Womens Lived Experiences of Burnout in an Achievement Based…

Dissertation Chapter 1 Writing Request

I am working on an EdD (Doctor of Education) dissertation and need Chapter One fully written in an academic but engaging tone that still centers womens lived experiences.

Dissertation Working Title

Im Just a Girl: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Burnout Among Women in an Achievement-Driven Society

Purpose of the Study

This qualitative study explores how women experience, interpret, and cope with burnout while navigating societal pressure to constantly achieve, perform, and be productive. The study centers womens emotional labor, identity expectations, and internalized pressure within work and life roles.

Theoretical Frameworks to Use

The writer MUST ground the study in:

Job DemandsResources (JD-R) Model to explain how chronic demands and limited resources lead to burnout

Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory to explain emotional and psychological resource depletion in women

These frameworks should be clearly explained and connected to womens lived experiences of burnout.

Methodology (Mention Briefly in Chapter 1)

This will be a:

Qualitative study

Using in-depth semi-structured interviews

With 10 adult women

Data will be analyzed using thematic coding

Do NOT fully explain methodology yet just introduce the approach at a high level, since this is Chapter 1.

Chapter 1 MUST Include These Sections

1. Introduction

Introduce the cultural pressure of hustle culture and productivity expectations

Discuss how women are uniquely affected due to gender roles, emotional labor, and societal expectations

Establish burnout as a growing issue

2. Background of the Problem

Discuss existing research on burnout

Show that most burnout research focuses on professions, not lived gendered experiences

Highlight how womens burnout is often normalized or minimized

3. Problem Statement

Clearly state that there is insufficient research centering womens lived, emotional, and identity-based experiences of burnout outside of specific job sectors

4. Purpose Statement

Clearly state the study explores the lived experiences of burnout in women within achievement-oriented environments

5. Research Questions

Include qualitative research questions such as:

How do women describe their lived experiences of burnout?

How do societal expectations of success and productivity shape womens experiences of burnout?

How do women cope with or make meaning of burnout?

6. Significance of the Study

Explain why this matters for:

Higher education leadership

Workplace policy

Mental health support

Gender equity

7. Theoretical Framework Section

Detailed explanation of JD-R and COR

Show how these theories help explain womens burnout experiences

8. Definition of Key Terms

Include definitions for:

Burnout

Emotional labor

Achievement culture

Gendered expectations

Hustle culture

9. Delimitations

Focuses only on women

Qualitative only

Small sample size

10. Organization of the Study

Brief paragraph explaining what Chapters 25 will cover

Tone & Style Requirements

Doctoral-level academic writing

Clear, scholarly, but still human and readable

Avoid robotic language

No first person

Use APA 7th edition formatting

Source Requirements

Use peer-reviewed research from 2016present

Focus on:

Burnout

Women and stress

Gender and emotional labor

Hustle culture / productivity culture

Include in-text citations and a reference list

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

[Describe the topic of the study, why the study needs to be conducted, and the potential social implications of the study. Preview the major sections of the chapter. Notes: This introductory material should be about a page in length.

Each of the following sections contains a suggested page length; however, the length of each section should be determined by sufficiency and completeness.]

Background of the Study

[Briefly, summarize research literature related to the scope of the study topic. Describe a gap in knowledge in the discipline that the study will address. End the section on why the study is needed. Note: This section should be between two and fourpages in length.]

Problem Statement

[State the research problem. Provide evidence of consensus that the problem is current, relevant, and significant to the discipline. Frame the problem in a way that builds upon or counters previous research findings, focusing primarily on research conducted in the last 5 years. Address a meaningful gap in the current research literature. Notes: The problem statement should meet the Walden Litmus test; that is, it must be justified,grounded in the literature, original, and amenable to scientific study. See the Walden Center for Research Quality for more information on the . In addition to the four elements in the Litmus Test, the PhD in Management adds a fifth element: connects with positive social change. Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good. Show how your dissertation will connect with positive social change.

