Harold Garfinkel

Garfinkel, ethnomethodologist from UCLA, who brought you the back channel, phatic communion, and the breaching experiment.

Phatic Communion refers to the kind of communication that does not involve the actual exchange of information, at least propositional information. We talk about the weather because it is a way of showing our goodwill to the other person. You know, you're in the elevator, and you're kind of saying, I'm not planning to stab you or anything so thank you for not stabbing me either. The critical information that is being exchanged is about interactional goals and social intention (is that totally redundant? maybe). We are thus also debunking the mythical assumption that the purpose of language is to convey information, at least propositional information. We are using it to convey critical social information.

Garfinkel was always doing breaching experiments and getting his students to do them, whereby they would set out to find out whether a social norm was really a norm or not by breaking it. This is where the expression "the exception proves the rule" is very literally borne out. For example, he apparently went to work one day and determined that he would not say anything at all that was not about the business that needed to be done (in his office). Please do this, etc. It is reported that he had pretty much started WWIII by the end of the day. Phatic communion is really a vehicle for communicating to the other person: everything is ok with us.

"Back channels" is what Garfinkel calls the sounds we make to show that we are listening to someone. Uh huh. I see. Shut up! She did not! right, yeah, mm hm. . .