A controlled vocabulary of discrimination in information architecture
Work in progress to model and name structural patterns of discrimination commonly found in organizing systems.
Updated: 10 november 2023
Introduction
Classifications not only describe the world, they are also inherently normative and shape the way we act1Geoffrey C. Bowker and Susan Leigh Star, Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences (Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 2000).. As information architects we introduce our biases and exclusionary views into the organizing systems we design.
The purpose of this work is to identify, collect, and name organizing patterns that can be discriminatory, creating a vocabulary that may help to:
- Increase awareness, uncovering discriminatory structures.
- Facilitate communication and discussion between individuals or teams.
- Serve as teaching material.
The patterns
A new category is created specifically to classify a sought resource outside of its expected parent category.
A sought resource is classified under an organization scheme that is inappropriate.
