What is ethnomethodology primarily concerned with?

Ethnomethodology is primarily concerned with the study of the commonsense knowledge that people use to navigate everyday situations. This approach, developed by sociologist Harold Garfinkel, focuses on the ways individuals make sense of their social world through shared understandings and implicit social rules. Ethnomethodologists observe how people interact and the methods they employ to maintain social order, emphasizing the importance of the interpretations and actions individuals take in their daily lives.

In this perspective, the emphasis is on understanding the social processes and interactions that people engage in, rather than on cultural, economic, or historical influences directly. Ethnomethodology scrutinizes how individuals construct meaning and manage their social realities, making it vital in analyzing the ordinary practices through which social life is organized.