Workplace Discrimination and Microaggressions in the Child Life Profession

Objective: The child life profession in the United States primarily comprises White females. Little is known about the experiences of child life specialists with marginalized identities. This exploratory qualitative study examines the experiences of child life students and specialists with marginalized racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, age, and disability identities. Method: Eighteen participants with self-identified marginalized identities took part in a study on navigating the field of child life. Results: The authors used thematic analysis to find themes and subthemes in the data. In this manuscript, themes surrounding microaggressions, the perception of being othered, tokenism, and discrimination experienced in the workplace are described. Conclusion: These findings have implications for research and practice. Disclosure Statement: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s). Funding Statement: No funding sources were provided by the author(s).