial minorities and women in war, the draft, the military as a ruling institution in developing countries, and the global power of the military. We also consider the significance of war and the military as a source of social cohesion and conflict, and its singular role in the formation of the collective memory of nations, ethnic groups, and generations.
One of the projects students could chose from in this course was creating a video documentary that detailed a social issue caused by warfare. After doing a live video conference with the Department of American Veterans' National Center for PTSD, one student group decided to create a short but informative documentary on the impacts of PTSD on individuals, specifically veterans. As you can see from the video link below, students discussed the various statistics of PTSD and included personal stories from family member who face PTSD after a traumatic experience. These individuals provide some great information on how PTSD impacts them and what they suggest should be done to address this problem.
PTSD: Finding Answers and Looking for Treatment
These students also reported on the various services available to students at App State who might may suffer from PTSD. This includes App State's Psychological and Counseling Services and the Student Veterans Association. Of course, there are several programs and services locally and nationally. The students hoped that this video would provide some important information to help individuals to see and understand this issue that is a result of war and other traumatic experiences.
PTSD isn't about what's wrong with you, it's about what happened to you
