Transcript Contexts of Science and Technology

Contexts of Science and
Technology
EST 202 - Lecture 3
Chap 4
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Introduction
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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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Micro Context
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Activity evaluated close to the geographic
region.
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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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Macro Contexts

Comprehensive, Global extending beyond the
borders of a specific organization (encompass a
region, nation or the world society).
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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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Macro Context cont.
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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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Five Key Dimensions
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Practitioner Dimension
◦ Motives of the person.
◦ Alexander Bell – device to help hearing
impared.
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Technical Dimension
◦ Technology innovation may aries from fixing a
different problem.
◦ Vaseline
◦ Post it Notes
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Five Key Dimensions cont.
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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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Five Key Dimensions cont.
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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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Five Dimension cont
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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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Five Dimension cont
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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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Summary Five Dimensions
1.
2.
3.
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Practitioner
Technical
Political Economic
Cultural
Environmental
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Intro to Ethics and Technology
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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Ethical Clarification
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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Ethical Arguments
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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Ethical Moral Issue
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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Ehtical Distribution of Technology
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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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Science or Technology
Precipitated Value Conflicts
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 without prior
consent
Infliction of Harm or Exposure
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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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Public Harms of Aggregation
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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.
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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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Practitioners
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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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Practitioners – whistle Blowing
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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”).
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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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Cell Phones
How do they affect society?
 History
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◦ Telegraph
◦ Telephone in everyone’s home
◦ Cell Phones everywhere
Article
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Cell Phone Debate
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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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Cell Phones and Society
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Society Effect
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Always available
Blackberry and Email
Classes and using Phones at School
Text Messaging
Cheating
Using for illicit conversations (drug deals)
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Group Work
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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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Bridge Collapse
Older bridge
 Poor initial designs
 Not enough money to fix or rebuild
bridges throughout the world.
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Demonstrates an infrastructure problem
in US.
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Summary
Micro/Macro
 5 Key Dimensions
 Bridge collapse and society implications
 New Technologies changing society.
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