Day Twelve: Classification

SDS 237: Data Ethnography

Lindsay Poirier
Statistical & Data Sciences, Smith College

Spring 2023

Identify a classification system that structures some aspect of your “work”. How are concepts organized in this classification system?

Turn to your neighbor and discuss:

• What is the master narrative running through this classification system?

What were some of the takeaways from Thursday?

In what ways are classification systems examples of “infrastructure” according to Star?

Datasets that rely on the ICD

• Navigate to data.gov and search for “ICD”
• How do these datasets rely on the ICD?

Reading Discussion

What is the master narrative of the ICD?

What invisible work shapes the ICD?

How can we study the ICD?

sameAs

Archives of U.S. Federal Racial/Ethnic Classifications

Mini-Project 1

• Due October 26 (in 2 weeks)
• Choice between a discourse analysis or a cultural analysis of infrastructure
• Both involve practicing the methods we have discussed in class
• Both involve producing an argument from ethnographic evidence
• Argument should be descriptive, not of value or policy
• Video describing both projects in depth is available on Perusall