Dr Nick Caddick

Nick’s research uses narrative as a conceptual device for examining the legacy of war and conflict for veterans and their families, and for society as a whole.

[email protected]

Background

Nick joined Anglia Ruskin University in 2015 shortly after completing his doctorate at Loughborough University, during which he explored the effects of surfing on the wellbeing of combat veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress. His work is situated in the field of Critical Military Studies – an interdisciplinary area of work focused on understanding the influence of military power in society. Nick regularly publishes work on various topics related to war, veterans, military experience, and research methodologies. He also regularly reviews work for the Critical Military Studies journal, as well as for a range of other scholarly publications.

Together with his work on veterans and the military, Nick is an experienced qualitative researcher, having lectured and published widely on qualitative research methodology, reflexivity, and narrative research in particular.

Nick’s recent work uses narrative to examine the legacy of war, conflict and military life for a range of different groups, including veterans, families, civilians, and society as a whole. In 2020 he was also awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as part of a multi-partner collaborative project examining the role of arts, culture and sport in supporting veteran transition to civilian life.

Research interests

• Critical military studies
• Veterans and families
• Gender, men's health and masculinities
• Qualitative research methods
• Mental health

Areas of research supervision

Nick would be pleased to consider supervising doctoral students with the following research interests/topics:

• Veterans and mental health
• Gender and violence
• Military masculinities
• Military to civilian transition

Current supervision:

• Lisa Peacock; What is the impact of dramatherapy for veterans’ well-being and transition? (Second supervisor)
• Tom Kersey; ‘Pain is more than “Ouch!” Exploring the narratives of military veterans living with chronic pain (Second supervisor)
• Brian Poore; Psychological resilience in private security contractors exposed to combat-related traumatic events: A mixed methods study (Second supervisor)
• Clare Molyneux; What is the impact of music therapy groups in a community setting on quality of life for people living with dementia? (Third supervisor)
• Elizabeth Havard; Data-day teaching: Early years’ practitioners’ experiences of datafication in primary schools (Second supervisor)

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Gloucestershire
• Graduate Diploma (Psychology), University of Gloucestershire
• MSc Psychology of Sport and Exercise, Loughborough University
• PhD Social Sciences, Loughborough University
• PG Cert Learning & Teaching, Anglia Ruskin University

Memberships, editorial boards

• Editorial Board of Critical Military Studies

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• 2020 – 2022: Stories in Transition: Examining the role of arts, culture and sport in veteran transition to civilian life. Funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC); £822,598, Principal Investigator
• 2017 – 2018: Meeting the needs of Commonwealth Personnel and families: An audit of service provision. Funded by Forces in Mind Trust; £28,664, Principal Investigator

Selected recent publications

Caddick, N. (2020). Poetic encounters with war’s ‘others’. Critical Military Studies.

Caddick, N., Cooper, L., Godier-McBard, L., & Fossey, M. (2020). Hierarchies of wounding: Media framings of ‘combat’ and ‘non-combat’ injury. Media, War & Conflict.

Cree, A., & Caddick, N. (2019). Unconquerable heroes: Invictus, redemption, and the cultural politics of narrative. Journal of War and Culture Studies.

Caddick, N. (2019). Life, embodiment and (post)war stories: Studying narrative in critical military studies. Critical Military Studies.

Caddick, N., Cooper, A., & Smith, B. (2019). Reflections on being a civilian researcher in an ex-military world: Expanding horizons? Critical Military Studies, 5(2), pp. 95-114.

Caddick, N., Cullen, H., Clarke, A., Fossey, M., Hill, M., McGill, G., Greaves, J., Taylor, T., Meads, C., & Kiernan, M. (2019). Ageing, limb-loss, and military veterans: A systematic review of the literature. Ageing and Society, 39, pp. 1582-1610.

Caddick, N., McGill, G., Greaves, J., & Kiernan, M. D. (2018). Resisting decline? Narratives of independence among aging limbless veterans. Journal of Aging Studies, 46, pp. 24-31.

Caddick, N., & Smith, B. (2018). Exercise is medicine for mental health in military veterans: A qualitative commentary. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 10(4), pp. 429-440.

Cooper, L., Caddick, N., Godier, L., Cooper, A., & Fossey, M. (2018). Transition from the military into civilian life: An exploration of cultural competence. Armed Forces and Society, 44(1), pp. 156-177.

Caddick, N., Smith, B., & Phoenix, C. (2015). Male combat veterans’ narratives of PTSD, masculinity, and health. Sociology of Health and Illness, 37, pp. 97-111.

Caddick, N., Smith, B., & Phoenix, C. (2015). The effects of surfing and the natural environment on the well-being of combat veterans. Qualitative Health Research, 25, pp. 76-86.

Caddick, N., Phoenix, C., & Smith, B. (2015). Collective stories and well-being: Using a dialogical narrative approach to understand peer relationships among combat veterans experiencing PTSD. Journal of Health Psychology, 20, pp. 286-299.

Media experience

• Thinking Allowed, BBC Radio 4, 29 April 2015
• Daily Telegraph, 5 October 2015
• Guardian, 30 October 2012