Rethinking technology, revitalizing ethics: Overcoming barriers to ethical design

This paper explores the role of ethics in design. Traditionally, ethical questions have been seen as marginal issues in the design of technology. Part of the reason for this stems from the widely held notion of technology being “out of control.” This notion is a barrier to what I call “ethical design” because it implies that ethics has no role to play in the development of technology. This view, however, is challenged by recent work in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). Looking into the dynamics of technological change, STS scholars argue that human choices are present at every stage of a technology’s development and, furthermore, that human values are reflected in the very design of artifacts. This alternative view suggests that ethics can and should be included in the design process. Drawing on examples from the privacy arena. I point to some of the potential advantages of addressing ethical concerns early on in the design of a technology. I conclude with some general strategies for bringing ethics back into design. A version of this paper was presented at ETHICOMP98, the Fourth International Conference on Ethical Issues of Information Technology, March 25–27, 1998, Erasmus University, the Netherlands. Patrick Feng is a Ph.D. student in the Science and Technology Studies Department at Rensselaer. His research focuses on the development of technical standards that are designed to address social values such as privacy and trust.     

Overcoming Resistance to Prereferral Classroom Interventions

Although research supports the benefits of in-class remedial efforts for mildly handicapped youngsters, teachers often resist such practices. This article presents guideliens for educational consultants to use to overcome teacher resistance to prereferral intervention. Suggestions also are offered for engagin in constructive confrontation as well as for soliciting administrative intervention to help teachers adapt regular classroom instructional techniques for students at-risk.     

Overcoming Relativism? Levinas's Return to Platonism

Emmanuel Levinas's concept of "the face of the Other" involves an ethical mandate that is presumably transcultural or, in his terms, "precultural." His essay "Meaning and Sense" provides his most explicit defense of the idea that the face has a meaning that is not culturally relative, though it is always encountered within some particular culture. Levinas identifies his position there as a "return to Platonism." Through a careful reading of that essay, exploring Levinas's use of religious terminology and the (some-times implicit) relationships of the essay to the work of other phenomenologists and of Saussure, the author seeks to clarify (1) what Levinas retains and what he rejects in returning to Platonism "in a new way," (2) the sense in which this return constitutes an "overcoming" of relativism, and (3) the nature of the phenomenological warrant that he offers for his position.     

Overcoming adolescents' resistance to anti-inhalant appeals.

This research was concerned with factors that affect adolescents' evaluations of persuasive anti-inhalant messages and the association of these evaluations with usage intentions. Sixth and 7th graders (N=894) received anti-inhalant messages that varied as a result of the factorial combination of message source (doctor or peer), suggested harm (social or physical), and target (message was addressed directly or indirectly to receivers). Manipulated variables were crossed with inhalant-user status (resolute nonuser, vulnerable nonuser, and user). Significant (p<.01) target and status effects on message evaluation were found. Significant interactions of status with each of the manipulated variables also emerged. Users were resistant to threatened physical harms, but suggested harms did not differentially affect resolute nonusers or vulnerable nonusers. Users and vulnerable nonusers evaluated the message more positively when targeted indirectly (p<.05). Vulnerable nonusers were more receptive to peer sources, whereas users preferred adult sources. Message evaluation was significantly associated with inhalant usage intentions (r=-.22), and this association held even after the contributions of sex, sensation seeking, acculturation, prior use, familism, and assumed peer usage were accounted for in a multiple regression analysis (overall R(2)=.24).     

Religious barriers to world peace

Summary At this stage in history, we are all sophisticated enough to understand and realize that major changes in cultural and religious traditions will not take place with any rapidity. People's traditions become strongly established and precious to them and to their children.The best hope for peace and understanding in our day may lie in the area of truly understanding the differences between religious expressions the world over and then teaching such differences to our children in our religious schools universities, etc., rather than in trying to impose our religious beliefs upon others.It also becomes essential that the leaders of our society be taught these differences so that they, too, can better understand the motivating forces and behavior of other people.Medical schools, schools of diplomacy, business administration schools, etc., would be wise to introduce courses in comparative religion and language differentiation that could help those who will be forging the relationships of tomorrow so as to understand why xx treaty falls through, why one diplomat may feel that he has broken through, whereas on the other side, the feeling is one of total failure or frustration.These problems may not be due in reality to the failure of one person or another, but rather to the ignorance of one facet of mankind toward the beliefs of another facet, and perhaps more important than any other factor in this discussion is the reluctance of one group to attempt to understand another because of the sense of superiority held by one group.Rabbi Abraham O. H. Okamoto D.H.L. Assistant Professor of Religion University of Miami, came to the United States in 1958 to study under an S. H. Scheuer Scholarship at the Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. He was ordained a Reform rabbi in 1964. His major interest in Hebraic studies is in the field of the ancient versions of the Bible in Aramaic and Syriac.     

