Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (MPRTM)
Department
Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. Stefanie Ruiz-Sportman
Committee Member
Dr. Corliss Outley
Committee Member
Dr.Aby Sene-Harper
Abstract
Leisure has been an under-explored aspect of Black women’s lives in higher education, particularly within predominantly white institutions (PWIs), where limited culturally relevant opportunities and racialized isolation shape daily experiences. Constraints around rest, rooted in racism and gendered expectations, continue to influence how Black college women navigate academic pressure, deficiency narratives, and exhaustion. Guided by intersectionality, this qualitative study draws on semi‑structured interviews with Black undergraduate and graduate women at a PWI to explore how cultural upbringing, institutional climates, and internalized expectations shape their definitions and practices of rest. Findings show that while participants recognize rest as necessary, they rarely experience it without guilt, and often prioritize academic performance, leadership roles, and community obligations over well‑being. The study highlights a persistent gap between institutional wellness messaging and lived realities, underscoring the need for more supportive structures that affirm Black women’s right to rest and leisure.
Recommended Citation
Ford, Jomya, "The Invisible Toll: Black College Women and the Intersection of Academic Stress, Rest Deficiency and Exhaustion at Clemson University" (2026). All Theses. 4768.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4768
Included in
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons