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17:610:580 Knowledge Structures
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
School of Communication, Information and Library Studies
Department of Library and Information Science
Instructor: Marija Dalbello
Fall2004Assignments

Assignment 1: Documents and Information Structures (due: September 27)

One can read a surprising amount of social, political, and philosophical context from a set of categories; in many cases the classification system in practice is all we have to go on. (Bowker & Star 1999, 55)

Starting from this quote, and the document(s) handed out by the instructor, hypothesize about the nature of the object you have, what realities does it invoke ("system in practice") and how this object enables interpreting information and knowledge structures in society. What are the information infrastructures inscribed in this object and in what language (visual, textual, format, tactile - all aspects of its physicality and semantics that you can think of)? The membership in what knowledge structure(s) enables you to understand this information? What would be possibly limiting for someone from another context in understanding this object? Discuss your reaction to the object, and write a one-page essay that you will hand in on September 27. You should organize your discussion around the following:

1. Describe the object as a physical artefact.

2. Identify the categories related to this artefact? Does it have an inherent narrative structure?

3. What is the context of use for this object? How is it created, distributed and what is the context in which it functions to commuicate, transmit information, or represent a record?

4. What systems can you read from this object -- social, philosophical, political, etc.?

5. What is the intended community for which this system acts as information infrastructure?

6. Reflect on what does this system tell you about yourself (limitations of your own categories).