CSU Long Beach
ENGR 350
 Computers, Ethics, and Society

Syllabus
Schedule
Grading
Portfolio
Homework:
  Guidelines
  Standards
  1 - Images
  2 - Risks
    -- example
  3 - Infobahn
    -- example
  4 - Dataveillance
    -- example
  5 - Worklife
    -- example
  6 - Killer Robot
Term project

Schedule, Spring 1999

    Latest Update: Thu 06 May 99

    All readings are identified by section and selection number from Computerization and Controversy, except where otherwise noted.

Week Day Reading Assignment Due
1 M 1/25 I. A. Heads Up versus Heads In Views of Computer Systems--Rob Kling
I. B. Reader's Guide to Computerization and Controversy--Rob Kling
I. C. Social Controversies About Computerization--Rob Kling
I. D. Computers as Tools and As Social Systems: The Car-Computer Analogy--Rob Kling 		 
W 1/27 II. A. Hopes and Horrors: Technological Utopianism and Anti-Utopianism in Narratives of Computerization--Rob Kling
VIII. F. Dahlbom and Mathiassen. "Power in Systems Design"
II. D. Kelly, Kevin. "The Electronic Hive: Embrace It."
II. D. Birkerts, Sven. "The Electronic Hive; Refuse It."
Electronic "handouts" on Grading, Class Portfolio, and Homework.

2 M 2/1 In-class essay assignment (See HW1) HW1: Images
W 2/3 Safety and Reliability

VII. A. Systems Safety, Normal Accidents, and Social Vulnerability--Rob Kling
* VII. C. Jonathan Jacky, "Safety-Critical Computing: Hazards, Practices, Standards and Regulation"
(For further reading: Nancy Leveson and Clark Turner, "An Investigation of the Therac-25 Accidents," IEEE Computer, July 1993, pp. 18-41.)
3 M 2/8 * VII. E. Brian Cantwell Smith, "The Limits of Correctness"
* VII. I. Neumann, Peter G. "Risks of technology."		  
W 2/10 Electronic Communities

V. A. Social Relations in Electronic Forums: Hangouts, Salons, Workplaces and Communities--Rob Kling
* Deborah Johnson, "Ethics Online" (packet)
Hsu & Mitchell, "Print is Still Superior" (packet)
Neumann & Weinstein, "Spam, Spam Spam" (packet)

 HW2: Risks
4 M 2/15 Presidents' day holiday
  
W 2/17 * Hal Berghel, "Informal Logic" (packet)
* Munro & Meeks, "Debating What Once Was the CDA" (packet)
  
5 M 2/22 V. K. Crawford, Walt. "I Heard It Through the Internet."
* V. M. Richard Sclove and Jeffrey Scheuer. "On the Road Again"
* Sara Baase, "Impacts on Communities" (packet)		  
W 2/24 * "Magna Carta" (packet)
* R.K. Moore, "Robber Barons" (packet)
* Langdon Winner, "Cyberlibertarianism" (packet)
  
6 M 3/1 * Pamela Samuelson, "Copyright and Digital Libraries" and "Encoding the Law" (packet)  
W 3/3 CSULB Policy on Computer Access and Use
 HW3: Infobahn
7 M 3/8 Privacy and Social Control

VI. B. Linowes, David. "Your Personal Information Has Gone Public."
* VI. H. Hatch, Denison. "How Much Data Do Direct Marketers Really Need?"
* VI. I. Posch, Robert. "Direct Marketing is Not a Significant Privacy Threat"
VI. J. Hibbert, Chris. "What to do When they Ask for Your SSN."
In class: film, "We Know Where You Live"

 
W 3/10 * VI. D. John Shattuck, "Computer Matching is a Serious Threat to Individual Rights"
* VI. E. Richard P. Kusserow, "The Government Needs Computer Matching to Root Out Waste and Fraud"
VI. F. Dorothy Denning, "Clipper Chip Will Reinforce Privacy"
VI. G. Marc Rotenberg, "Wiretapping Bill: Costly and Intrusive"
  
8 M 3/15 * VI. A. Information Technologies and the Shifting Balance Between Privacy and Social Control--Rob Kling (section on "Value Conflicts," pp. 619-620)
VI. C. Bill of Rights (Amendments to the US Constitution)
Political Party Statements from California Voter's Guide (packet)		  
W 3/17 In-class "Value Conflicts" exercise
 HW4: Dataveillance
9 M 3/22 Organizations and Worklife

III. A. The Centrality of Organizations in the Computerization of Society-- Rob Kling
* III. J. Baily, Martin Neal. "Great Expectations: PCs and Productivity"
III. C. Feder, Barnaby J. "Getting the Electronics Just Right"
III. E. Frantz, Douglas. "B of A's Plans for Computer Don't Add Up."

 
W 3/24 * III. D. Michael Scott Morton. "How Information Technologies Can Transform Organizations."
  
10 M 3/29 Spring Break  
W 3/31 Spring Break  
11 M 4/5 * IV. C. Marx, Gary. The Case of the Omniscient Organization.
* IV. G. Clement, Andrew. Computing at Work: Empowering Action by `Low-level Users'. 		 
W 4/7 VII. F. Williamson, Evan. "Caught in the Grip of RSI: A First-hand Account".
* VII. G. Khalil, Omar E M and Melcher, Jessie E. "Office Automation's Threat to Health and Productivity: a New Management Concern."
 HW5: Worklife
12 M 4/12 Ethics and Professional Responsibilities

I. G. Information and Computer Scientists as Moral Philosophers and Social Analysts--Rob Kling
* VIII. A. Beyond Outlaws, Hackers, and Pirates: Ethical Issues in the Work of Information and Computer Science Professionals.--Rob Kling
* Rushworth Kidder, "Right versus Right" (on web)

  
W 4/14 * Collins, Miller, et.al., "How Good is Good Enough?" (packet)
  
13 M 4/19 VIII. C. Anderson, Ronald, Johnson, Deborah G.; Gotterbarn, Donald; Perolle, Judith. "Codes of Professional Ethics"
VIII. D. Association for Computing Machinery. "ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct."
* Don Gotterbarn, "Raising the Bar" (packet)
IEEE-CS/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics (packet)		  
W 4/21 * VIII. H. Wenk Jr., Edward. "New Principles for Engineering Ethics"
* Ben Shneiderman, "Durango Declaration' (packet)
  
14 M 4/26 The Case of the Killer Robot, by Richard Epstein (packet).
HW6: Killer Robot
W 4/28 Term project organization (details announced in class)
  
15 M 5/3 Term project, continued  
W 5/5 Individual meetings with instructor and project team meetings or research site visits
 Course notes and "Heads-up" due
16 M 5/10 Individual meetings with instructor and project team meetings or research site visits  
W 5/12 Term project, compare results of team work in class
  
17 W 5/19 Term project wrapup (final exam period) 1:00 - 2:00 instead of the scheduled 12:30 - 2:30. Final paper due