Essay On Informative Classification

When one analyzes any group of similar items or actions, there surely will be something that is most useful to the situation; similarly, one will also find an item or action that is least useful to the situation. This applies to the classification of people as well. All classifications fit into two broad categories: informative and divisive. In regard to society as a whole, the most beneficial kind of classification is informative; thus, the least beneficial kind is divisive. To give a better idea of what each category essentially means, they each must be more clearly defined. Informative classification will be defined as a way of categorizing people factually and objectively without regard to the “goodness” of the any person. Conversely, …show more content…
It is for this reason that many professionals use this type of categorization. One such person is the writer and political scientist Rosalind Wiseman. In her work “The Queen Bee and Her Court,” Wiseman organizes teenage girls into roles within a social clique using straightforward descriptions and examples. For instance, when defining what a “Queen Bee” is, Wiseman states that she uses a “combination of charisma, force, money, looks, will, and manipulation” to control the other girls and that “[her] popularity is based on fear and control.” Through informative classification and expatiated explanations, Wiseman clearly illuminates the situation. Thus, her readers are enlightened to what might be happening to their daughters and are given a solid base to act further on. There are other instances where informative classification is used as well, such as in psychology for the classification of the mentally ill. Even something as simple as classifying people by their country of origin or political party is included in informative classification as long as the term used is not defamatory. Beyond doubt, informative classification is useful, and it will always be needed in