One approach is to include both the general problem statement, which presents a broad concept of the problem, and the specific problem statement, which presents the focus of the study. Key words such as the problem is . . . are helpful to the reader. This section should be concisely written and be about a half a page in length.]

Purpose of the Study

[Provide a concise statement that serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study and contains (a) the research paradigm, (b) the intent of the study (such as describe, compare, explore, develop), and (c) the concept/phenomenon of interest. Notes: see Creswells Research Design book, Chapter 6, for scripts on writing Purpose Statements. This section should be concisely written and be about a half a page in length.]

Research Questions

[State the research question(s). Note: This section should be less than a page in length.]

Theoretical Foundation

[Studies must include either a theoretical foundation or a conceptual framework section; studies may include both or just one. If there is only a Theoretical Foundation section, then delete the Conceptual Framework section heading/content and vice versa.

Identify the theory or theories and provide the origin or source. State concisely the major theoretical propositions and/or major hypotheses with a reference to more detailed explanation in Chapter 2. Explain how the theory relates to the study approach and research questions. Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]

Conceptual Framework

[Identify and define the concept/phenomenon that grounds the study. Describe concisely the conceptual framework (for qualitative studies, the distinctive ideas; for quantitative studies, a description of the body of research that supports the need for the study) as derived from the literature, with reference to a more detailed analysis in Chapter 2. State the logical connections among key elements of the framework with a reference to a more thorough explanation in Chapter 2. State how the framework relates to the study approach and key research questions as well as instrument development and data analysis where appropriate.Note: A framework is a container for ideas, information, and such. A theory is a body of knowledge that is explanatory and predictive. For example, Porters value chain is a framework, while Ricardos comparative advantage is a theory. Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]

Nature of the Study

[Provide a concise rationale for selection of the design/tradition. Briefly describe the key concept and/or phenomenon being investigated. Briefly summarize the methodology (from whom and how data are collected and how data will be analyzed). Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]

Definitions

[Provide concise definitions of key concepts or constructs. Define terms used in the study that have multiple meanings (e.g., socioeconomic status, educator, health service professional). Do not include common terms or terms that can easily be looked up in a dictionary. Include citations that identify support in the professional literature for the definition or operational definition.Notes: The term should be indented the same as a paragraph indent, italicized, and terminated with a colon, with the definition itself in plain type, sourced, and listed alphabetically. This section should be between one and three pages in length.]

Assumptions

[Clarify aspects of the study that are believed but cannot be demonstrated to be true. Include only those assumptions that are critical to the meaningfulness of the study. Describe the reasons why the assumption(s) was/were necessary in the context of the study. Note: This section should be around a page in length.]

Scope and Delimitations

[Describe specific aspects of the research problem that are addressed in the study and why the specific focus was chosen. Define the boundaries of the study by identifying populations included and excluded and theories/conceptual frameworks most related to the area of study that were not investigated. Address potential transferability. Note: This section should be around a page in length.]

Limitations

[Describe limitations of the study related to design and/or methodological weaknesses (including issues related to limitations of transferability and dependability). Describe any biases that could influence study outcomes and how they are addressed. Describe reasonable measures to address limitations.Note: This section should be around a page in length.]

Significance of the Study

[The Significance of the Study is described in terms of (a) how this study will/may fill a gap in the literature, (b) professional application, and (c) positive social change (e.g., improvement of human or social conditions by promoting the worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, or societies). Be certain to address and include the phrase positive social change in this section. Note: This section, including the three subsections,should be between three to five pages in length.]

Significance to Practice

[Identify potential contributions of the study that advance practice and/or policy (as applicable).]

Significance to Theory

[Identify potential contributions of the study that advance knowledge in the discipline. This is an elaboration of what the problem addresses.]

Significance to Social Change

[Describe potential implications for positive social change that are consistent with and bounded by the scope of the study.]

Summary and Transition

[Summarize main points of the chapter. Provide a transition to Chapter 2. Note: This section should be around a page.]