Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences

Sorting Things Out examines classification systems and their impact on society, organizations, and individuals. The authors investigate how categories and standards shape our world through case studies ranging from medical classification to racial categorization in apartheid South Africa. The book analyzes the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), tuberculosis tracking systems, and nursing classification schemes to demonstrate how taxonomies become embedded in infrastructures. Through interviews and historical research, Bowker and Star reveal the complex negotiations and power dynamics behind seemingly neutral classification systems. The text moves between concrete examples and theoretical frameworks to explore classification as both a practical and philosophical matter. The authors build on work from information science, sociology, and anthropology to develop new ways of understanding how categories operate in daily life and institutions. This work raises fundamental questions about the relationship between order and ethics, showing how classification systems can either enable or restrict human possibility. The authors present classification as a central yet often invisible force that shapes social relationships, professional practices, and personal identities.

Readers describe this as a detailed examination of classification systems and their real-world impacts. Many cite the tuberculosis and racial classification examples as illuminating case studies that demonstrate how categorization shapes society. Likes: - Clear explanations of complex infrastructure concepts - Rich historical examples and case studies - Balanced analysis of both benefits and problems with classification Dislikes: - Dense academic writing style - Repetitive points across chapters - Some readers found the theoretical sections abstract and hard to follow One reader noted: "Makes visible the hidden work of categories and standards that shape our world." Another commented: "Important ideas but could have been shorter and more accessible." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (243 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (31 ratings) Google Books: 4/5 (52 ratings) Most academic reviewers praise its contribution to infrastructure studies, while general readers appreciate the real-world examples but struggle with the academic prose.

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🔖 Though we now take standardized medical classifications for granted, the first International Classification of Diseases (ICD) wasn't adopted until 1893, and was initially only used to track causes of death. 🔖 Author Susan Leigh Star developed the concept of "boundary objects" - items that serve as bridges between different communities of practice while maintaining different meanings for each group. 🔖 The tuberculosis classification system developed in the early 1900s shaped not just medical practice, but also influenced architecture, urban planning, and social reforms as society tried to combat the disease. 🔖 The authors reveal how South Africa's apartheid system was partially maintained through bureaucratic classification schemes, including the infamous "pencil test" used to categorize people by race. 🔖 The book explores how nurses developed their own informal classification systems to track patient care, which often existed parallel to but separate from official medical records and classifications.