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and Boundary Objects: Amateurs and Professionals in Berkeley's Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, 1907-39
Susan Leigh,James R. Griesemer +1 more
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A model of how one group of actors managed this tension between divergent viewpoints was presented, drawing on the work of amateurs, professionals, administrators and others connected to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, during its early years.Abstract:
Scientific work is heterogeneous, requiring many different actors and viewpoints. It also requires cooperation. The two create tension between divergent viewpoints and the need for generalizable findings. We present a model of how one group of actors managed this tension. It draws on the work of amateurs, professionals, administrators and others connected to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, during its early years. Extending the Latour-Callon model of interessement, two major activities are central for translating between viewpoints: standardization of methods, and the development of 'boundary objects'. Boundary objects are both adaptable to different viewpoints and robust enough to maintain identity across them. We distinguish four types of boundary objects: repositories, ideal types, coincident boundaries and standardized forms.read more
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References
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Some elements of a sociology of translation: domestication of the scallops and the fishermen of St Brieuc Bay
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a scientific and economic controversy about the causes for the decline in the population of scallops in St. Brieuc Bay and the attempts by three marine biologists to develop a conservation strategy for that population.
Some elements of a sociology of translation: domestication of the scallops and the fishermen of St Brieuc Bay
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a scientific and economic controversy about the causes for the decline in the population of scallops in St. Brieuc Bay and the attempts by three marine biologists to develop a conservation strategy for that population.
Journal ArticleDOI
Human Migration and the Marginal Man
TL;DR: The consequences of migration and migration seem, on the whole, to be the same as discussed by the authors, that the "cake of custom" is broken and the individual is freed for new enterprises and for new associations.
Book ChapterDOI
The structure of ill-structured solutions: boundary objects and heterogeneous distributed problem solving
TL;DR: The paper argues that the development of distributed artificial intelligence should be based on a social metaphor, rather than a psychological one, and the Turing Test should be replaced by the Durkheim Test, that is, systems should be tested with respect to their ability to meet community goals.