SESSION 6 TOPICS A historical perspective on the role of technology in our society. A discussion of the unintended consequences of technologies. Presentations of Book Reviews and discussion of themes.

SESSION 6  LINKED ASSIGNMENT.  09-13-01 Written Assignment:  (a) Burke and Ornestein's The Axemaker's Gift suggests a different relationship between technology and society than most of the other authors we have considered this term. To what extent do you find their argument compelling and what if any implications does it have for what leaders do with technology? (b) Does gender need to be considered when discussing technology? Why? (c) Provide your suggestions for how technology might be used by the Gonzaga Institute for Action Against Hate. What might be the negative impact of trying to use technology? Create a new thread  for each part of the assignment.  If the point you wish to comment on has already been introduced, your comments should be added as a reply to it.  You are also encouraged to reply to the comments of others. Post by 6:00 pm Nov 6.

INTRODUCTION
Our Vision of the Future -- NPR's Madeleine Brand reports on how our ideas of the future have changed during the 20th century.  NPR 12-30-99 (8:44) [http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/me/19991230.me.12.ram]

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
J. Burke and R. Ornstein, The Axemaker's Gift
Required Reading:
 Burke and Ornstein (1995). The Axemaker's Gift: A Double-edged History of Human Culture. Madison, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons. (pp. xiii-33, 63-70, 122-134, 144-156, 224-234, 251-311)

  What is technology? [http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/trinity/watistec.html]

CyberStudies WebRing [http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=cyberstudies&list]

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
Edward Tenner,  Why things bite back.
Selections from the book in MSWord, (.rtf format) Blackboard, Course Documents Blackboard
John L. Roeder's discussion of Tenner's Why things bite back [http://www.freeinfo.org/tch/winter99/reviews/rev7.html]High Tech View of the World interview with Edward Tenner[http://www.npr.org/ramfiles/19980710.me.14.ram]
Review of Why things bit back from the Times Higher Education Supplement [http://www-formal.stanford.edu/pub/jmc/reviews/tenner.html]

GENDER and TECHNOLOGY

Women and Girls Last: Females and the Internet by Janet Morahan-Martin 1998 [http://www.sosig.ac.uk/iriss/papers/paper55.htm]**

SPECIAL FOCUS: WOMEN AND GENDER ONLINE CMC Magazine / March 1, 1996 [http://www.december.com/cmc/mag/1996/mar/deloach.html]**

Women and Technology: Where We’ve Been Where We’re Going Slide Presentation by Dr. Alice Christie [http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/gender/sld001.htm]**

Dr. Alice Christie's Links on Gender and Technology [http://www.west.asu.edu/achristie/gender.html]**

Nerd Wide Web WOMEN'S ISSUES Resources [http://www.nerdworld.com/nw778oo40.html]**

C Gender, Sex and the Web Links to on-line articles [http://www.newcastle.edu.au/department/so/gender.htm]**

WebRing Home > Computers & Internet > Cyberculture [http://nav.webring.yahoo.com/hub?ring=cyberstudies&list]**

Shapeshifters: Why Women Must Adapt in the Computer World to Succeed Gianna LaPin University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Department of Sociology April 6, 1999 [http://www.fusion-studio.com/soc/shapeshifters.html]**

Kerlins.net > Gender & Technology [http://kerlins.net/bobbi/education/highered/gte.html]**

Women and Performance Issue 17: Sexuality and Cyberspace [http://www.echonyc.com/~women/Issue17/index.html]**

Center for Women and Information Technology [http://www.umbc.edu/cwit/]**

Women-Related Web Sites in Science/Technology [http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/links_sci.html]**

Books about Women and Information Technology The Center for Women and Information Technology [http://www.umbc.edu/cwit/cwitbooks.html]**

Wired Women - Dianne Lynch's bi-weekly column in ABCNews.com [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/tech/WiredWomen/wiredwomen.html]**

GTWN - Global Telecommunications Women Network [http://www.gtwn.org/]**

WIT - Women in Information Technology [http://www.wit.org.au/]**

WITI - Women In Technology International - Women Advancing Technology [http://www.witi.com/index-c.shtml]**

 

HATE and the INTERNET

Hate group Web sites on the rise CNN.COM February 23, 1999 [http://www.cnn.com/US/9902/23/hate.group.report/]**

Hate and the Internet, Kenneth S. Stern, 1999, Introduction [http://www.ajc.org/pre/interneti.htm] Chpater 2, Hate Web Sites[http://www.ajc.org/pre/internet2.htm]**

Top German Official Declares War On Hate Web Sites.By Ned Stafford, Newsbytes [http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/169356.html]**

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance [http://www.religioustolerance.org/]**

Diversity & Ethnic Studies Web-Sites by Susan A. Vega García [http://www.public.iastate.edu/~savega/divweb2.htm] and Recommended LGBT / Queer Studies Websites [http://www.public.iastate.edu/~savega/les_biga.htm]**

Political Research Associates The Public Eye [http://www.publiceye.org/index.htm]**

Hate in America: What Do We Know? Documents from a press conference sponsored by the American Sociological Association on August 6, 1999 [http://www.publiceye.org/hate/Hate99ASA_toc.htm]**

 

 

 

Major Assignment
Books reviews should be posted on the Blackboard Discussion Board before March 14.  Book Reviews can also be posted at amazon.com.  Class presentation on Book Reviews.   Focus on what the book say about the links between technology and society, about the future, and about the role of leaders.
Short hands-on activities

Geographical Information Systems

Resource Person,

The Geography Network [http://www.geographynetwork.com/]
A CITIZENS' GUIDE TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION by Meg Merrick, Mohamed Abdel-Hamid, and Britt Parrott [http://www.upa.pdx.edu/IMS/comgeo/Previous_Projects/previous/citguide.html] 3/16/2001
The Community Geography Project [http://www.upa.pdx.edu/IMS/comgeo/index.html]
Geographic Information Systems from USGS  [http://info.er.usgs.gov/research/gis/title.html]
GIS Success Stories  [http://www.esri.com/gisforeveryone/success/gallery_nbrhd.html]
U.S. Census Demographic Data on-line  [http://www.esri.com/data/online/tiger/usdemog.html]

Resource Person,

Neighborhood Knowledge Los Angeles (NKLA) [http://nkla.ucla.edu] is a website dedicated to providing public access to vital data and information for neighborhood improvement in Los Angeles. A project of the UCLA Advanced Policy Institute, NKLA assembles public records such as property tax delinquency, building permits, and building code complaints from Los Angeles city and county agencies in a single, easy-to-use website.

Class Activity: Discussion of the L.A. example.