Ethnomethodology as 'serious ethnography' for studying interaction in natural settings¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The essay describes Goffman's method of inquiry, "serious ethnography" or ethnomethodology, whose studies "explore the influence of peoples' standpoints (or perspective) on their thought and action in great detail." Ethnomethodologists examine physical and social circumstances, habits, background knowledge, and practical motives. Goffman's goal was to "identify the countless patterns and natural sequences of behavior occurring when persons come into one anothers' immediate presence," making the familiar appear unfamiliar so that real understanding could be determined.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Field work in natural settings, as Goffman did in the Shetland Isles and St. Elizabeth's Hospital
• Researcher awareness of his own impact on the observed phenomena and of how the situation influences an episode's meaning

Constraints¶

• The essay states the method has limitations and liabilities because the researcher is part of what is being studied

Target Learners¶

• rhetoric and communication scholars

Target Learning Objectives¶

• studying natural patterns of human interaction and social norms

Claims¶

Related Theories¶

• Goffman Dramaturgical Front Back Self Model
• Symbolic interactionism: individuals and society as inseparable, held together by changing shared symbols

Examples¶

• Use norm violation and metaphorical models to surface taken-for-granted communication assumptions
• Break conversation into micro-units to study the structure of interaction

Key Sources¶

• Corder, Lloyd E. (1988). The Utility of Erving Goffman's Theoretical Perspective, Metaphorical Models, and "Serious Ethnography" for the Rhetoric and Communication Scholar. ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED299654