The word "relational" means related to or concerned with people's interactions or relationships. In a romantic relationship, for example, there are many aspects that can be unclear or difficult to define, such as how much time you spend together, what your commitments are to each other, and whether you have feelings for each other beyond friendship. This is known as relational ambiguity. For military personnel, navigating this type of uncertainty can be even more challenging because their jobs often involve intense emotional situations where they may feel unable to express their feelings freely. As a result, service members must learn to navigate these types of unspoken tensions without explicitly stating them or risking their careers.
To better understand how service members manage this kind of situation, it helps to consider some possible scenarios involving relational ambiguity:
Scenario 1: A soldier has been deployed abroad for several months and receives a letter from his girlfriend back home saying she misses him very much but doesn't know if she wants to continue the relationship when he returns. He must decide how to respond without knowing her true intentions.
Scenario 2: A sailor falls in love with another member of their unit while serving onboard a ship. They share intimate moments but cannot openly discuss their feelings due to regulations prohibiting fraternization between crew members.
Scenario 3: An airman meets someone online who lives far away and begins exchanging messages about their hopes and dreams for the future.
They don't want to meet in person until they are sure of their mutual attraction.
In each scenario, the service member must navigate the delicate balance between communicating their needs and desires without being too direct or risky. To do so effectively requires skillful communication strategies that take into account both the individual's own preferences and those of the other person involved. This means learning to read body language cues, listening carefully to what is said (and not said), and taking time to reflect before acting. It also involves considering cultural norms around expressing emotions or making commitments that may differ from one's own upbringing.
How do service members navigate relational ambiguity when emotional expression is constrained or delayed?
There are various strategies that service members can employ to navigate relational ambiguity when their ability to express their emotions is constrained or delayed due to military training and culture. One of these strategies involves being mindful of how they communicate with others and making deliberate efforts to convey their feelings through nonverbal cues such as body language, eye contact, and tone of voice.