Pigeonholing


Pigeonholing is a process that attempts to classify disparate entities into a limited number of categories.
The term usually carries connotations of criticism, implying that the classification scheme referred to inadequately reflects the entities being sorted, or that it is based on stereotypes.
When considering various classification schemes, one must be aware of the following pitfalls:
The term pigeonholing is sometimes used disparagingly during instances wherein one unnecessarily assigns masculine or feminine qualities to a topic, person or group as with overgenderization, when the situation could more reasonably have been referred to in a gender-neutral fashion. Another example of pigeonholing in everyday conversation occurs when a person assigns wingism to apolitical or barely political people, without ascertaining what the political stance of this individual is. Such an erroneous designation is especially erroneous when assigning it to people who live in places where the right-wing left-wing dichotomy is not present.