Table Of ContentEthnomethodology at Work
Edited by
Mark Rouncefield and Peter Tolmie
EthnomEthodology at Work
When students and other researchers ask me how to go about doing an ethnomethodological
study of work, there is no simple answer to give. With this collection, what I can now do is
help them see why there is no simple answer while, nevertheless, getting them started on
pursuing their first studies in ethnomethodology.
Eric laurier, University of Edinburgh, Uk
Ethnomethodology, unlike most of sociology, looks at social conduct and such things as
how people use talk to organise workplaces and how the examination of code in software
engineering entails particular types of reading. Because of its remarkable concern for the
empirical, ethnomethodology has been widely used outside sociology, in computer science
and related disciplines especially, which need such evidence to make better designs. Who
the human is and what they do matters to these disciplines.
richard harper, microsoft research Cambridge, Uk
Some sociologists may sigh ‘grow up’ to the ‘grumpy old men’ who put their unruly
ethnomethodological orientation to work here. But their impatience with ‘conceptual’,
‘visionary’, ‘fictional’ interpretive sociology is incisively productive for sociology today
(as well as practical endeavours of policy-making and socio-technical design), detailing
the power of practical sociological reasoning amongst ordinary members and makers of
society. A passionate and useful book for both teaching and research.
monika Buscher, lancaster University, Uk
directions in Ethnomethodology
and Conversation analysis
Series Editors:
Stephen hester, University of Wales, Uk
david Francis, manchester metropolitan University, Uk
Ethnomethodology and Conversation analysis are cognate approaches to the
study of social action that together comprise a major perspective within the
contemporary human sciences. this perspective focuses upon naturally occurring
talk and interaction and analyses the methods by which social activities are
ordered and accomplished. From its origins within sociology, EM/CA has ramified
across a wide range of human science disciplines, including anthropology, social
psychology, linguistics, communication studies and social studies of technology.
Its influence is international, with large and active research communities in many
countries, including Japan, australia, Canada, France, the netherlands, denmark
and Sweden as well as the Uk and USa.
the International Institute of Ethnomethodology and Conversation analysis is
the major association of Em/Ca researchers worldwide. It was set up in 1978 by
Prof. george Psathas to provide a forum for international collaboration between
scholars working in the field of studies of social action and to support their work
through conferences and publications. It published several books in Em/Ca in
association with University Press of america. now reconstituted under the
direction of Francis and hester, supported by an international steering committee,
the IIEmCa holds regular conferences and symposia in various countries.
this major new book series will present current work in Em/Ca, including
research monographs, edited collections and theoretical studies. It will be essential
reading for specialists in the field as well as those who wish to know more about
this major approach to human action.
Other titles in this series
Preference organisation and Peer disputes
How Young Children Resolve Conflict
Amelia Church
ISBn 978-0-7546-7441-2
analysing Practical and Professional texts
a naturalistic approach
Rod Watson
ISBn 978-0-7546-7897-7
Ethnomethodology at Work
Edited by
mark roUnCEFIEld
Lancaster University, UK
and
PEtEr tolmIE
University of Nottingham, UK
© Mark Rouncefield and Peter Tolmie 2011
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
Mark Rouncefield and Peter Tolmie have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the editors of this work.
Published by
ashgate Publishing limited ashgate Publishing Company
Wey Court East Suite 420
Union road 101 Cherry Street
Farnham Burlington
Surrey, gU9 7Pt Vt 05401-4405
England USa
www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Ethnomethodology at work. -- (directions in
ethnomethodology and conversation analysis)
1. Ethnomethodology. 2. organizational behavior--
Evaluation. 3. Work--research.
I. Series II. Rouncefield, Mark. III. Tolmie, Peter.
302.3'5'072-dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rouncefield, Mark.
Ethnomethodology at work / by Mark Rouncefield and Peter Tolmie.
p. cm. -- (directions in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBn 978-0-7546-4771-3 (hardback) -- ISBn 978-0-7546-9135-8 (ebook)
1. Ethnomethodology. 2. organizational sociology. I. tolmie, Peter. II. title.
hm481.r66 2011
305.8001--dc22
2010045763
ISBn 9780754647713 (hbk)
ISBn 9780754691358 (ebk)
III
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Contributors xi
Acknowledgements xv
Preface and Overview: Garfinkel’s Bastards …? xvii
Mark Rouncefield and Peter Tolmie
1 the Sociologist as movie Critic 1
Dave Randall and Wes Sharrock
2 the Project as an organisational Environment for the
division of labour 19
Wes Sharrock
3 organizational acumen 37
Peter Tolmie and Mark Rouncefield
4 on Calculation 57
John A. Hughes
5 Plans and Planning: Conceptual Confusions and
Empirical Investigations 73
Dave Randall and Mark Rouncefield
6 the temporal order of Work 91
Andy Crabtree, Mark Rouncefield and Peter Tolmie
7 talk: talking the organisation into Being 109
David Martin and Jacki O’Neill
8 meetings and the accomplishment of organization 131
John Hughes, Dave Randall, Mark Rouncefield and Peter Tolmie
9 documents 151
Mark Hartswood, Mark Rouncefield, Roger Slack and
Andrew Carlin
10 text at Work: mundane Practices of reading in Workplaces 173
John Rooksby
vi Ethnomethodology at Work
11 technology 191
Mark Rouncefield, Roger Slack and Mark Hartswood
12 Conclusion: Ethnomethodology and Constructionist Studies of
technology 211
Wes Sharrock and Graham Button
Bibliography 229
Index 247
list of Figures
3.1 The first draft of the process map 51
7.1 organisational layout of technical support 122
9.1 a screening reporting form showing annotations made by the
radiographer 158
9.2 the ‘bubble diagram’ 164
9.3 Plan of dual carriageway near bridge 165
10.1 a task card 180
10.2 the notice board 180
10.3 the code 184
11.1 aligning the slab 196
11.2 Pulpit controls 196
11.3 Repertoires of manipulation: using hand to find position of
feature on CC and oblique views 200
11.4 repertoires of manipulation: using a pencil to trace an arc so as
to find a feature in the film 200
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list of tables
4.1 Extract from meeting 63
4.2 Extract from meeting 64
