Harold Garfinkel
| Harold Garfinkel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
October 29, 1917 Newark, New Jersey |
| Died | April 21, 2011 (aged 93) Los Angeles, California |
| Fields | sociological theory, social theory |
| Known for | ethnomethodological indifference, member methods, unique adequacy requirement, shop floor problem |
| Influences | Aron Gurwitsch, Talcott Parsons, Alfred Schütz |
| Influenced | Harvey Sacks, Michael Lynch, Lucy Suchman |
Harold Garfinkel (October 29, 1917 – April 21, 2011) was an American sociologist, ethnomethodologist, and a Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is known for establishing and developing ethnomethodology as a field of inquiry in sociology. He is probably best known for his classic book, Studies in Ethnomethodology, which was published in 1967, a collection of articles some of which had previously been published. Selections from unpublished materials were later published in two volumes: Seeing Sociologically and Ethnomethodology's Program. There was also a collection of 'studies of work' by his students which he edited.
Harold Garfinkel was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 29, 1917, and was raised there throughout his childhood. His father, a furniture dealer, had hoped his son would follow him into the family business. Although he did help his father out with the family business, Garfinkel decided to also attend college and study accounting at the University of Newark. At the University of Newark, courses were mainly taught by Columbia graduate students, who brought more theoretical experiences to the classroom. This theoretical approach guided Garfinkel later on in his theories he formed. In the summer following graduation, Garfinkel volunteered at a Quaker work camp in Cornelia, Georgia. This was an eye-opening experience for Garfinkel. He worked with students from diverse backgrounds who demonstrated a wide variety of interests, influencing his decision to later take up sociology as a career. While volunteering in Georgia, Garfinkel learned about the sociology program at the University of North Carolina. This program specifically focused on public work projects like the one Garfinkel was working on. Garfinkel completed his Masters in 1942 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after writing his thesis on interracial homicide. Before graduating, he worked under the supervision of his graduate professor, Howard W. Odum. Garfinkel wrote the short story "Color Trouble" which was first published in the journal, Opportunity, in 1940. "Color Trouble" discussed the victimization of segregated black women traveling on a bus in Virginia. With the onset of World War II, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps and served as a trainer at a base in Florida. As the war effort wound down he was transferred to Gulfport, Mississippi, where he met his wife and lifelong partner, Arlene Steinback.
...
Wikipedia