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Ethnography, CSCW and Ethnomethodology

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Ethnography, CSCW and Ethnomethodology. / Randall, D.; Rouncefield, M.; Tolmie, P.
In: Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Vol. 30, No. 2, 30.04.2021, p. 189-214.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Randall, D, Rouncefield, M & Tolmie, P 2021, 'Ethnography, CSCW and Ethnomethodology', Computer Supported Cooperative Work, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 189-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-020-09388-8

APA

Randall, D., Rouncefield, M., & Tolmie, P. (2021). Ethnography, CSCW and Ethnomethodology. Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 30(2), 189-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-020-09388-8

Vancouver

Randall D, Rouncefield M, Tolmie P. Ethnography, CSCW and Ethnomethodology. Computer Supported Cooperative Work. 2021 Apr 30;30(2):189-214. Epub 2020 Nov 26. doi: 10.1007/s10606-020-09388-8

Author

Randall, D. ; Rouncefield, M. ; Tolmie, P. / Ethnography, CSCW and Ethnomethodology. In: Computer Supported Cooperative Work. 2021 ; Vol. 30, No. 2. pp. 189-214.

Bibtex

@article{297c9b9419c84546ab4e272c101a1dcf,
title = "Ethnography, CSCW and Ethnomethodology",
abstract = "This paper documents some details and some examples of the influence of ethnomethodological work in the fieldwork tradition associated with European CSCW; in particular what has been termed {\textquoteleft}ethnomethodologically informed ethnography{\textquoteright}. In so doing, we do not wish to downplay other perspectival and methodological contributions but to simply suggest that much of the ethnomethodological work that was done in the UK during the early development of CSCW had a distinctive character and made significant contributions to the study of complex organizational environments for design-related purposes that arguably reinvigorated the European fieldwork tradition. The distinctiveness we speak of in {\textquoteleft}ethnomethodologically informed ethnography{\textquoteright} had to do with what it owed to Wittgenstein and Winch as much as Garfinkel and Sacks, was rooted in a contempt for methodological fetishism, and emphasized the centrality of reasoning or rationale in the conduct of working and, more generally, social life. This focus and approach drew heavily on the ethnographic work of the likes of John Hughes in Lancaster, Wes Sharrock in Manchester, Bob Anderson at Xerox in Cambridge, and Christian Heath in King{\textquoteright}s, London, where attention was focused on the actual {\textquoteleft}doing{\textquoteright} of work as opposed to work in some idealised form – and it is this that we suggest has become important to design and designers of various kinds and in various domains.",
keywords = "CSCW, Ethnography, Ethnomethodology, Fieldwork, Computer applications, Computer science, Computer supported cooperative work, Andersons, Cambridge, Christians, Manchester, Methodological contributions, Paper documents, Social life, Social aspects",
author = "D. Randall and M. Rouncefield and P. Tolmie",
year = "2021",
month = apr,
day = "30",
doi = "10.1007/s10606-020-09388-8",
language = "English",
volume = "30",
pages = "189--214",
journal = "Computer Supported Cooperative Work",
issn = "0925-9724",
publisher = "Kluwer Academic Publishers",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ethnography, CSCW and Ethnomethodology

AU - Randall, D.

AU - Rouncefield, M.

AU - Tolmie, P.

PY - 2021/4/30

Y1 - 2021/4/30

N2 - This paper documents some details and some examples of the influence of ethnomethodological work in the fieldwork tradition associated with European CSCW; in particular what has been termed ‘ethnomethodologically informed ethnography’. In so doing, we do not wish to downplay other perspectival and methodological contributions but to simply suggest that much of the ethnomethodological work that was done in the UK during the early development of CSCW had a distinctive character and made significant contributions to the study of complex organizational environments for design-related purposes that arguably reinvigorated the European fieldwork tradition. The distinctiveness we speak of in ‘ethnomethodologically informed ethnography’ had to do with what it owed to Wittgenstein and Winch as much as Garfinkel and Sacks, was rooted in a contempt for methodological fetishism, and emphasized the centrality of reasoning or rationale in the conduct of working and, more generally, social life. This focus and approach drew heavily on the ethnographic work of the likes of John Hughes in Lancaster, Wes Sharrock in Manchester, Bob Anderson at Xerox in Cambridge, and Christian Heath in King’s, London, where attention was focused on the actual ‘doing’ of work as opposed to work in some idealised form – and it is this that we suggest has become important to design and designers of various kinds and in various domains.

AB - This paper documents some details and some examples of the influence of ethnomethodological work in the fieldwork tradition associated with European CSCW; in particular what has been termed ‘ethnomethodologically informed ethnography’. In so doing, we do not wish to downplay other perspectival and methodological contributions but to simply suggest that much of the ethnomethodological work that was done in the UK during the early development of CSCW had a distinctive character and made significant contributions to the study of complex organizational environments for design-related purposes that arguably reinvigorated the European fieldwork tradition. The distinctiveness we speak of in ‘ethnomethodologically informed ethnography’ had to do with what it owed to Wittgenstein and Winch as much as Garfinkel and Sacks, was rooted in a contempt for methodological fetishism, and emphasized the centrality of reasoning or rationale in the conduct of working and, more generally, social life. This focus and approach drew heavily on the ethnographic work of the likes of John Hughes in Lancaster, Wes Sharrock in Manchester, Bob Anderson at Xerox in Cambridge, and Christian Heath in King’s, London, where attention was focused on the actual ‘doing’ of work as opposed to work in some idealised form – and it is this that we suggest has become important to design and designers of various kinds and in various domains.

KW - CSCW

KW - Ethnography

KW - Ethnomethodology

KW - Fieldwork

KW - Computer applications

KW - Computer science

KW - Computer supported cooperative work

KW - Andersons

KW - Cambridge

KW - Christians

KW - Manchester

KW - Methodological contributions

KW - Paper documents

KW - Social life

KW - Social aspects

U2 - 10.1007/s10606-020-09388-8

DO - 10.1007/s10606-020-09388-8

M3 - Journal article

VL - 30

SP - 189

EP - 214

JO - Computer Supported Cooperative Work

JF - Computer Supported Cooperative Work

SN - 0925-9724

IS - 2

ER -