Date of Award
Spring 5-2024
Degree Name
Master of Arts (AM/MA)
Degree Type
Thesis
Abstract
Black students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) face heightened vulnerability to general and race-related stressors, necessitating the identification of culturally responsive and alternative care approaches to complement traditional talk therapy and clinical assessment, given the associated adverse academic and psychological outcomes. The current study explores the utility of a Black women-focused book club as an inclusive and identity-affirming space for Black women attending an elite and private PWI. Additionally, we consider how this bibliotherapic and group-based approach offered a critical counterspace for participants. Over the course of a four-month semester, two Black women co-facilitators held a monthly book club series (Kitchen Table Talk; KTT) with four main elements: Black feminist books, online journal prompts, Black women speakers, and in-person group discussions. The current sample includes a subset of eight Black women who attended at least one KTT session during the semester. After the KTT series concluded, the co-facilitators led two focus groups and conducted individual interviews to gather insight into the women’s perceptions of institutional climate, their existing wellness practices, and the significance of KTT as a wellness space. We used consensual qualitative research methods to identify thematic categories from the women’s responses. In response to questions about institutional climate, the women discussed three themes: a) culture of whiteness (e.g., racial tokenization); b) culture of productivity; and c) culture of incohesion (i.e., lack of unity among Black student organizations). The women highlighted that the primary way KTT functioned as a counterspace was that it built on their existing wellness practices (e.g., narrative identity work, and social support) in ways that bolstered their positive mental health. Finally, we analyzed how and why the programmatic elements of KTT were particularly useful in supporting their positive mental health. Overall, our study highlights the effectiveness of a bibliotherapic and group-based counterspace as a wellness tool for Black undergraduate women, emphasizing its positive impact on mental health.
Language
English (en)
Chair and Committee
Dr. Seanna Leath
Committee Members
Dr. Brian Carpenter, Dr. Lori Markson
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Khrystal, "“It's More Than a Book Club”: Counterspaces and Bibliotherapic Wellness Among Black Undergraduate Women" (2024). Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3106.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/art_sci_etds/3106
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Community Psychology Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons