Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Educational Psychology & Research

Committee Chair

Allison Happel-Parkins

Committee Member

Denise Winsor

Committee Member

Sherwood Burns-Nader

Committee Member

Susan Nordstrom

Abstract

Previous research shows that queer professionals experience underrepresentation, discrimination, harassment in the workplace (Kinitz et al., 2024; Ellsworth et al., 2020; Schatz & O’Hanlan, 1994; Eliason et al., 2011a; Katz-Wise et al., 2021). Across healthcare and psychosocial professions, queer professionals report discrimination, identity concealment, isolation and fears of professional repercussions related to disclosure. Such experiences are associated with decreased job satisfaction, increased stress, and barriers to career advancement (Cancela et al., 2024). Existing research on diverse child life specialists is limited and no published studies focus specifically on the experiences of queer child life specialists. One study by Gourley and colleagues (2022) explored the experiences of child life professionals holding diverse racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, or ability identities. Participants reported experiencing discrimination, tokenism, and microaggressions. This study queer narrative inquiry study addresses that gap by centering the lived experiences of queer child life specialists to better understand their workplace experiences. Using participatory methods, the inquiry used an unstructured group interview to co-create research questions with participants, followed by unstructured individual interviews to explore participants’ experiences more deeply. Data were analyzed using a creative approach to thematic analysis (Wolgemuth et al., 2025), involving iterative reading and annotating and repeated listening. Five themes emerged: ongoing navigation of queer identity, experiences of discrimination, experiences of allyship, the impact of representation on belonging, and strategies for enhancing professional culture. A member-checking group interview validated the findings. Overall, this study highlights both the challenges and sources of support in queer child life specialists’ professional lives and offers insight into creating more inclusive and affirming workplace environments.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access

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