2002 International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS'02)
Social Implications of Information and Communication Technology

Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
June 6-8, 2002

As the scope and impact of information and communication technology (ICT) has grown, society has begun to struggle with such issues as privacy and security, equitable access, freedom and responsibility in online speech, human-machine interaction, and the impacts of ICT on work, leisure and education.  In the rush to develop a faster microprocessor or a “killer” application, it often seems that the engineers and computer scientists responsible for the development of ICT have little or no awareness of these matters. Over the past two decades a growing number of engineers, computer scientists, social scientists and ethicists have begun to focus attention on ethical and socially responsible use of ICT, a difficult task that is compounded by the rapid pace of technological development.  The goal of ISTAS’02 is to bring together ICT professionals, computer science and engineering educators, teachers and scholars in the humanities and social sciences, policymakers, students, and ICT users for the purpose of establishing critical dialogue on the social and ethical dimensions of ICT.

Plenary Session Speakers will include Dr. Lucy Suchman, Department of Sociology, Lancaster University

Call For Papers

We encourage contributions for topics related to the conference theme:

· Electronic publishing
· Intellectual property rights in the digital era
· Social implications of wireless technology
· Equitable access for the disadvantaged and the disabled
· National and international ICT policy
· Information security and privacy
· Free speech and censorship
· Social implications of electronic commerce
· ICT and democratic processes
· Universal access/Digital divide
· Gender issues in ICT
· Misuse of ICT
· Distance education
· Web-based resources for teaching ethics in computing
· ICT and high-risk systems
· ICT and developing countries

Special Track—Online Educational Materials on Social and Ethical Implications of ICT
This track, sponsored by the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science, funded by the National Science Foundation, will feature online educational materials on social and ethical implications of Information and Communication Technology to be permanently maintained by the Online Ethics Center.

We also welcome papers in additional general areas of interest to the members of SSIT: environmental, health, safety, and peace-related implications of technology; social, economic, and ethical issues involving energy, information, and telecommunications technologies; history of technology; systems analysis in public policy decisions; and research methods for technology-policy analysis.

Submit a one page abstract for a paper, or a proposal for a paper session or panel discussion to the Conference Chair (email preferred):

Joseph R. Herkert
Division of Multidisciplinary Studies
Box 7107, North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7107
voice: 919-515-7993
fax: 919-515-1828
email: joe_herkert@ncsu.edu

Deadlines

Proposals for sessions, panels, or individual papers: Dec 13, 2001.

Sponsored By

IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology

In Cooperation With

North Carolina State University
     Program on Science, Technology & Society
     Division of Multidisciplinary Studies
     Center for Information Society Studies
     E-Commerce Learning Center
     The NCSU Libraries
IEEE Computer Society
IEEE Eastern North Carolina Section
ACM Special Interest Group on Computers and Society
Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility--RTP Chapter

For more information, visit the ISTAS’02 web site at http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/herkert/istas02.html