Sampling

Purpose of these readings?

They should start sounding ‘familiar’• Evidence that you are

learning!

Several places to draw from in justifying your own methodological strategies..

Where are we now?Research question: Epistemologymechanical, developmental or comparative*Critical or symbolic interactionism/constructivist

Data Collection: naturalist ontology Unobtrusive observations (ethnography/visual sociology)Content/framing/discourse analysisCase study (mixed qualitative methods)

SAMPLING your data (validity & reliability)Purposive/judgementConvenienceTheoretical *

UP NEXT WEEK…ANALYSIS: coding your data (rigor – validity & reliability)

Sample PurposeQualitative Research: (naturalism):we are not looking to generalize to a population (statistical/quantitative) we are looking for the most effective way to develop an understanding of complex issues related to culture and human behaviour

Small samples•Let your literature guide how much is typical

• 65 news articles• 12 hours of TV/observation/movies• 1 to 5 years of magazine covers*

Judgement/Purposive Sampling…actively selects data that contains conceptual elements

Moral PanicMoral Panic•Initial incident•Mediated reaction•Response from: key stakeholder, moral entrepreneurs, •Development of scapegoats•Escalation (policy?)•‘real’ problems in ‘false’ panics

Relevant to theoretical conceptual framework & research questions.Should generate rich data about the social phenomena ('thick description')

Should enhance theoretical generalizability

Should produce believable descriptions & explanations (cultural relevance)

Ethical: informed consent? relationship between researcher & informant…

Feasible: cost, practicality (location), work style of researchers, linguistic competencies, moral/coping, communication skills….

SAMPLIN

G

Emergence & Emergence & ReflexivityReflexivity Sometimes the best laid plans….