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Thematicanalysis Snowdenlindsay
Thematicanalysis Snowdenlindsay
Thematicanalysis Snowdenlindsay
Thematic Analysis
OGL 482
Lindsay Snowden
July 22, 2018
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 2
Introduction
Before completing the thematic analysis of my life, I’ve always felt that there were
consistent traits that characterized my life. This analysis has confirmed that belief. What
I’ve found is that pieces of my personality and life experiences shape my choices,
passions and desires. Analyzing my own life-themes has helped me understand more
about my drive, my ambitions, and how I fit into this world and my workplace.
To begin this process seemed overwhelming. Looking back over not only the
The process included first reading through the assignment guidelines. Next, I
opened all of the documents listed in the assignment guidelines, as well as additional
documents that I knew would be beneficial to the analysis. I re-read my own material
quickly. After gathering a general idea of my data and myself, I created a document that
would become my final project. I created the entire format for my paper to use as a
template to fill in the information as I went along. I first made a list numbered 1-10 and
gave each number 5 bullet points. I also added an area for “contradictory evidence” and
beneath that, an area for my “impact and reflection”. After creating the template, I went
Taking time and effort to pour over each data source and code each one was time
consuming. As I read over each document, I entered prominent themes into a separate
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 3
document with a data source code to know where the theme came from. Afterwards, I
grouped similar themes together and came up with 10 cohesive themes that represented
After creating my list of 10 themes, I focused on filling in the bullet points for
each theme using supporting material from my coursework. While some material had
already been selected during the coding process, much more data was needed for each
theme. I did this systematically by pouring over each assignment (again) individually
and filling in my bullet points with the associated material. This made sure that I was
not going through each document several times and helped me feel more organized. As I
In addition to creating my life themes and supporting evidence, I also made the
added it to a table that I had prepared for the legend. This helped to ensure that I listed
every data source that I did use, but did not list data sources that I did not use.
“Dare” orientation for autonomy. The results stated that I like to benefit from a
and independence in my work, I don’t like to be held down by rules. The more
tightly and strictly I am bound to rules, the more likely I am to find ways to rebel,
or bend them. I need autonomy and independence in life and being strong willed
One of the traits under the “Dominance” category on the disc assessment is being
trait. (DA)
narrative), most of my career options have held positions where I have some form
teacher, as long as I followed guidelines for curriculum and the standard school
rules, the world was my oyster. I often worked unsupervised and the role was
am helping meet the goals and abiding by the standard rules, I can run my shifts
freedom and go to great lengths to achieve it”. I do not like to be tied down by
rules and will always find a way to work outside of them if I feel I am being held
Contradictory Evidence:
Enjoying working on teams and with other people would not be an indication of
I’ve always enjoyed doing things myself, being left alone in my work, and taking the lead
so that I didn’t have to be under the leadership of anyone else. Though in my younger
years this trait came across as being “bossy”, in my adult life I’ve learned to manipulate
this characteristic of myself to find work that allows me to work independently. I’ve also
learned how to use my independence and autonomy to my advantage as proof that I can
work unsupervised. This has contributed to being promoted in the workplace and
gaining trust from my managers. On the flip side, I’ve also had to learn how to ask for
help. I think one of the biggest personal developments in my adult life is understanding
that it’s ok to ask for help, working on a team can be better than working alone, and that
asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Being able to learn and understand this has
profile states that this means I enjoy activities that deal with the artistic side of
things. It also mentions that I like self-expression in my work and can work
to me. To me, creativity is a form of self-expression for everyone and opens doors
On the AzCIS Skills profile creativity is my number two “very satisfying skill”. In
personality, which says I like to express myself freely and enjoy variety and
our own lives. One of the categories was “Natural Talents and Gifts”. In this
section I talk about my innate talent for creativity and how it impacts my world
view. Being creative is not just a quality I have, or something that I do. Creativity
is part of my identity and shapes how I think about things in this world, what I
advocate for, what I like to do, what I believe, and how I see this world. (LD)
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 8
Contradictory Evidence:
creativity (4/10). I personally think this may be a result of the way the questions
were worded as I know creativity is a very real and true part of who I am. (TTA)
the most defining themes in my life. My creativity has connected me with others and
made me life-long friends, it has defined the way I view life and what is important, and
probably one of the top three characteristics that anyone will name when you ask them
to describe to me. Its prevalent in every self-assessment I’ve taken, and is obvious in my
career choices and hobbies. It was interesting to read through my coursework and see
just how pervasive this theme is both in my personal and professional life. It is even
present in the way I lead and connect with others. Creativity will be a theme in my life
that has been and will continue to be defining and long lasting.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 9
category. The profile states that this means I like to work with people, I enjoy
helping, understand and teaching others, and that I am friendly and considerate
As has been apparent in many self-assessments that I’ve taken, the DISC
oriented and have a strong self-motivation to get to know people in all walks of
life and to nurture those relationships, and that I enjoy the sharing in the ideas of
others. (DA)
being able to work with others and have compassion for them. She talks about
how I am able to both connect with and coach them. This is indicative of my
My second highest scoring category on the interest profile for the AzCIS
assessment was “social”. This trait indicates that I like activities that assist others
and promote learning and personal development. It also says that I prefer to
communicate over other work methods, and enjoy teaching and helping others.
