Building Awareness of Classification

Building awareness of Classification

Bowker's and Star's book (1999) Sorting Things Out, provides a detailed study of how classification systems are created, altered, interpreted, and implemented. It also provides an overview to the complexity of classification and standards.

They first mention how classification is apart of everyday living. These arguments about everyday living range from their ability to understand themselves to the quality of their workplace and the treatment they receive. Bowker and Star discuss how thoroughly classification systems infest our lives without even being aware of it.

They define classification & standard in two separate terms. A classification is a spatial, temporal or spatio-temporal segmentation of the world. Classification is an inherent cognitive process, but serves to create moral and ethical dilemmas when it is built into social systems. They consider classification as a general category, addressing the methodological and theoretical issues it raises.

They states that a "classification system" is a set of boxes (metaphorical or literal) into which things can be put in order in order to then do some kind of work-bureaucratic or knowledge production. A classification system can exhibits the three following properties: There are consistent, unique classification principles in operation such as the genetic principle of ordering. The categories are mutually exclusive; in order words, categories are clearly demarcated bins, into which any object addressed by the system will neatly and uniquely fit. Finally, the system is complete with respect to the items actions or areas under its consideration. Ideally, the classification would provide total coverage of the world it describes.

According to Bowker & Star, classification and standards are closely related, but not identical. Standards are crucial components of the larger argument, and it is in part a way of classifying the world. The term they use for standard has several dimensions: First, It is any set of agreed-upon rules for the production of (textual or material) objects. Second, it spans more than one community of practice (or site of activity). It also has temporal reach as well, in that it persists over time. Third, it deployed in making things work together over distance and heterogeneous metrics. Fourth, it may be enforce by legal bodies such as professional organizations, manufacturers' organizations or the State. Fifth, it has no natural law that the best standard shall win-QWERTY; Lotus 123, DOS and VHS are often cited in this context. Finally, it has significant inertia, and be very difficult and expensive to change.

Work Cited

Bowker, G. C. & Star, S. L. (1999) Sorting Things Out: Classification

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