Studies in ETHNOMETHODOLOGY HAROLD GARFINKEL University of California, Los Angeles Penrice Hatt, Ne., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey(© 1067 by Prexnce-Hats, Isc, Englewood Cus, Now Jersey All rights reserved, No part of this book ‘ay be reproduced is any form or by any means ‘witout permission in weting fom the publaker Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 67-2565, Curent printing (last dit) woeT6s4 gad Prewmce Hass lerensamraty Ine, London Prevrice Hatt or AUrraatis, Pr. Lo. Syney Prevrice Hatt or Caxans, roy Toro Provrice Hatt or Inoue Pavatz Lyo, New Deh Phnvrict Hatt oy Jara, tne, Tokyo To ABRAHAM GARFINKELPreface In doing sociology, lay and professional, every reference tothe “real world,” even where the reference i to physical oF biological events, isa reference to the organized activites of everyday life ‘Thereby, in contrast to certain versions of Durkheim that teach that the objective reality of social facts & sociology’s fundamental pein- ‘ple, the lesson is taken instead, and used as a study policy, that the objective reality of socal facts ar an ongoing accomplishment of the concerted activites of daily life, with the ordinary, artful ‘ways of that accomplishment being by members known, used, and taken for granted, i, for members doing sociology, a fundamental phenomenon, Because, and in the ways itis practical socology’s fundamental phenomenon, it is the prevailing topic for ethno. methodological study. Ethnomethodblogical studies analyze every- day activities us members’ methods for making those same activities isibly-rationsband:-reportableforalrpractical- purposes, Le, “ac countable," as organlzations of commonplace everyday activities. ‘The reflexivity of that phenomenon isa singular feature of practical actions, of practical circumstances, of common sense knowledge of Socal structures, and of practical sociological reasoning. By pemnit- ting us to locate and examine their occurrence the reflexivity ofthat phenomenon establishes ther study “Their study is directed to the tasks of learning how members