(VW)
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 10
Contradictory Evidence:
Independence and autonomy are my primary career anchor. (CAA)
learn over the years. However, learning the value of having teammates with different
skills is now one of my favorite things about being on a team. In my early years, I did not
talents. Now, I love having diverse people with a variety of skills on my team. I have
learned to let others help share the load of a project, of a rush of business. I’ve learned
need some personal growth in our life is a defining characteristic of who I am. I
am always striving to become the best version of myself and encourage others to
me, includes inspiring them to find their passions and become the best versions
One of my failed goals this year was becoming a health and wellness coach
through Beachbody. I wanted to inspire others to get healthy and stay on track.
Encouraging other towards becoming their best selves is important to me. (MO)
(VW)
My personal narrative is a search for finding my passion. For a long time I felt
lost and had no direction, but found my calling in my early twenties: helping
development. I had to grow and learn from my life experiences in able to find
Contradictory Evidence:
I did not find any contradictory evidence in regards to this theme.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 12
ago. I had a year of bad experiences and found myself at rock bottom desperate for
something to help me change my outlook on life. Since then, personal development has
motivate others has always been innate to me. Reflecting on my coursework and seeing
the “Management” orientation was leadership. The assessment results noted that
I am influential and like to make decisions in a group and that I find it easy to
In reading over the article “Managing Oneself” by Peter Drucker, I was prompted
on this content is associated with this theme. My response to the prompt was that
I was both a decision maker and an advisor, but predominantly a decision maker.
organization”. (CAA)
For three years I worked two jobs. Starbucks was a supplemental income that was
meant to help me pay off some credit card debt. For three years I never had any
intent to promote with Starbucks because I never thought I would stay on very
long and being a preschool teacher was my primary income. In the prompt from
Managing Oneself, I was prompted to consider some goals that I had been
successful at. Promoting at Starbucks was one of the goals I had set and achieved
for myself. Only after I had quit the preschool did I consider becoming part of the
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 14
management team, and I’m so glad I did. Being a shift supervisor at Starbucks is
my perfect place in the company. Having this position has had such an impact on
my life and has shown me how leadership is a natural ability for me. (MO)
On the Jung Personality Type Test I scored as, and always have, an ENFJ. This
others. Career fields often recommended for this personality type include
teaching, coaching, counseling, and advising. This personality type has always
been true for me and is a true reflection of who I am as a leader and as a person.
(JPTT)
Contradictory Evidence:
The fact that I like autonomy and independence in the workplace could be seen as
prefer to work alone while being a leader insinuates that I like working as part of
a team. (CAA)
of leading a team to meet certain goals. Being the leader as a preschool teacher meant
setting a good example for the children and being able to work autonomously. Being a
leader now means building relationships with my adult co-workers, being an example,
encouraging and inspiring them, helping them find their passion, and inspiring them
towards common goals. Being in my current job role has shown me my natural tendency
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 15
to be a team leader. Because I am good at being a leader and enjoy it, this aspect will be
having a job where I have a positive impact on others. Working for the HR
One of the trademark characteristic of an ENFJ is their desire to help others. This
personality type takes a genuine interest in others and looks to help them learn
and grow. ENFJ’s connect with others easily and often put their needs second to
one another. Being able to help create a sense of community means helping
Even though after 10 years of working in the field I decide it is not for me
anymore, what I do realize is that the more general calling is to help people. (PN)
the Holland Personality Type profile is “social”. It talks about helping others,
teaching others and understanding them. Every personal assessment that I take
gives me some kind of feedback about how I enjoy people and helping them. Any
Contradictory Evidence:
Nowhere in my coursework does it show I enjoy or engage in volunteer work.
This could indicate that I am not authentic in my desire to help others. However,
my desire to help others comes from wanting to help in a close personal way. Not
one of the most prominent qualifications is that I am in a position where I can help
others and have a positive impact on them. My coursework has reflected this common
theme throughout my degree program and my life. While I know I have always had a
natural inclination towards helping others, this analysis has shown just how pervasive
despises Austin, TX and wants to live on the west coast if we ever decide to leave
choices. (TYO)
that this role impacts my life-decisions, my daily decisions, and my daily routine.
sensitive to his thoughts, feelings and emotions, honest with him, and
a better wife to my husband, and grow as a person with him. How I strive to be as
relationship “doesn’t need much to be happy, just to know that their partner is
happy. Making others’ goals come to fruition is often the chiefest concern of
ENFJs, and they will spare no effort in helping their partner to live the dream”.
