Etnometodologia

Etnometodologia is a sociological perspective that studies the methods people use in their everyday lives to make sense of and interact with their social world. It focuses on the practical, common-sense reasoning and procedures that individuals employ to understand and produce social order. Rather than examining abstract social structures or norms, etnometodologia is concerned with the ongoing, practical accomplishment of social life. Key to this approach is the concept of indexicality, which suggests that the meaning of any utterance or action is dependent on its context and can only be understood by referring to that context. Etnometodologists often use detailed observation and analysis of naturally occurring conversations and interactions to reveal these underlying methods. They are particularly interested in how individuals create and maintain a sense of shared reality and agreement, even in the absence of explicit rules or formal structures. The term itself, coined by Harold Garfinkel, combines "ethno" meaning "people" or "folk" and "methodology" meaning "study of methods." Etnometodologia seeks to uncover the taken-for-granted ways in which people navigate their social environments and produce predictable social patterns through their own actions and interpretations.