Ethnomethodology

Definition

Ethnomethodology is a sociological approach that focuses on how individuals make sense of and order their everyday social interactions and experiences. It examines the taken-for-granted methods and procedures people use to construct a shared social reality.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Ethnomethodology was developed by sociologist Harold Garfinkel as a critique of mainstream sociological theories that he believed overlooked the active role of individuals in constructing social reality.
2. Ethnomethodologists focus on the practical, commonsense reasoning that people use to navigate their everyday lives, rather than abstract sociological concepts.
3. The concept of indexicality emphasizes that the meaning of language and actions is always dependent on the specific context in which they occur.
4. Reflexivity highlights how people constantly monitor and adjust their own behavior based on their perceptions of how others are reacting to them.
5. Accounts refer to the explanations people provide to make their actions and behaviors intelligible and acceptable to others.

Review Questions

• Explain how ethnomethodology differs from other sociological perspectives in its approach to understanding social reality.
  • Ethnomethodology departs from traditional sociological perspectives by focusing on the active, commonsense methods and procedures that individuals use to construct and maintain a shared social reality, rather than abstract sociological concepts or structural factors. It emphasizes the importance of indexicality, or the contextual nature of meaning, and reflexivity, the ways in which people continuously monitor and adjust their behavior in response to others. This approach provides a unique lens for understanding the active role of individuals in shaping their everyday social experiences.
• Describe the concept of 'accounts' in the context of ethnomethodology and how it relates to the social construction of reality.
  • In ethnomethodology, the concept of 'accounts' refers to the explanations and justifications that people provide to make their actions and behaviors intelligible and acceptable to others. These accounts play a crucial role in the social construction of reality, as they allow individuals to negotiate shared understandings and coordinate their interactions. By examining the ways in which people account for their actions, ethnomethodologists can gain insights into the taken-for-granted assumptions and methods that underlie the production and maintenance of social order.
• Analyze how the ethnomethodological perspective on the social construction of reality differs from the symbolic interactionist approach.
  • While both ethnomethodology and symbolic interactionism focus on the active role of individuals in shaping social reality, they differ in their emphasis and approach. Symbolic interactionism tends to emphasize the negotiation of shared meanings through symbolic communication and the development of self-concepts, whereas ethnomethodology focuses more on the practical, commonsense reasoning and methods that people use to construct and maintain a sense of social order in their everyday lives. Ethnomethodologists are particularly interested in the indexical and reflexive nature of social interactions, examining how the meaning of language and actions is shaped by the specific context and how people continuously monitor and adjust their behavior in response to others.

Related terms

Indexicality: The idea that the meaning of language and actions depends on the specific context in which they occur.

Reflexivity: The process by which people continuously monitor and adjust their own behavior in response to the perceived reactions of others.

Accounts: The explanations people provide for their actions and behaviors in order to make them intelligible to others.