Caring for others is a theme that has long been present in my life. It has also been
Connecting and caring for his emotional well-being is important to me. These
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 19
qualities are characteristics that coincide with my social ranking on the Holland
Contradictory Evidence:
I did not find any contradictory evidence against this theme.
my life is affected by being a wife because I care about my husbands emotional well-
being. For example, I will not force him to move back to Austin because I know how
unhappy he will be in the heat, traffic, and during allergy season. I do not want to get a
job that will move us away from his current job because he is working on promoting
within his company. I consider his feeling when I make certain choices, and I look out
for his happiness. On the flip side, as his wife, he encourages and supports me. Being a
wife is so pervasive to my life that it will always affect every choice I make, whether its
personal or professional.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 20
ideal life the entire reason for me moving to Austin is to be near my family.
appreciate, and support me no matter what. Also, being a part of my niece and
nephew’s lives is very significant to me. Living in Austin would mean I could be
adult life, my big sister has played a significant role in my experiences. Moving to
Minnesota when I was 18 and living with her, becoming a part of her social circle,
and depending on her for emotional support drew us closer than we had ever
been. Moving to Minnesota with her was the beginning of our close-knit
relationship in our adult lives. She is still a very important and significant part of
my life. (PN)
In my Ten Years Out assignment, though I am not ideally living in Austin near
my family, I still mention that my lifestyle allows me to visit them three times a
year. Realistically, I will never live in Austin because my husband refuses to move
there. Ideally though, someday I will have a job and a lifestyle that allows me to
close-knit family plays a significant role here. The family structure I had growing
up and the way I was raised impacts how I expect a family to behave. I am close
with my extended family and this also impacts who I am. Being close with family
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 21
In my ideal life I am living in Austin, which would put me very near my family. A
lot of my life revolves around when I get to see my family in Texas, including my
future career, my future home, and my current and future financial situation. The
more often I can travel to see my family, and have the ability to do it with ease,
Contradictory Evidence:
Family is not one of my top 5 values on my values worksheet. (VW)
would come to Colorado Springs and spend 6 weeks with my aunt, uncle, grandma and
6 cousins. We became good friends with our cousins and I developed a close relationship
with my aunt and my grandma. Now, my focus on family is more oriented around my
niece and nephews. This month I missed my nephews birthday in Texas and I was very
disappointed. Something that has become very clear and evident through assignments
such as the Ten Years Out scenario, my ideal life, and completing the values worksheet,
is that being able to visit my family in Texas dictates certain aspects of my life. For
example, I would move back to Austin to be near them if I could. Since I can’t, it’s very
important to me to have a job where I make enough money and acquire enough vacation
time to visit them several times a year. My family are not just some people I see when
it’s convenient. My family are a big part of my life and I will make choices that increase
highest scoring trait in the “Management” orientation. The results state that I like
to plan and methodically organize my time., and that I want to have total control
Organization is a trait that is associated with the ENFJ personality type. (JPTT)
One of the potential careers on my list for after I graduate is working in office
administration. I’ve wanted to work in office admin for quite some time now
One of my strengths listed on the Three Questions prompts is that I’m organized.
(3Q)
at our store while he was waiting to be assigned his own store. He commented
that the task lists I had made for our staff were very organized. This is very typical
Contradictory Evidence:
On the AzCIS Holland personality types profile I scored relatively low in the
conventional category which talks about liking to keep things organized and in
order. (AzCIS-HPT)
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 23
The first thing I will do in any new job or job role is organize things. Making
things easy to access and easy to find through organization is a necessity for me in the
workplace. When things are misplaced or don’t have a home, I become easily frazzled or
frustrated. It’s been said that artistic minds are often messy and disorganized. While
this might be true in some aspects of my life, my workspace is always organized. Even
my schoolwork is well organized. Understanding this theme in my life and this aspect
about myself will help me to find a career in which I can put this skill/passion to use.
THEMATIC ANALYSIS 24
is a 3/10. This element states that this low score indicates that I don't like
organizations that are too authoritative. I like to benefit from a certain freedom of
This means that I don’t like rules and restrictions, and have a heavy preference
having to work under someone else’s close supervision. I prefer to be able to work
Contradictory Evidence:
I enjoy working as part of a team. (AzCIS-HPT)
I have a personality that gets a long easily with others. (JPTT)
this theme in my life really stuck out to me. Through my coursework and coming to
realize the importance that autonomy and independence in my work role, it has become
more and more clear to me that I respond negatively to active authority in the
workplace. Through discussions with someone close to me, I have also come to this
my other coursework. Being able to understand this element about myself will help me