We  are  pleased  to  announce  the  inauguration  of  the Melvin Pollner Prize  in Ethnomethodology.    The  Pollner  Prize  will  be  awarded  every  other  year beginning  in  2010  to  the  author  of  an  article,  chapter,  or  book  that  develops original  work  drawing  upon  or  resonant  with  Mel's  ethnomethodological interests  in  topics  such  as  mundane  reason,  reality  disjunctures,  radical reflexivity,  and  the  connections  and  contributions  of  ethnomethodology  to other  types  of  sociology.    The  Prize  will  be  administered  by  an  awards committee of the Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis Section, which will issue a call for nominations in the near future.

Mel was  an  important  figure  in  ethnomethodology,  producing work  that  had broad  significance  for  sociological  theory  and  research.     His work  analyzed how  people  create  and  sustain  a  sense  of  living  in  an  objective, intersubjectively shared world -- in short, how people  “do” ordinary reality.  In a  series  of  influential  articles  and  in  his  book, Mundane Reason  (1987), Mel examined the ways in which this “objective” reality is produced and sustained in  ordinary  interaction. Through  the  Pollner  Prize  we  seek  to  encourage current  and  future  generations  of  scholars  to  consider  and  engage  these  and other  issues  that  Mel  saw  as  central  contributions  from  and  to ethnomethodology.

While  devoted  to  ethnomethodology, Mel was  committed  to  and  involved  in sociology  and  the  sociological  perspective.    Originally  trained  as  a  survey researcher,  he  continued  to work with  survey  data  throughout  his  career  and published  a  number  of  articles  using  quantitative  data  and  techniques.    He regularly  taught broadly  inclusive  courses on  the  sociology of mental  illness, and edited and published work in this area addressing a variety of fundamental sociological  issues  and  processes.    Mel  also  had  a  life-long  interest  in  the historical  shaping  of  human  consciousness,  drawing  inspiration  from  works ranging from Julian Jaynes’ analysis of the breakdown of the bicameral mind to Norbert  Ellias’  studies  of manners  and  the  civilizing  process.     We  see  the Pollner  Prize  as  providing  a  tribute  not  only  to Mel’s  ethnomethodological concerns, but also to his passion for the broader sociological enterprise. Although  initial  funds  have  been  donated  to  establish  the  Pollner  Prize,  we need additional contributions if we are to realize our goal of awarding a $1000 prize every second year.   So we are asking you  to contribute what you can  to fully fund this tribute to Mel’s work and memory.  You can do so by sending a check, made out to American Sociological Association, to:

Sincerely,
   Judy Pollner
   Bob Emerson

see: http://www.asanet.org/sections/EMCA%20Newsletter%20Winter-Dec%2009.pdf