Ethnomethodology and literature: Preliminaries to a sociology of reading

Abstract

The field of reading as a practical social accomplishment is located as a province previously ignored by sociologies of literature and as an investigateable ‘object’ for ethnomethodology. Central issues in ethnomethodology are discussed concerning their ripeness for a possible sociology of reading. Throughout the paper, the issue of the distinction between reading and conversation is treated. Finally, some initial ways of empirically locating readers' resources are given and conclusions are drawn as to what an ethnomethodological sociology of literature might look like.