This book revisits the arguments by which Harvey Sacks and Harold Garfinkel opposed the widespread attempt in the social sciences to construct disciplinary theories and methods in place of common-sense knowledge of human action, and proposed instead an alternative that would investigate the organised methods of natural language use and common-sense reasoning that constitute social orders – arguments that led to the establishment and proliferation of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis.

As the very "constructive analysis" that they opposed has begun to be incorporated into influential lines of research in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, the authors return to the founding insights of the field and reiterate the importance of Garfinkel and Sacks’ original and controversial proposals for an "alternate" sociology of practical action and practical reasoning. Showing how constructive analysis has become entrenched in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis and arguing for a need to "re-boot" these approaches, this volume constitutes a call for a renewal of the radical alternative proposed by Garfinkel and Sacks.

This book revisits the arguments by which Harvey Sacks and Harold Garfinkel opposed the widespread attempt in the social sciences to construct disciplinary theories and methods in place of common-sense knowledge of human action, and proposed instead an alternative that would investigate the organised methods of natural language use and common-sense reasoning that constitute social orders – arguments that led to the establishment and proliferation of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis.

As the very "constructive analysis" that they opposed has begun to be incorporated into influential lines of research in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, the authors return to the founding insights of the field and reiterate the importance of Garfinkel and Sacks’ original and controversial proposals for an "alternate" sociology of practical action and practical reasoning. Showing how constructive analysis has become entrenched in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis and arguing for a need to "re-boot" these approaches, this volume constitutes a call for a renewal of the radical alternative proposed by Garfinkel and Sacks.

Social scientists have shown ongoing interest in how they can contribute to the use, design, operation, and implementation of technology. Substantial funding and research have supported empirically-based fieldwork that has led to important developments across various industrial and practical settings.

Sociology has maintained a long-standing interest in technology, attempting to address its social foundations. This development coincides with growing interest from computer systems developers in sociology’s potential contributions to systems development. By emphasizing principles developed within ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, Technology in Working Order (originally published in 1993, now with a new preface) demonstrates how sociology can examine technology as a socially organised domain of activity.

The volume brings together original research with direct relevance to industrial developments. Topics range from introducing technology into the work of air traffic controllers and police officers, to studies of simulated human-computer interaction and the use of ‘intelligent machines’ in medical settings.

Social scientists have shown ongoing interest in how they can contribute to the use, design, operation, and implementation of technology. Substantial funding and research have supported empirically-based fieldwork that has led to important developments across various industrial and practical settings.

Sociology has maintained a long-standing interest in technology, attempting to address its social foundations. This development coincides with growing interest from computer systems developers in sociology’s potential contributions to systems development. By emphasizing principles developed within ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, Technology in Working Order (originally published in 1993, now with a new preface) demonstrates how sociology can examine technology as a socially organised domain of activity.

The volume brings together original research with direct relevance to industrial developments. Topics range from introducing technology into the work of air traffic controllers and police officers, to studies of simulated human-computer interaction and the use of ‘intelligent machines’ in medical settings.

This book aims to deconstruct ethnography to alert systems designers, and other stakeholders, to the issues presented by new approaches that move beyond the studies of ‘work’ and ‘work practice’ within the social sciences (in particular anthropology and sociology). The theoretical and methodological apparatus of the social sciences distort the social and cultural world as lived in and understood by ordinary members, whose common-sense understandings shape the actual milieu into which systems are placed and used.

In Deconstructing Ethnography the authors show how ‘new’ calls are returning systems design to ‘old’ and problematic ways of understanding the social. They argue that systems design can be appropriately grounded in the social through the ordinary methods that members use to order their actions and interactions.

This work is written for post-graduate students and researchers alike, as well as design practitioners who have an interest in bringing the social to bear on design in a systematic rather than a piecemeal way. This is not a ‘how to’ book, but instead elaborates the foundations upon which the social can be systematically built into the design of ubiquitous and interactive systems.

