CIS (Computers In Society)

This is main web page for Computers In Society module (CIS). This page provides links to material for the topics in the module. Some of this material is in the form of references to books and/or articles and some of it is in the form of links to web sites and/or on-line documentation.

Text Books

There are a number of books which are suitable for this type of course but the followings text books will be particularly useful as I have highlighted specific chapters from them in the web pages associated with each of the lectures.

Overview of the structure of the module

The structure of the module is as follows. Click on a topic you are interested in, or go to the list of contents at the bottom of the page.

Contents

• Introduction
  The aim of this section of the module is (a) to introduce a number of key concepts that will be used throughout the module and (b) to gain an appreciation of some of the historical perspectives on the relationship between society and technology.

• The Information Society and the Information Revolution
  The aim of this section to is to develop a clearer idea of the concept of the Information Society/Revolution. It will be based around a critical evaluation of the work of 'Futurists' such as Alvin Toffler. In particular it will focus on Toffler's "Magna Carta for the Electronic Age".

• Knowledge and Information Economies - Computers and Work
  This section will deal with working in the information society and the effect of the "information revolution" on work. We will examine the concept of work from a historical perspective and review various concepts of work from pre-industrial revolution through to Teleworking.

• Technological Determinism and Social Choice
  This aim of this section is to explore the long running controversy as to how far technology does, or does not, condition social change. In particular we will discuss three broad theoretical frameworks that reflect three differing philosophical viewpoints.

• Access and inequality (The North vs South debate)
  The aim of this section of the module is to explore the reality behind the idea of the "global village" put forward by the those who argue that the world is in the throes of an "Information Revolution". A variety of material related to the spread of information systems will be presented and several views will be discussed which can be analysed using the models/frameworks above.

• Censorship and the desirability of unfettered access
  In this section, we will look at the issue of "access to information" in more detail and the relationship between access and power. In particular, we will consider the problems raised by pornography and terrorism.

• Control and Surveillance
  This section will explore the issues of control and surveillance in relation to the use of various forms of Information Technology. In particular we will look at the notion of the Electronic Panopticon and the information mosaic, we will also consider the need for balancing the rights of the individual against the rights of the collective.

• The Virtual Self and Society
  This section will explore some of the issues surrounding the concept of Self and Identity raised by social interaction in Virtual Environments. In particular we will look at the phenomenon of Gender Swapping, and consider some of the implications of how people might choose to represent themselves in the virtual environment.