Introduction
Harold Garfinkel (1917–2011) was a pioneering American sociologist and the founder of ethnomethodology, a theoretical and methodological approach that examines how individuals produce and maintain social order in everyday life. Garfinkel’s work is deeply rooted in hermeneutic and interpretative traditions, emphasizing meaning-making, context, and the taken-for-granted practices of social actors.
For UGC NET Sociology, Garfinkel is especially important in questions related to interpretative sociology, phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, and micro-level social analysis. The following section presents 50 carefully framed MCQs with answers, aligned with UGC NET examination patterns.
MCQs on Harold Garfinkel, Hermeneutics, and Interpretative Traditions
1. Harold Garfinkel is best known as the founder of:
A. Symbolic Interactionism
B. Phenomenology
C. Ethnomethodology
D. Structural Functionalism
Answer: C
2. Ethnomethodology primarily studies:
A. Social institutions
B. Social structures
C. Everyday social practices
D. Political power
Answer: C
3. Harold Garfinkel’s work is most closely associated with which sociological tradition?
A. Positivist
B. Interpretative
C. Marxist
D. Functionalist
Answer: B
4. The term “ethnomethodology” refers to:
A. Methods of ethnic groups
B. Folk ways of society
C. Methods people use to make sense of social reality
D. Comparative cultural studies
Answer: C
5. Harold Garfinkel was strongly influenced by which thinker?
A. Emile Durkheim
B. Max Weber
C. Alfred Schutz
D. Karl Marx
Answer: C
6. Alfred Schutz contributed to Garfinkel’s ideas through:
A. Structural analysis
B. Phenomenology
C. Positivism
D. Critical theory
Answer: B
7. Hermeneutics primarily deals with:
A. Measurement
B. Interpretation of meaning
C. Social statistics
D. Economic behavior
Answer: B
8. In ethnomethodology, social order is viewed as:
A. Externally imposed
B. Biologically determined
C. Actively produced by individuals
D. Structurally fixed
Answer: C
9. Harold Garfinkel rejected which approach to sociology?
A. Interpretative
B. Positivist
C. Phenomenological
D. Micro-sociological
Answer: B
10. “Indexicality” in Harold Garfinkel’s theory refers to:
