Ethnomethodology
Focuses on how people make sense of their everyday world.
Social order is an illusion created by shared assumptions and common practices.
Indexicality: Meanings are unstable and dependent on context.
Reflexivity: We behave as if meanings are clear, even when they aren’t.
o Example: Taking turns in a conversation follows unspoken rules.
Garfinkel’s study of suicide: Labels like "suicide" are socially constructed, based on
patterns (e.g., mental illness).
Criticisms:
Ignores the role of power structures and how they influence everyday meanings.
The focus on "common sense" may ignore how societal ideologies shape our
understanding of reality.
Can be too focused on the micro-level, ignoring broader social contexts or historical
factors.
Focuses on how people make sense of their everyday world.
Social order is an illusion created by shared assumptions and common practices.
Indexicality: Meanings are unstable and dependent on context.
Reflexivity: We behave as if meanings are clear, even when they aren’t.
o Example: Taking turns in a conversation follows unspoken rules.
Garfinkel’s study of suicide: Labels like "suicide" are socially constructed, based on
patterns (e.g., mental illness).
Criticisms:
Ignores the role of power structures and how they influence everyday meanings.
The focus on "common sense" may ignore how societal ideologies shape our
understanding of reality.
Can be too focused on the micro-level, ignoring broader social contexts or historical
factors.
