Ethnomethodology, a distinct subfield within sociology, fundamentally reorients the study of social order. Rather than assuming a pre-existing, external structure that dictates behavior, ethnomethodology investigates how individuals, in their everyday interactions, actively produce, maintain, and reproduce the sense of social order. Originating with Harold Garfinkel's work in the 1960s, it treats social order not as an inherent property of society, but as an ongoing, practical accomplishment of its members. This approach shifts the focus from abstract social forces to the concrete, observable methods people use to make sense of their world and coordinate their actions. By examining commonplace activities, ethnomethodology offers a unique perspective on the practical reasoning and indexicality that underpin social life.
A core concept in ethnomethodology is "indexicality," which refers to the fact that the meaning of any utterance or action is dependent on its context. For example, the word "yes" can signify agreement, resignation, or even sarcasm, depending on the situation, the speakers involved, and their shared understandings. Ethnomethodologists are fascinated by how people manage this contextual dependency to achieve mutual understanding. Garfinkel's famous "breaching experiments," where researchers intentionally violated social norms to observe people's reactions, starkly illustrated this. When a student acted as a lodger in their own home, for instance, the resulting confusion and attempts to restore normalcy highlighted the taken-for-granted rules that govern family life. These experiments revealed that social order is not passively accepted but actively constructed and defended through the constant effort of interpretation and response.
Another crucial element is "accountability." Ethnomethodologists argue that social actions are always oriented towards being understandable and verifiable by others. People produce their actions in ways that make them recognizable as specific types of behavior, and they are constantly engaged in "accounting" for their actions—explaining them or making them appear sensible. This is evident in everyday conversations, where speakers use various linguistic and non-linguistic cues to ensure their meaning is grasped. Consider the careful phrasing and pauses a speaker might use when delivering sensitive news; these are not just stylistic choices but practical methods for managing the accountability of their utterance, ensuring it is perceived as intended. Ethnomethodology examines the "members' methods" for doing this, revealing the practical skills of social actors.
The methodology of ethnomethodology is empirical and observational, focusing on detailed analysis of naturally occurring interactions. Instead of relying on surveys or grand theoretical frameworks, ethnomethodologists painstakingly document and analyze recordings of conversations, workplace practices, or public spaces. Garfinkel's studies of Agnes, a trans woman in the 1960s, examined how Agnes managed her gender identity in everyday interactions, revealing the continuous work involved in presenting oneself as a particular gender. Similarly, studies of courtroom proceedings or emergency rooms meticulously map out the procedures and practical reasoning that allow these institutions to function. The goal is to describe the methods people use to make their social world orderly and understandable, rather than to explain social phenomena by appealing to abstract social structures.
In conclusion, ethnomethodology offers a vital corrective to sociological perspectives that overlook the foundational role of practical action in constituting social order. By focusing on the indexicality of meaning and the continuous work of accountability, it reveals how members of society actively create and sustain the shared realities we often take for granted. Its rigorous, observational approach provides granular insights into the mechanics of everyday social life, demonstrating that social order is not a given, but a perpetual, observable achievement.