Week12 - Boundary Objects

Boundary objects  is a concept that states that there are specific objects  whose  information  is used differently by different social worlds. It was introduced by Star and Griesmer  in the year 1989. While the concept of boundary objects as presented by them was more in the context of  “Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology”, yet their definition seemed to be quite valid for all social worlds. The most important characteristic  of  boundary objects is the fact t

hat such objects have specific properties that  caters to the needs of various social groups, yet at the same time such objects have a common structure that  helps maintain an integrity and common structure. We also spoke to Dr. Michael Tyworth, who graduated from the College of IST in 2009, and his dissertation concentrating  on boundary objects in one of the chapters. He provided us with further insights and stated one of the key features is the rigidity versus plasticity concept. This is probably what defines boundary objects in its true essence  –  the idea of having a common notion yet flexible enough to be interpreted differently by different groups. Dr. Tyworth had used it to understand use of information systems by various departments in an organizations, specifically in the police department where there are various stakeholders  –  police,  crime analysts, patrol officers, etc who share a common information systems relating to the criminal justice yet each have a different perspective on the usage of the system.

Class Readings
1. Star SL & Griesemer JR (1989). "Institutional Ecology, 'Translations' and Boundary Objects: Amateurs and Professionals in Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 1907-39". Social Studies of Science 19 (4): 387–420

http://www.ics.uci.edu/~corps/phaseii/StarGriesemer-BoundaryObjects-SSS.pdf

2. Star, S.L. This is Not a Boundary Object: Reflections on the Origin of a Concept (2010) Science, Technology and Human Values.September 2010 vol. 35 no. 5 601-617  http://conceptsinsts.wikispaces.com/Boundary+Objects+(Jalbert)

Weekly Essay
Write a single, coherent essay. Discuss the basic elements of Boundary Objects. Critique the theory. Explain how your research interests align with Boundary Objects.

My essay here.

Comments on the essay here.

More Resources
Some more resources discussed in class.