Epistemological barriers to radical behaviorism

The historian and philosopher of science Gaston Bachelard proposed the concept of epistemological barriers to describe the intellectual challenges encountered by scientists in their work. In order to embrace novel ways of approaching a problem in science, scientists must overcome barriers or obstacles posed by their prior views. For example, Einsteinian physics presents scientists with claims that space is curved and that time and space are on the same continuum. We utilize Bachelard's concept of epistemological barriers to describe the differences between the intellectual journeys students pursuing advanced studies face when attempting to accept cognitive psychology or radical behaviorism. We contend that the folk psychological beliefs that students typically hold when entering these studies pose less challenge to cognitive psychology than to radical behaviorism. We also suggest that these barriers may also partly be involved in the problematic exegesis that has plagued radical behaviorism. In close, we offer some suggestions for dealing with these epistemological barriers.     

Overcoming blocks to creativity in family treatment*

This paper arises from a didactic and experiential workshop where the participants examined their ‘problem’ families and the characteristics the families possessed which the therapists did not like. These characteristics were explored and the participants came to an understanding of these ‘problem’ families. Blocks to creativity were discussed and the participants claimed their own ‘blocks’. Style and presence of the therapist as a creative change agent was explored.     

Overcoming the Shame of Cancer

The author describes the silencing and dehumanizing effects of being diagnosed with cancer. This experience evolved from a sense of being totally stunned, to being flooded with shame, and finally to be able to reenter an experience of subjectivity through the support of his family, friends, and community. He describes his personal struggle to disclose having cancer to his patients and supervises and the incredible beneficial effects of disclosure and being virtually and actually held and cared for. The author describes from Relational, Kleinian, and Lacanian perspectives his understanding of the effects of self-disclosure in reestablishing the capacity for symbolization and the ability to create personal meaning.     

Overcoming the myth of the mental

Can we accept John McDowell’s Kantian claim that perception is conceptual “all the way out,” thereby denying the more basic perceptual capacities we seem to share with prelinguistic infants and higher animals? More generally, can philosophers successfully describe the conceptual upper floors of the edifice of knowledge while ignoring the embodied coping going on on the ground floor? I argue that we shouldn’t leave the conceptual component of our lives hanging in midair and suggest how philosophers who want to understand knowledge and action can profit from a phenomenological analysis of the nonconceptual embodied coping skills we share with animals and infants, as well as the nonconceptual immediate intuitive understanding exhibited by experts.     

Motives and barriers to bequest giving

Much is known about motivations for giving to charities generally. However, much less has been identified about bequestors as a unique type of charitable donor. This paper explores the motives and barriers for charitable bequest giving. Hypotheses are drawn from the general philanthropic literature and tested using survey data from Australia, a nation distinguished by very high lifetime (inter vivos) giving but low estate (post mortem) giving. The results show that belief in the efficacy of charitable organizations is requisite for leaving a bequest, as the deceased donor has no control over the enactment of the gift. This effect is mediated by the perceived difficulty of making a charitable bequest, which forms an important barrier for leaving such a legacy. Having family whose financial needs are perceived as not taken care of and the perception of financial inability to make a difference also form barriers for bequest giving. The results confirm that bequests constitute a distinctive charitable behaviour, with unique motives and barriers compared to other types of inter vivos giving. While charitable behaviour in general is driven by altruistic attitudes and political and religious values, as well as social reputation, these factors do not affect charitable bequest making as expected. Surprisingly, we find a negative relationship between financial resources and the inclination to leave a charitable bequest. The article ends with suggestions for ways charities might connect more meaningfully with their bequestors or with donors who might consider bequeathing to them. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.