Peter Eglin Bücher

"The Montreal Massacre: A Story of Membership Categorization Analysis adopts an ethnomethodological viewpoint to analyze how the murder of women by a lone gunman at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal was presented to the public via media publication over a two-week period in 1989. All that the public came to know and understand of the murders, the murderer, and the victims was constituted in the description and commentaries produced by the media. What the murders became, therefore, was an expression of the methods used to describe and evaluate them, and central to these methods was membership category analysis - the human practice of perceiving people, places, and events as "members" of "categories," and to use these to explain actions."--Jacket

Exploring the concept of intellectual citizenship, the book examines the responsibilities of academics in northern universities and their connections to global suffering. The author invites readers to reflect on their roles within various environments, from classrooms to public spaces, encouraging a deeper engagement with social issues and ethical considerations in academia. Through this challenge, it aims to foster a sense of accountability and awareness among scholars and students alike.

Focusing on membership categorization, this collection of studies in ethnomethodology explores how individuals utilize membership categories in diverse contexts. Analyzing settings from the O.J. Simpson trial to television commercials and school meetings, the book delves into the implications of these categories on social interactions. It addresses classical sociological questions by emphasizing the nuances of how people identify and categorize themselves and others in everyday situations.

The book explores the silencing of public criticism regarding Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Canada, drawing on the author's personal experiences over three decades. Through ten significant episodes, it examines the discursive and organizational strategies employed by universities and national media to suppress dissenting voices. This analysis provides insight into the broader implications of censorship and the challenges faced by those advocating for Palestinian rights within the Canadian context.