Sorting Things Out: Classification And Its Consequences By Susan Leigh Star

Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences was written by Geoffrey Bowker and Susan Leigh Star in 1999 and published by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This work, specifically the introduction discusses the idea of classification and how its patterns are a result of human nature. The authors argue that ultimately the reason we classify can be attributed to human qualities. This thesis is supported by relevant examples in our own lives. For example, the authors write about the classification found in a modern home from the fabric of the furniture to the various codes of building permits allowed. The act of classifying, according to the authors, is almost unconscious. They take this idea a step further by describing the process of classifying as being invisible. The introduction ultimately sets up a foundation for the authors to examine information infrastructures by using classification examples such as the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the Nursing Interventions Classification. Their goal is to question why and how classification plays a role in life and human interaction. The authors commonly use relatable

The Power to Name written by Hope A. Olson has similarities with this work in that classification systems are examined. Both authors argue that classification is part of life and can be considered a necessity. Basically, classification is ubiquitous and relevant to all facets of life. The Power to Name proves the difficulties posed by challenging a preexisting classification system (Dewey Decimal Classification) an idea that was brought up in Sorting Things Out. The idea of universality in classification is examined in Sorting Things Out by considering the lenses of anthropology, sociology, and history. Classification was used as a tool for understanding cultures for anthropologists, while sociologists have associated this with social