Classification, cognition and context: The case of the World Bank

A growing literature in sociology examines external classification systems, usually implemented in the context of industries. Classification systems are analogous to the structure of individual cognition, though the specific nature of the link between these external classification systems and individual cognition is usually unexplored. This paper uses the example of the World Bank's lending classifications to examine the relationship between rules and classification and to argue that the organizational context of classification is central to assessing the cognitive impact of classification. The paper adds these results to existing work on external classification systems to provide a framework for understanding the range of possible relationships between external classification systems and the cognition of individuals.