Mastering the Trick of Sampling
Last time I examined Howard Becker's book Tricks of the Trade: How to think about Your Research while You're Doing It, I discussed Becker's trick of sampling in a broad spectrum. To become a "master" in his trick of sampling, I will focus more on sampling in terms of Becker's tips . At a quick glance, sampling according to Becker is the issues involved in data collection. Becker analyzed random sampling, producing an average case. This didn't really appeal to him since he prefers dealing with highly unusual cases. He notices there is a problem with bad sampling which makes the larger population generalized. Becker makes sure the reader knows that he deals with theory development, not theory testing. He wants the reader to think of cases to sample that open our minds or ideas and make us think about things, or question things, that we already know. Because of this, his work is not based on random sampling.
Breaking down some of the sampling tricks in Tricks of the Trade into main points seems to best way to point out Becker's ideas:
- Choose cases that jar our ideas, make us question what we know (Becker, 1998, pg.8)
- "Random Sampling: a perfect solution (for some problems) (Becker, 1998, pg. 68) - use table of random numbers
- Avoid trying to sample everything..."A list is not a definition" (Becker, 1998, pg. 72)
- Issue is how much to include. Have students write down everything in situation to prove to them it is impossible
(Becker, 1998, pg. 76).
- Professional categories can be traps, detailed description can avoid (Becker, 1998, pg. 85)
- Imagine anything is possible. "Identify the case that is most likely to upset your thinking and look for it" (Becker,
1998, pg. 87)
- Avoid the traps; everyone knows that, it's been done (Becker, 1998, pg. 88)
- Hierarchies of credibility: authorities tell us what/who is worth studying, including in sample, the trick is to doubt
everything anyone in power tells you. Ignore and decide for your self. Search for conflict and discontent in an
organization: "Are things here better or worse than they used to be?" (Becker, 1998, pg. 91)
- Seek out extreme cases most likely to upset predictions and ideas (Becker, 1998, pg. 94-95)
- When using someone else's data, ask who gathered it, what all went into it, and how it may be biased or shaped
(Becker, 1998, pg. 103)
- Don't study only "bad" deviance" - include full range of cases, even examples that seem weird or offensive, but quite possible (Becker, 1998, pg. 105)
The tips above sum oup Becker's tricks of sampling.
Reference
Becker, H. (1998). Tricks of the Trade: How to Think about Your Research While You're Doing It. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.