This book revisits the arguments by which Harvey Sacks and Harold Garfinkel opposed the widespread attempt in the social sciences to construct disciplinary theories and methods in place of common-sense knowledge of human action, and proposed instead an alternative that would investigate the organised methods of natural language use and common-sense reasoning that constitute social orders – arguments that led to the establishment and proliferation of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis.

As the very "constructive analysis" that they opposed has begun to be incorporated into influential lines of research in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, the authors return to the founding insights of the field and reiterate the importance of Garfinkel and Sacks’ original and controversial proposals for an "alternate" sociology of practical action and practical reasoning. Showing how constructive analysis has become entrenched in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis and arguing for a need to "re-boot" these approaches, this volume constitutes a call for a renewal of the radical alternative proposed by Garfinkel and Sacks.

This book revisits the arguments by which Harvey Sacks and Harold Garfinkel opposed the widespread attempt in the social sciences to construct disciplinary theories and methods in place of common-sense knowledge of human action, and proposed instead an alternative that would investigate the organised methods of natural language use and common-sense reasoning that constitute social orders – arguments that led to the establishment and proliferation of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis.

As the very "constructive analysis" that they opposed has begun to be incorporated into influential lines of research in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, the authors return to the founding insights of the field and reiterate the importance of Garfinkel and Sacks’ original and controversial proposals for an "alternate" sociology of practical action and practical reasoning. Showing how constructive analysis has become entrenched in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis and arguing for a need to "re-boot" these approaches, this volume constitutes a call for a renewal of the radical alternative proposed by Garfinkel and Sacks.

Social scientists have shown ongoing interest in how they can contribute to the use, design, operation, and implementation of technology. Substantial funding and research have supported empirically-based fieldwork that has led to important developments across various industrial and practical settings.

Sociology has maintained a long-standing interest in technology, attempting to address its social foundations. This development coincides with growing interest from computer systems developers in sociology’s potential contributions to systems development. By emphasizing principles developed within ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, Technology in Working Order (originally published in 1993, now with a new preface) demonstrates how sociology can examine technology as a socially organised domain of activity.

The volume brings together original research with direct relevance to industrial developments. Topics range from introducing technology into the work of air traffic controllers and police officers, to studies of simulated human-computer interaction and the use of ‘intelligent machines’ in medical settings.

Social scientists have shown ongoing interest in how they can contribute to the use, design, operation, and implementation of technology. Substantial funding and research have supported empirically-based fieldwork that has led to important developments across various industrial and practical settings.

Sociology has maintained a long-standing interest in technology, attempting to address its social foundations. This development coincides with growing interest from computer systems developers in sociology’s potential contributions to systems development. By emphasizing principles developed within ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, Technology in Working Order (originally published in 1993, now with a new preface) demonstrates how sociology can examine technology as a socially organised domain of activity.

The volume brings together original research with direct relevance to industrial developments. Topics range from introducing technology into the work of air traffic controllers and police officers, to studies of simulated human-computer interaction and the use of ‘intelligent machines’ in medical settings.

This book aims to deconstruct ethnography to alert systems designers, and other stakeholders, to the issues presented by new approaches that move beyond the studies of ‘work’ and ‘work practice’ within the social sciences (in particular anthropology and sociology). The theoretical and methodological apparatus of the social sciences distort the social and cultural world as lived in and understood by ordinary members, whose common-sense understandings shape the actual milieu into which systems are placed and used.

In Deconstructing Ethnography the authors show how ‘new’ calls are returning systems design to ‘old’ and problematic ways of understanding the social. They argue that systems design can be appropriately grounded in the social through the ordinary methods that members use to order their actions and interactions.

This work is written for post-graduate students and researchers alike, as well as design practitioners who have an interest in bringing the social to bear on design in a systematic rather than a piecemeal way. This is not a ‘how to’ book, but instead elaborates the foundations upon which the social can be systematically built into the design of ubiquitous and interactive systems.