Professional Practice and Ethics (50 per cent only)

Lecturer: Dr R.C. Jennings (rcj11@cam.ac.uk)

No. of lectures: 8  

Introduction.

The central and growing importance of computers in society. Examples of ethical problems in the use of computers. Use and misuse of computing facilities.

Professions and professional ethics.

Origin and purpose of professions. Internal regulation versus external regulation. Dimensions of professional responsibility. Professional organizations: ethics and codes of conduct.

Computer misuse.

Computer hacking, computer cracking: when does the fun become crime? Computer Misuse Act 1990. Difficulties with traditional legal concepts.

Privacy and data protection.

What is Privacy? Computer data and human dignity. The problematic status of information stored on computers. The Data Protection Act 1984.

Property ownership.

Theories of property and ownership: Patent, Copyright, and trade secrets. Ownership of computer software - a new problem in intellectual property rights.

Social impact of computer technology.

Teleworking and virtual universities, loss of the personal community. Deskilling and polarization of the population versus liberation of lower classes and third world nations.

Recommended books:

Brown, G. (1990). The Information Game: Ethical Issues in a Microchip World. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities Press.

Forester, T. & Morrison, P. (1990). Computer Ethics: Cautionary Tales and Ethical Dilemmas in Computing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Gould, C. (ed.) (1989). The Information Web: Ethical and Social Implications of Computer Networking. Boulder, CO: Westview.

Johnson, D.G. (1985). Computer Ethics. Englewood, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Johnson, D.G. & Snapper, J.W. (1985). Ethical Issues in the Use of Computers. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Kling, R. (1991). Computerization and Controversy: Value Conflicts and Social Choices. London: Academic Press (2nd ed.).

Langford, D. Practical Computer Ethics. Maidenhead, Berkshire: McGraw-Hill.

Traber, M. (1986). The Myth of the Information Revolution: Social and Ethical Implications of Communication Technology. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

WWW pages:

Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility (CCSR):
http://www.cms.dmu.ac.uk/CCSR/

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR):
http://snyside.sunnyside.com/home/