Sample collection as a social process: The influence of interaction between doping control officers and athletes on the implementation of anti-doping policy

Abstract

In anti-doping policy, the doping control process is approached from a technical point of view in which sample collection is a mechanical part of a standard procedure. In this study, we problematise that perspective by critically examining sample collection as a social process: an encounter between a front-line worker–the Doping Control Officer (DCO)–and a reviewed person–the athlete–who interact with each other. Building on Lipsky’s theory of street level bureaucracy and Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective, we analyse how sample collection works in practice, what strategies DCOs employ to deal with this intrusive process, and what influence their interaction with athletes has on the implementation of anti-doping policy. As DCOs have less clients, discretion, and autonomy, they differ from many other front-line workers. Nonetheless, sample collection is not a standardised practice that takes the same form and meaning independent of the situation at hand. DCOs and athletes make use of skills and strategies that allow them to follow strict procedures on the one hand and create a human, workable relationship on the other. Displaying dramaturgical loyalty, discipline, and circumspection, DCOs step out of their roles, show emotions and look for the boundaries of what is permissible. This does not necessarily mean that the reliability and credibility of anti-doping policy is at stake. It actually increases athletes’ confidence in doping procedures. It does, however, raise the question whether the ability of DCOs to apply discretion may elicit inequitable results in different settings worldwide.