This network diagram categorizes community changes into four primary areas, depicted as interconnected nodes. The diagram uses color-coded notes and arrows to differentiate between various types of influences and their impacts, creating a clear and engaging visual summary of the community's evolution over generations.
To understand how perceptions of community change differ by generations, I embarked on a project that involved analyzing detailed qualitative data. The goal was to identify and map out the various factors that influence community changes and how these factors interconnect.
Using NVivo, a specialized software for handling qualitative data, I sorted through interview and other text to find recurring themes and concepts related to community changes. I organized these findings based on the length of time families had lived in the Down East area, classifying them as first-generation residents and those with longer histories in the community.
With the data organized, I created a network diagram in Miro to illustrate the relationships between different concepts. This diagram was designed to show not just individual factors, but also how they influence each other, forming a web of causes and effects.
The analysis revealed that regardless of how long they had lived in the area, residents had a shared understanding of the community's heritage and the recent changes it has faced. It was evident that development played a critical role in shaping these changes, affecting the environment, economy, and the sense of community.
The project highlighted the value of visual tools in making complex relationships easier to understand. The network diagram served as a powerful means to communicate the dynamics of community change in a way that is accessible to anyone, regardless of their background or familiarity with data analysis software.