Purpose
To perform a study on the population of Columbia, Pennsylvania, a survey was conducted in which students responded to several questions concerning demographics of their family, as well as responding to questions concerning their household, and their relation to the working force. From this, an analysis was created in which inferences were made in order to uncover the meaning behind the data collected.
Link to graphical results:
https://docs.google.com/a/student.columbia.k12.pa.us/forms/d/17Pcj_Is6Hc-ZBAJqkDjaRkHzvja3Wo57BffAIGusc8U/viewanalytics
Analysis:
In order to discover information on the population of Columbia, Pennsylvania, a survey was conducted in which students responded to several questions concerning the demographics of their family. From student responses, inferences were able to be made as to the why’s and how’s of the data. For example, in the responses, it was evident that the most common type of occupation among students’ family members was industrial based jobs. This correlates with the statistic found in a 2013 census of Columbia in which it is indicated that 88% of the population’s highest level of education achieved is a high school diploma. Therefore, it is understandable that 64% of students’ family members are employed with occupations which do not require a higher level of education. Furthermore, in responses, 70% of students indicated that their household consisted of 4 or more people. This may be a result of the fact that women begin reproducing at a younger age, therefore they tend to continue reproducing into their early 30’s, allowing them to create larger families. It may also be a result of non-traditional housing conditions, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, or step families living together, due to the cost of living. Student’s indicated that their mother and father were the most employed individuals in their families, therefore it would make sense for grandma and grandpa to live with their children because they are possibly unemployed due to old age and cannot afford to live in a house of their own. Students also indicated that their siblings as well as themselves also make up a portion of the employed members of their household. This may be a result of young adults having more responsibilities, and more things to pay for (such as cellphones, cars, etc.). Along with this, it was noted that students' mothers were more employed than their fathers. This could be a result of the many single mothers within households in Columbia. As well as responding to questions concerning the employment of their family members, students also responded to questions concerning the location of their home, and whether or not they had moved in recent years. 37% of students indicated that they have lived in the same house for 10 or more years. This may be a result of the average annual income reaching about $40,000 per year for Columbia residents. With this knowledge, and the fact that most families living within one household consist of more than 5 people, it can be inferred that families remain in the same household for several years due to a lack of income which would be necessary to move constantly. However, several students indicated that their family had moved here from states such Florida, Alabama, and New York. This migration may be a result of a cheaper cost of living; the cost of living in Columbia is much cheaper in comparison to the cost of living in states such as New York and Florida. Overall, student responses varied greatly, but provided a general census from which the above mentioned inferences were able to be drawn from.
To perform a study on the population of Columbia, Pennsylvania, a survey was conducted in which students responded to several questions concerning demographics of their family, as well as responding to questions concerning their household, and their relation to the working force. From this, an analysis was created in which inferences were made in order to uncover the meaning behind the data collected.
Link to graphical results:
https://docs.google.com/a/student.columbia.k12.pa.us/forms/d/17Pcj_Is6Hc-ZBAJqkDjaRkHzvja3Wo57BffAIGusc8U/viewanalytics
Analysis:
In order to discover information on the population of Columbia, Pennsylvania, a survey was conducted in which students responded to several questions concerning the demographics of their family. From student responses, inferences were able to be made as to the why’s and how’s of the data. For example, in the responses, it was evident that the most common type of occupation among students’ family members was industrial based jobs. This correlates with the statistic found in a 2013 census of Columbia in which it is indicated that 88% of the population’s highest level of education achieved is a high school diploma. Therefore, it is understandable that 64% of students’ family members are employed with occupations which do not require a higher level of education. Furthermore, in responses, 70% of students indicated that their household consisted of 4 or more people. This may be a result of the fact that women begin reproducing at a younger age, therefore they tend to continue reproducing into their early 30’s, allowing them to create larger families. It may also be a result of non-traditional housing conditions, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, or step families living together, due to the cost of living. Student’s indicated that their mother and father were the most employed individuals in their families, therefore it would make sense for grandma and grandpa to live with their children because they are possibly unemployed due to old age and cannot afford to live in a house of their own. Students also indicated that their siblings as well as themselves also make up a portion of the employed members of their household. This may be a result of young adults having more responsibilities, and more things to pay for (such as cellphones, cars, etc.). Along with this, it was noted that students' mothers were more employed than their fathers. This could be a result of the many single mothers within households in Columbia. As well as responding to questions concerning the employment of their family members, students also responded to questions concerning the location of their home, and whether or not they had moved in recent years. 37% of students indicated that they have lived in the same house for 10 or more years. This may be a result of the average annual income reaching about $40,000 per year for Columbia residents. With this knowledge, and the fact that most families living within one household consist of more than 5 people, it can be inferred that families remain in the same household for several years due to a lack of income which would be necessary to move constantly. However, several students indicated that their family had moved here from states such Florida, Alabama, and New York. This migration may be a result of a cheaper cost of living; the cost of living in Columbia is much cheaper in comparison to the cost of living in states such as New York and Florida. Overall, student responses varied greatly, but provided a general census from which the above mentioned inferences were able to be drawn from.