An exploratory study of the relationship between college student activists’ labor and their subjective well-being: Perspectives from a U.S. Institution

Abstract

Objective: To drive the development and improvement of college student activist support interventions via the examination of the relationship between college student activists’ labor and their subjective well-being (SWB). Participants: A purposeful sample of 14 U.S. college student activists. Methods: An interpretive, constructivist qualitative study grounded in individual, semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Analysis revealed a connection between activism work and SWB across three themes: (a) activism and the college student activist community can foster SWB, (b) college student activists’ scarcity of time can compromise SWB, and (c) agents at the college student activists’ home institutions can compromise SWB. Conclusions: Focusing on building community and belonging for college student activists along with developing partnerships with faculty/staff and auditing institutional power can foster SWB.