PsychologySeptember 2, 2026
ethnomethodology
ETH-no-meth-uh-DOL-uh-jee
Definition
A sociological approach focused on the methods people use to make sense of their daily social interactions and the shared, often unspoken, rules that construct their reality.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'ethnos' (people or nation) combined with 'methodology.' It was coined in the 1960s by sociologist Harold Garfinkel to describe the study of how individuals create and maintain social order in their mundane, everyday life.
In the news
Dr. Hornstein mentions ethnomethodology as a core part of her unique, interdisciplinary graduate training at Clark University, which helped shape her commitment to analyzing subjective experience.
First-Person Knowledge and the Meanings of Madness: An Interview with Gail Hornstein
Read the full article ↗Mad In America