Ethnomethodology
Ethnomethodology is a practical research direction in sociology, founded by Harold Garfinkel in California (USA). The term ' ethnomethodology ', which he developed in the 1950s, is vaguely similar to the thematic structure of anthropology (and thus only partly derived from the Greek ): ethnos denotes the members of a group and their knowledge, methodology is the systematic application in locally - situational practices by the members themselves Garfinkel 1967 first published book "Studies in Ethnomethodology ", a collection of empirical studies and theoretical considerations, the origin is the text of this research direction. There are explicit references to the work of the phenomenologist Alfred Schutz.
Approaches and focus
In ethnomethodological work, it is important to avoid abstract theories of social reality. Instead, it is investigated what daily living activities this social reality is produced. Ethnomethodological research provides precise descriptions of the methods that are used by members of a society, group or community to do whatever they do. This may be or everyday behavior highly specialized, technical activities.
For ethnomethodology are the formal structures of practical actions of interest, it should be neither psychologizes still speculation about intentions. Any categories and schemas that are used for the analysis of actions are only meaningful apply if it can be demonstrated that the actors actually orient themselves to these categories and schemas. This reference to practically tangible reality refers to the relationship of ethnomethodology to phenomenology.
From ethnomethodology intensively worked areas of research are the sister discipline conversation analysis, workplace studies and studies of science, law and medicine, sociology, or CSCW. Maynard and Clayman give an overview of the width of ethnomethodological approaches in social science research. A further overview of the anthology are from Coulter. The current international state ethnomethodological research gather Ruth Ayass and Christian Meyer in the anthology sociality in slow motion for the first time in German translation.
See also: qualitative methods
Assumptions of ethnomethodology by Garfinkel
For these methodological assumptions resulted on the one hand, the methodological approach of the crisis experiment and on the other the recognition that science its prominent, objective point of view can not be retained because it must recur to language also, which in turn is traversed by indexical expressions. This results in the ( sometimes less, sometimes more pronounced ) self- understanding of some ethnomethodologists, not really science but rather craft to operate.
The frequently mentioned concept of action-theoretical orientation of ethnomethodology is a write-up that va is performed by sociologies of other disciplines.
With regard to social order not binding and strength of moral norms is crucial for ethnomethodology, as Emile Durkheim or Talcott Parsons had assumed, but the interactive and interpretive normality of everyday life, taken on the basis only of general moral and social norms regarding will.
Basic concepts
Ethnomethodological indifference
Translated from the English, indifference ' ( indifference, even casualness ). Indifference means that no object of research is in principle over another. Previous experience of the researcher are suppressed (or excluded phenomenologically '). The method for describing, analyzing and presenting always depend on the locally Deputy end requirements. Everything is equally interesting or uninteresting: It is always about the real- time production of meaning in an intersubjectively shared context.
According to the ethnomethodological indifference there is no preferred research areas or topics. " As a festival is canceled " or " As someone Jazz has learned to play " are just as legitimate objects of study such as "Driving of 18 - ton trucks on highways " or " The practical carrying out of investigations of empirical social research ": you can learn and show how it is made by one goes and watches how it is done. There is no modeling the manner of a theory.
Crisis experiments
If less than experiment rather, assistance for a careless memory '. In these crises, it is shown that the stability of social norms in the interaction is to constantly work done the interactants. The matter- of -functioning interaction is a social performance of the participants. Crisis experiments are often stereotypically characterized as the method of ethnomethodology; this is the time in which Garfinkel and colleagues carried out these experiments was mainly restricted to the 1960s.
Durkheim's aphorism
Émile Durkheim suggested that social facts should be treated as things. This will usually be taken to mean that the objectivity of social facts is regarded as given and thus forms the basis of all sociological analysis. In the reading of Garfinkel and Harvey Sacks, however, raises this objectivity of social facts as intersubjectively product produced interactive work represents the process- creation of social facts itself becomes the object of research.