How to Use a College Degree, Part III

Finally -- I had the chance to use my sociology degree in a manner that pursues my area of love. I got the use qualitative sociology this past week.

The administration had conducted a faculty survey, and my boss asked me to help compile the results. I read over them to get a feel for the answer, but I quickly realized that my own opinions would color my conclusions if I tried to generalize. Solution? Coding!

I quickly found this method as tedious as my professors had warned me, and as confusing as it had been the few times I attempted it in undergrad. Coding essentially means that you read through your field notes, interviews, etc. and categorize the patterns you see. For example, every time someone mentioned Christian values in the survey, I wrote a code in the margin next to it. Since this was for my own use and I don't have a coding program (yes, they make those), that code was a cross. Any time someone mentioned safety, I put a K in the margin. That way, not only could I see what answers came up repeatedly for one question, but I could also see what patterns repeated throughout the survey. I arranged survey responses by respondent's position at the school first, so I could observe differences between full-time and part-time staff, lower grade and middle school, contracted employees and volunteers.

I loved it! Apparently I didn't just fall into a sociology major because the classes were fun. I actually enjoy the field work as well. Since I will enter the Real World of jobs before too long (eek!), it's good to have some sort of an idea of what I might want to do -- not just the inescapable knowledge that God did not make me to be a teacher.