Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M2737

Ethnomethodology

Ethnomethodology
CultureHigh supportSociology
Included
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

The study of how people maintain social order in everyday life through tacit rules. Garfinkel's 'breaching experiments' (e.g., acting as a lodger at home) reveal these invisible rules.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Rule insight: When you feel a situation is 'weird' but can't articulate why, it's because someone has broken an unspoken rule. To truly integrate into a group, don't rely on formal regulations; instead, observe 'what everyone takes for granted' to master the ethnomethod.

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Anchor fast decisions

Ethnomethodology (Harold Garfinkel) studies how ordinary people, in everyday interaction, use common sense and skills 'in situ' to construct order and meaning. It treats social order as an ongoing 'accomplishment' produced by members, rather than a pre-existing structure.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EthnomethodologyZH · Explicit
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