Garfinkel focused his studies on the way that individuals in a society find shared meanings in their everyday lives, through interaction and other experiences. Through this he developed the term Ethnomethodology, which questions the rationality behind socially created norms. Ethnomethodology also studies how individuals make sense of their reality. However, according to Garfinkel, reality is not stable as individuals are constantly trying to construct stability based on past, present, and future reactions to maintain fluidity and normalcy. Through Garfinkel’s research he created the experimental concept called Breaching. Breaching highlights the norms in society that have been socially created and have no inherent meaning other than to fight …show more content…
On a University campus it is common to see students rushing to their next destination, whether it’s to their next class, work, or a college seminar. At the University of Central Florida the Student Union is the one of the most heavily populated areas on campus. Our class of 40 students decided to do an experiment that involved breaking social norms. We all spread out in front of the student union and stood absolutely still. The reactions from other students was spontaneous. Everyone walking, rushing, or riding their bikes slowed down and watched. Many people were even anxious and covered it by laughing or asking others what was happening. Some even walked up to us and asked questions because they were genuinely concerned. Other’s tried to avoid us and continue with their “ordinary” day. Applying Garfinkel’s concept of breaching to this experiment, we successfully disrupted the normal busy setting surrounding the Student Union, creating anxiety, and curiosity. Some people even yell at us to stop because they were “creeped out.” In a sense they were “creeped out” by the lack of normalcy and were begging for social order again. Looking back on that experiment with an Ethnomethodological perspective, it is easy to see how unstable society really becomes when simple unstated norms are