Ethnomethodology — Garfinkel's breaching experiments
Ethnomethodology (Garfinkel) studies methods people use to make social world orderly. Breaching experiments deliberately violate norms to reveal hidden expectations.
Real World
Garfinkel's students asked shopkeepers 'what do you mean?' after every statement; the resulting confusion and anger revealed how much everyday conversation relies on unspoken, taken-for-granted rules.
Exam Focus
Always explain what breaching experiments reveal, not just what they are — examiners want the sociological insight, not the anecdote.
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