People routinely use and misuse classification systems. Find a recent newspaper or magazine and read an article or two. (Opinion articles and Letters to the Editor would make good choices.) Look for systems of classification used by the writers.

How can you tell when a classification system is being used? Almost any name that is not unique or special to a person or object comes from a category within a system of classification. A stereotype always uses, and often misuses, a system of classification. For example, an article may refer to a person as a Republican and imply that the person holds conservative values.

The term "Republican" comes from a classification system that sorts people by political party. The main purpose for sorting people by political party is to provide for an orderly system of nominating and electing public officials, not for classifying people by the values they hold. Although many Republicans hold similar values, it would be wrong to report that a person is a Republican for the purpose of implying anything about a particular person's values. If a writer does this, he or she has misused the classification system that sorts people by political party. This particular kind of misuse is called "oversimplification." It is too simple to state that all Republicans have conservative values.

1. Find two examples of the use of a classification system. In one example the usage should be correct. In the other example, the usage should be incorrect. Copy a sentence or two from the articles to show how the author is using the classification system you have identified.

2. For each example answer the following:

3. Most authors will not intentionally misuse a classification system unless there is something to be gained by it. Refer to your example of incorrect usage of a system of classification. Why do you think the author misused the classification system? What, if anything, did the author hope to gain by the misuse? Did the author succeed in gaining anything? Explain your answer.

4. I have talked about "the purpose" of a classification system as if the purpose is always singular and clear. More often than not, classification systems are fuzzy and have multiple purposes. For each of your two examples, list two additional purposes the system of classification might serve. Looking at all three of the purposes for each of your two examples, is it now more clear or less clear that the author correctly used or incorrectly misused the category, or is there no change?