EST 202 - Lecture 3
Chap 4
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Two Kinds of Context
◦ Micro/Macro
Five Key Dimensions
Environmental Demension
Cell Phones (New Technology)
Group Discussion
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Activity evaluated close to the geographic region.
◦ AT&T’s Bell Labs
◦ Composition of teams
◦ Social structure in the lab
◦ Resources (equipment) and Money
◦ Policies of the Organzation
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Comprehensive, Global extending beyond the borders of a specific organization (encompass a region, nation or the world society).
Aspects of Society
◦ Politics' of many societies
◦ Economic on the global scale (how markets are linked)
◦ Environmental disaster in one region will effect other countries.
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European Union
◦ 27 countries, 490 million people, 100 billion euro a year budget.
◦ Shared values – democracy, freedom and social justice.
◦
EU countries using the euro: Belgium, Germany, Greece,
Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Austria, Portugal, Finland and Slovenia.
EU countries not using the euro: Bulgaria, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania,
Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom
.
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Practitioner Dimension
◦ Motives of the person.
◦ Alexander Bell – device to help hearing impared.
Technical Dimension
◦ Technology innovation may aries from fixing a different problem.
◦ Vaseline
◦ Post it Notes
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Political-Economic Dimensions
◦ Focus on political and economic forces
◦ Apollo mission – US to stay ahead
The Cold War between Russia and US
◦ Scientific Developments
Cure Dieseses – support by government to help society of a whole.
Cure for Cancer, AIDS, etc.
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Cultural Dimension
◦ The culture of a societies view of a technology
◦ Energy – Wind Turbines on Long Island
Coal
Coal Mine Diaster in Utah
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Environmental
◦ How the new technology enhancment affects the environment.
Disposal problems
Cell phones, computers, PDA’s, Monitors, Camera’s, Paper from Printers, Ink cartridges,
Energy use of Technology
Switches, routers, networks, etc.
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Environmental
◦ How the new technology enhancment affects the environment.
Disposal problems
Cell phones, computers, PDA’s, Monitors, Camera’s, Paper from Printers, Ink cartridges,
Energy use of Technology
Switches, routers, networks, etc.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Practitioner
Technical
Political Economic
Cultural
Environmental
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In the last few decades many ethical issues have developed in the field of Science and Technology, including advances in …
- reproduction
genetic engineering
weapons
life- prolonging technology
What are other examples?
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1. Facts: determine the facts of each situation
2. Patients and Interests: Identify all persons or “protectable interests” that will be impacted by the outcome of this conflict
3. Key Concepts, Criteria, Principles:
What is the ethical issue to be discussed?
4. Ethical Arguments
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Definitions of Ethical Theories
Utilitarian Theory refers to an action or policy that is right if and only if it is likely to produce a greater surplus of good over bad, as compared to any other effective alternatives
Deontological Theory maintains that actions are inherently right or wrong independent
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Violations of Supposedly Exceptionless Moral
Principles:
The use or failure to use, or withdrawal of a particular scientific procedure or item of technology that violates moral principles that some believe are exceptionless. Life must
ALWAYS be preserved.
- Example: Withdrawal of life-prolonging medical equipment; war, harvesting fetal tissue
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An Issue with who should have access to the benefits of technology.
The allocation of science and technology may not bring equitable benefits to all.
- “Distributively just” issues often emerge when demand for the benefit exceeds its supply
- Example: Need for…
- human organs
- medical technologies
- Aids medication
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A technological advance allows something new to be done that precipitates a value conflict. This conflict is between two or more cherished values within one person. These conflicts would not exist if it were not for technological innovation.
Example:
- Life extending technologies related to human life preservation or death with dignity
- Genetic Disorder Tests that identify Down’s
Syndrome,
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Infliction of Harm or Exposure
Activities that may benefit one group can also harm or pose significant threat of harm to others without their consent
-Examples: Animal research, multi-generation air pollution, carcinogen producing work places, operation of “hair-trigger” military defense systems
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If one person is involved in a negative action, the result will not have the same social impact as many persons acting in negative ways.
Example:
One person throwing out garbage on the highway is quite different than thousands throwing out their fast food lunch papers.
The aggregate of pollution created by 400 million cars
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Experimentation and Research vs helping people
◦ Practitioners – the Cost, benefits, risks they are doing and are they doing everything they can do.
Example: US Public Health placebos to 431 black men in Alabama
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When engineers or scientists have knowledge of a deliberate or negative action on part of colleagues or business they need to decide if they should go public
(“blow the whistle”).
Examples: NASA Challenger accident – Senior engineer testimony to congress about the launch. He was subjected to mis-treatement and then put on extended sick leave
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How do they affect society?
History
◦ Telegraph
◦ Telephone in everyone’s home
◦ Cell Phones everywhere
Article
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Split Class into two sides
◦ Cell phones are the best new technology in the last 10 years
◦ Cell phones are a major society problem since they interfere and cause problems in life.
In addition – could cause Cancer.
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Society Effect
◦ Always available
◦ Blackberry and Email
◦ Classes and using Phones at School
◦ Text Messaging
◦ Cheating
◦ Using for illicit conversations (drug deals)
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Give out article on Bridge Collapse
Analyze the article and list the dimensions that are impacted by the Bridge Collapse,
What do you think should be done to fix older bridges around the world?
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Older bridge
Poor initial designs
Not enough money to fix or rebuild bridges throughout the world.
Demonstrates an infrastructure problem in US.
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Micro/Macro
5 Key Dimensions
Bridge collapse and society implications
New Technologies changing society.
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