A. Universal meanings
B. Fixed social rules
C. Context-dependent meanings
D. Legal definitions
Answer: C
11. According to Harold Garfinkel, meaning in social interaction is:
A. Objective
B. Static
C. Contextual
D. Universal
Answer: C
12. Which concept explains how actions are made understandable in social life?
A. Anomie
B. Reflexivity
C. Alienation
D. Rationalization
Answer: B
13. Reflexivity in ethnomethodology means:
A. Self-conscious thinking
B. Reflection after action
C. Actions shape and explain social order
D. Psychological introspection
Answer: C
14. Harold Garfinkel’s “breaching experiments” were designed to:
A. Support social norms
B. Disrupt taken-for-granted rules
C. Study deviance statistically
D. Analyze institutions
Answer: B
15. Breaching experiments reveal:
A. Legal authority
B. Social inequality
C. Implicit social norms
D. Class conflict
Answer: C
16. Harold Garfinkel emphasized which level of analysis?
A. Macro
B. Meso
C. Micro
D. Global
Answer: C
17. Interpretative sociology focuses on:
A. Laws of society
B. Meaning and understanding
C. Economic structures
D. Social evolution
Answer: B
18. Which concept reflects the “taken-for-granted” nature of social life?
A. Common sense knowledge
B. Bureaucracy
C. Ideology
D. Power
Answer: A
19. Harold Garfinkel viewed social facts as:
A. Objective realities
B. External constraints
C. Accomplishments of actors
D. Natural laws
Answer: C
20. Ethnomethodology challenges which sociological assumption?
A. Social order exists naturally
B. Meaning is fixed
C. Society is structured
D. Individuals act purposefully
Answer: B
21. Which work is most associated with Garfinkel?
A. The Sociological Imagination
B. Studies in Ethnomethodology
C. Society of the Spectacle
D. Economy and Society
Answer: B
22. Harold Garfinkel’s sociology is closest to:
A. Critical theory
B. Phenomenological sociology
C. Feminist sociology
D. Positivism
Answer: B
23. Interpretative traditions oppose which idea?
A. Subjective meaning
B. Social action
C. Value neutrality
D. Human agency
Answer: C
24. Ethnomethodology treats language as:
A. Neutral tool
B. Symbolic system
C. Contextual action
D. Structural code
Answer: C
25. Which thinker is also associated with interpretative sociology?
A. Talcott Parsons
B. Max Weber
C. Auguste Comte
D. Herbert Spencer
Answer: B
26. Harold Garfinkel argued that sociologists should study:
A. Social laws
B. Institutions only
C. Everyday practices
D. Social evolution
Answer: C
27. Hermeneutics emphasizes understanding from the viewpoint of:
A. Observer
B. Researcher
C. Social actor
D. Institution
Answer: C
28. In ethnomethodology, rules are:
A. Fixed
B. Universal
C. Interpreted in context
D. Legally binding
Answer: C
29. Garfinkel’s approach can be described as:
A. Quantitative
B. Experimental positivism
C. Qualitative interpretative
D. Structuralist
Answer: C
30. Which method is commonly used in ethnomethodology?
A. Surveys
B. Statistical modeling
C. Conversation analysis
D. Census data
Answer: C
31. Ethnomethodology emerged as a critique of:
A. Marxism
B. Functionalism
C. Feminism
D. Postmodernism
Answer: B
32. Garfinkel believed social order is:
A. Pre-given
B. Enforced by law
C. Continuously produced
D. Biologically rooted
Answer: C
33. Interpretative sociology is concerned with:
A. Causes
B. Correlations
C. Meanings
D. Measurements
Answer: C
34. Indexical expressions depend on:
A. Grammar
B. Power relations
C. Context
D. Social class
Answer: C
35. Garfinkel’s work rejects the idea of:
A. Human agency
B. Objective social facts
C. Social interaction
D. Meaning
Answer: B
36. Ethnomethodology studies “methods” used by:
A. Researchers
B. Institutions
C. Ordinary people
D. Governments
Answer: C
37. Hermeneutic tradition originated in:
A. Economics
B. Theology and philosophy
C. Political science
D. Anthropology
Answer: B
38. Garfinkel viewed sociology as the study of:
A. Power structures
B. Cultural values
C. Practical reasoning
D. Economic relations
Answer: C
39. Which concept shows how social actions explain themselves?
A. Rationality
B. Reflexivity
C. Solidarity
D. Authority
Answer: B
40. Garfinkel emphasized “member’s methods” meaning:
A. Legal procedures
B. Academic methods
C. Everyday reasoning practices
D. Scientific laws
Answer: C
41. Interpretative sociology differs from positivism by focusing on:
A. Prediction
B. Explanation
C. Understanding
D. Measurement
Answer: C
42. Garfinkel believed social reality is:
A. Objective and fixed
B. Subjectively constructed
C. Biologically determined
D. Economically driven
Answer: B
43. Ethnomethodology sees norms as:
A. Written rules
B. External constraints
C. Accomplished in interaction
D. Legal codes
Answer: C
44. Breaching experiments highlight:
A. Rational choice
B. Social chaos
C. Fragility of social order
D. Class conflict
Answer: C
45. Garfinkel’s approach is often described as:
A. Macro-deterministic
B. Anti-theoretical
C. Micro-interactional
D. Structural
Answer: C
46. Interpretative traditions emphasize:
A. Explanation through laws
B. Prediction
C. Meaning and context
D. Objectivity
Answer: C
47. Garfinkel argued that sociological theories often:
A. Clarify reality
B. Reveal hidden meanings
C. Ignore everyday practices
D. Empower individuals
Answer: C
48. Ethnomethodology studies how people:
A. Follow laws
B. Create statistics
C. Make sense of daily life
D. Maintain power
Answer: C
49. Garfinkel’s contribution is most significant in:
A. Political sociology
B. Rural sociology
C. Micro sociology
D. Demography
Answer: C
50. For UGC NET, Garfinkel is mainly linked with:
A. Structuralism
B. Interpretative sociology
C. Conflict theory
D. Feminist theory
Answer: B
Conclusion
Harold Garfinkel’s ethnomethodology represents a major shift in sociological thinking by foregrounding meaning, interpretation, and everyday social practices. Rooted in hermeneutic and interpretative traditions, his work challenges positivist assumptions and highlights how social order is continuously constructed through interaction. For UGC NET aspirants, mastering Garfinkel’s concepts is crucial for questions on micro-sociology, phenomenology, and interpretative approaches.