Ethnomethodology- what did Garfinkel mean by this term? In my understanding of the reading and lecture material, he basically meant it was the study of people’s methods with one another and how they behave in everyday situations. A focus in the reading was based on Garfinkel’s “breaching experiments”. These would basically involve the conscious exhibition of unexpected behaviour, an observation of the types of social reactions such as behavioural violations engenders, and an analysis of the social structure that makes these social reactions possible.
“Social actors come to want to do what the institutionalized normative patterns require them to do” To a certain extent and based on the majority of society, I agree with Parson’ statement; however there are exceptions to the rule. Does committing a crime such as robbery exhibit a social actor institutionalising normative patterns in society? In my understanding it doesn’t, this would be going against social norms, and rather a breach of social morality.
Jeremy Suizo wrote the article, "The Breaching Experiment is a simple ethnomethodological method of testing sociological concepts of cultural norms and conformity". He made an interesting point about breaching experiments; he suggests that breaching experiments show how people often take for granted the unwritten social norms that are generally assumed by members of a society. I completely agree with this statement, before I started this subject, I would never have thought about why and how social norms come to exist.
I will leave you with this clip on breaching experiments in a university setting. It is based on the social norm of people holding doors open for the next person to walk in.
References:
Heritage, John. 1984. “The Morality of Cognition.” Pp. 75-102 in Garfinkel and
Ethnomethodology. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Ethnomethodology. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Suizo, J 2010, 'The Breaching Experiment is a simple ethnomethodological method of testing sociological concepts of cultural norms and conformity', accessed 7/9/2012.
Hey, Karishma. I really enjoyed reading your post as it provided insight in what Garfinkel was referring to in his article. I particularly engaged with the breaching experiments and found them fascinating, and it seems that you did, too. I enjoyed your video example and found it helpful in understanding the concepts to a greater degree.
ReplyDeleteKarishma you definitely underpinned my understanding of Goffman’s “Breaching Experiments” through the additional readings you have included. It broadens my understanding by acknowledging the importance of social norms that are accepted within particular contexts, and how a disruption to such norms can alter and cause disorder in social interactions. You have highlighted an important notion by Jeremy Suizo that “breaching experiments show how people often take for granted the unwritten social norms that are generally assumed by members of a society”. Often I forget that the way I conduct myself in particular contexts and social interactions is not coincidental, but has in fact been imbedded in my knowledge through the repetition of experiences, as the standardised norms of various settings. Behaving in a professional and polite manner in my work environment has come about from my repeated interactions with work colleagues and the normalised behaviour that I witness by the majority of my work colleagues.
ReplyDeleteI support your argument that there are in fact exceptions to Parson’s statement “Social actors come to want to do what the institutionalized normative patterns require them to do”. Typically the majority of individuals in a particular social context follow the accepted social norms in order to avoid conflict or disturbance to the method of social interactions. Yet a minority of individuals will contradict social normality in order to sustain other motives such as personal gain, or recognition from an audience, rather than merely conforming and blending in. For example in a typical well behaved classroom setting, most students will conform by raising their hand and making use of respectful language in order to voice an opinion or answer a question, however one student may talk out of turn and use profanity in order to stand out from the other students, humour their audience or humiliate another member of the audience, such as a fellow classmate or teacher.
Karishma, I found your blog material to be very productive in expanding my understanding of Goffman’s “Breaching experiments”.
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