Open AccessHow neutral can technology be?
Author(s) -
Caidi Nadia,
Shankar Kalpana,
Dalbello Marija,
Froehlich Thomas J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
proceedings of the american society for information science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1550-8390
pISSN - 0044-7870
DOI - 10.1002/meet.14504201162
Subject(s) - neutrality , value (mathematics) , variety (cybernetics) , perspective (graphical) , information technology , engineering ethics , globalization , sociology , epistemology , political science , knowledge management , public relations , computer science , engineering , law , philosophy , artificial intelligence , machine learning
Is technology amoral? Is design value‐laden but code neutral? While philosophers, technologists, science and technology studies (STS) scholars, and social critics continue to debate whether or not information technologies are neutral and an autonomous force acting independently of other social processes, these discussions are only marginally addressed in Information studies. Yet, discussing these issues is of compelling importance for the training of the next generation of information professionals. The differing assumptions and values about the social nature of technology have implications for research and practice, and are of compelling importance from an ethics, design, policymaking and globalization perspective. This panel will address the varying approaches (e.g., instrumental theory of technology versus more interpretive approaches) and discuss the implications of technological (non) neutrality in a variety of settings, including ubiquitous computing, health care technologies, digital library development, and others.