The Sampling

Sampling procedures in qualitative research are not so clearly set as in quantitative studies. This flexibility in choosing sampling seems confusing for some researchers and mistakes may be made. This has been reinforced by Morse (1991) who recognises the flexibility in choosing a random sampling in qualitative study, leading to the violation of both the quantitative principle of including adequate sample size and qualitative principle, that requires purposive sampling. In Patton‟s view (1990), the qualitative research often includes purposeful sampling, focusing in depth on relatively small samples, even single cases, selected purposefully. Patton (1990) illustrates different strategies for purposefully selecting information-rich cases such as: intensity sampling; maximum variation sampling; homogeneous samples; purposeful random sampling; sampling politically important cases, and convenience sampling. With these different types of sampling, the author shows the challenging principles of designing the sampling in qualitative research, where each type results in shortcomings of including a sampling that incorporates the required participants. By the same token, Morse (1991) suggests that four types of sampling are used in qualitative research: the purposeful sample, the nominated sample, the volunteer sample, and the sampling that consists of the total population. Further, Morse (1991: 129) designates more usefulness of obtaining a purposeful sample, where „the researcher selects a participant according to the needs of the study‟. Mason (1996: 91) states that a relationship between purposive sampling and the wider population can be established in qualitative studies. In essence, sampling can be representative of the

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population when it displays characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, and class in a population of people in a similar proportion to the total population about which the researcher wishes to make generalisations. Accordingly, the informants involved in qualitative research are purposively chosen in line with the needs of the study, where this provides a more space choosing the people, who can serve the study. In this Thesis, purposive sampling, where the informants are selected based on their characteristics and the need of the study, is adopted as the social characteristics of the sub-groups have been decided in advance to reflect the corresponding proportions in the population, and to study diverse views and beliefs about the brand names in Aqaba‟s LL.

As far as the sampling size is concerned, the number of particiciants for qualitative studies is commonly much smaller than those used in quantitative studies (Flick, 2007:45). Ritchie and Lewis (2003: 83) claim that gaining more data in a qualitative study does not necessarily lead to more information. The occurrence of one piece of data is all that is required to ensure that the phenomenon becomes part of the analysis framework. The number of informants does not constitute a significant area in qualitative research, since one set of data is possibly as advantageous as many in conceiving the purpose of the issue. The main impetus for choosing the sampling is its usefulness in fulfilling the goal of the study. Whilst large sampling results in attaining repetitive and redundant data, excessively small sampling does not help in obtaining data saturation (Flick, 2007; Morse, 1995). This project‟s sampling, which consists of 42 inhabitants in the city of Aqaba, is aimed to be representative of all Jordanians‟ viewpoints towards brand names, where the sampling itself is established to reflect relatively equal percentages of the informants in connection with the distribution of the socio-economic backgrounds of the Jordanian population.

Having referred to official census data, the Department of Statistics in Jordan (2011) provides statistical information about the socio-economic features of the population of the country. As

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regards gender distribution, males and females constitute 51% and 49% of the Jordanian population, respectively. In terms of the census of age groups, the Department of Statistics (2011) shows that Jordan is considered a young society, as 35.3% of the population are under 15 years old, people aged between 15 and 64 years constitute 59.9%, and those aged 65 and over make up just 4.8%. The occupation types and educational levels have also been divided into diverse categories by the Department of Statistics (see appendix II). Yet, the existing sampling reconsiders some aspects of the given classifications due to the fact that it cannot comprise all the Jordanian demographic information. For instance, the gender distribution involved in the sample contains 57% (or 24) of the total 42 respondents as males and 43% (or 18) as females. The classification of age groups has also been modified to meet the requirements of the study, as the majority of people are too young, and contacting them requires formal procedures through their schools and parents. Hence, the age groups have been broken up into four groups, including teenagers (below 20 years), younger people (20–39 years), middle-aged people (40–59), and older people (60 years and above). Educational levels have been condensed into four groups, including primary school, secondary school, undergraduate (Bachelor‟s degree holders), and graduate (MA and PhD holders).

Due to the social constraints in communicating with women in Jordan, the researcher‟s sister has helped with interviewing them. In addition, women in Jordan are not culturally allowed to work in all the occupations in question, particularly agricultural work, craft work, machine operating, and elementary occupations. For these reasons, the nine categories of occupation cannot all be incorporated into the study sample. The sample, which attempts to adapt to these social constraints, mainly includes senior officials and managers (21%), professionals (29%), technicians (14%), services and sales workers (14%), skilled agricultural workers (10%), and crafts and related workers (12%).

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In practical terms, the sample is designed to represent the following occupations, in order to offer diverse perspectives into the research issue and to provide reliability and validity information for the study (see Appendix III). First, the managers and officials category encompasses nine informants, who are subdivided into two army officers, five managers, and two judges. The age group of this category ranges from 40 to 59 and contains five women and four men. The second category consists of 12 professionals, both male and female school teachers from all the age groups except for the teenager category. Third, the category of technicians is represented by six people who work as pharmacists. This category contains three females and three males, whose ages match all age groups except for teenagers. The fourth occupational group contains of six services and sales workers of varying ages, including people selling goods through wholesale or in shops. The category also includes four craft workers, such as dry cleaners and truck drivers. Four agricultural workers, whose ages range between young and middle aged, make up the fifth category of occupation.

Having examined the participants‟ demographic profiles, the sample is intended to be representative of Jordan within the current participants‟ features. All categories of occupations require arrangements for visiting several official institutions in Aqaba, representing the practical phase of seeking the participants‟ views and beliefs about the brand names. In this respect, the type of occupation is useful for conducting the research, as it informs me about the place where participants work, thus making the process of collecting data more accessible.