TC 9 - Relationship between
Computers and Society - Aims and Scopes
est. 1976
AIMS
To influence
the applications of computers with respect to individuals, groups, institutions
and society. It is not concerned with computer developments which are strictly
technical, or developments in which there is no scientific or technical
component.
SCOPE
Communicating Social Consequences:
promote communication between computer-related professionals and others on
relationships between computer technology and society.
Promoting Social Accountability:
help computer professionals to develop increasing awareness of the social
consequences of their work, within IFIP and in the profession at large.
Facilitating Research:
encourage studies on the effects of the uses of computers on individuals and
society.
Humanizing Information Systems:
examine how the needs of individuals and society affect the design of technical
systems involving computers.
Enhancing the Quality of Life:
identify and promote those uses of information processing which improve the
quality of life of individuals and of society as a whole.
Encouraging Responsible Long-Range Planning:
promote forecasting studies to disseminate early warnings on human consequences
of the use of computers, and encourage the development of long-range social
plans to ensure that the use results in human benefits.
WG
9.1 - Computers and Work
est. 1977
AIMS
to study and report on how computers have affected employment
levels, job content and structure, working conditions, career patterns, and
participation problems;
to give an account of problems relating to computers and work, and
of proposed measures for dealing with these problems;
to encourage and support the design and development
of systems which promote not only efficiency but provide job satisfaction, for
example through interesting work and reduction of stress.
SCOPE
The effects of
computerization on the lives of three distinct groups of person:
computer professionals,
users of computers,
non-users affected by computers.
WG
9.2 - Social Accountability
est. 1977
AIMS
helping make computer professionals and system designers and
others aware of the social consequences of their work;
developing criteria to determine how well the public is served
when it comes into contact with computerized systems;
enabling and encouraging designers and users of
computer systems to make a human choice, i.e. a choice which takes into account
human needs and wishes.
SCOPE
Those aspects of computers which affect the public interest. Among these are:
ethical issues arising out of the use of computers,
the freedom of access to information, as well as the right to
privacy and to the protection of sensitive data,
shifts in the balance of power arising out of the use of
computers,
the effects of computers in public and private organisations,
education of the public about computers, and of
computer professionals about the effects of their work.
WG
9.3 - Home-Oriented Informatics and Telematics
est.
1988, revised 1989
AIMS
Foster benevolent design, develop-ment,
implementation, applications and use of Home-Oriented Informatics and Telematics (HOIT).
Encourage surveys and studies on HOIT.
Develop methodologies for studying social implications of HOIT.
Establish a global platform for interaction, exchange, joint
initiatives and co-operation between such groups as:
- the end of users of HOIT: members of households
- industrial developers and designers of HOIT technology and related services
- implementation designers
- policy, decision making, social and consultative bodies
- architects and urban planners
- scientists.
SCOPE
The social
implications of informatics, communications and telematics
in the home, the family and its environment (HOIT);
including:
actual and potential human usefulness of HOIT;
social impact of these technologies and their applications;
developments of the underlying infrastructure;
rationale in innovation and design processes;
dynamics of technology development.
WG 9.3
explicitly cares about the position of and the potentials for vulnerable groups
like children, less-educated, disabled, elderly and non-employed people, paid
and non-paid workers at home, cultural minorities, unaware users and
others.
WG
9.4 - Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries
est. 1989, revised 2007
AIMS
to collect, exchange and disseminate experiences of information
and communications technology (ICT) implementation in developing countries;
to develop a consciousness amongst professionals, policy makers
and public on social implications of ICT in developing nations;
to develop criteria, theory, methods, and guidelines for design
and implementation of culturally adapted information systems;
to create a greater interest in professionals from industrialized
countries to focus on issues of special relevance to developing countries
through joint activities with other Technical Committees.
SCOPE
national ICT policy issues;
culturally adapted computer technology and information systems;
role of transnational corporations, regional and international
cooperation and self-sufficiency in informatics;
social awareness of ICT and ICT literacy.
WG
9.5 - Applications and Social Implications of Virtual Worlds
est.
1989, revised 1999, 2000
AIMS
This WG works about international trends in interactive media and virtual
reality, their philosophical foundations and the impact of these technologies
on culture and society. The WG will discuss in workshops and conferences
applications and social implications of these emerging technologies.
SCOPE
The topics cover interdisciplinary aspects and interrelations in the field
of multimedia and virtual reality between fine arts, computer science, design,
philosophy, man-machine interaction, historical aspects, technology assessment.
We are welcoming case studies on and experiences with virtual reality systems
e.g. in medicine, architecture, industry, education, entertainment, information
spaces.
Applications of virtual worlds and their social implications,
Social application of virtual worlds,
Virtual environments for learning and communication like virtual
universities, knowledge cities, virtual laboratories,
Opportunities and risks of virtual environments in education,
science, and
Culture in industrialized and developing countries
WG
9.6/11.7 - Information Technology Mis-Use and the Law
est. 1990, revised 1992, 2001
AIMS
To foster co-operation between the "Computers and
Society" and "Information Security" communities on issues of
"IT misuse and the law".
To develop an understanding in IFIP committees and national bodies
of:
To propose and/or evaluate legal and other prescriptions to combat
these threats and their associated risks.
To engender information exchange on threats, their origins, and possible
consequences.
To propose and/or evaluate legal and other appropriate courses of
action.
SCOPE
Analysis of existing and emerging threats to IT systems security,
and the associated risks to people, organisations and
society.
Analysis of security principles.
Aspects of the law where the use or introduction of IT on a global
scale has rendered the current law (and/or its interpretations) obsolete or
obsolescent or made it unenforcable.
Analysis of potential means of countering and mitigating threats,
e.g. legal frameworks, ethical standards, managerial procedures, and other
social factors applicable to behaviour and
responsibilities in the context of IT systems.
Possible solutions.
New legal, social and organisational
consequences of the development and use of IT systems.
WG
9.7 - History of Computing
est. 1992
AIMS
To provide a central
vehicle for information interchange regarding the methods and techniques of historio-graphy, especially as related to the opportunities
for the studies of contemporary history.
To provide expertise for
the design, implementation and operation of archives and displays related to
the history of information processing.
To encourage the
development of national archives.
To develop a program of
&132;Pioneers' Days" which recognize the
contribution of pioneers and anniversaries of major events.
To identify pioneers
worthy of an appreciation and distinction and make "IFIP Pioneer
Awards".
To develop publication
plans for histories of Information Processing.
To promote the inclusion
of historical modules in appropriate curricula.
SCOPE
The history of computing and informatics with a view to
providing the impetus to preserve the records and artifacts of information
processing inventions, practices and activities throughout the world under the
auspices of IFIP and its constituent organizations. One special focus is the
socio-historical context and consequences of Information Technologies.
WG 9.8 Women and Information Technology
est. 2001
AIMS
This WG is
dedicated to research and action how different areas of society being
transformed by computer technology with particular emphasis on changes in
women’s work and life and how these have come about. It is based on the
integration of gender studies and computer science. Membership is open to both
women and men.
In this context
the WG aims
to serve as an international, interdisciplinary communication
forum and to hold discussions in workshops and conferences,
to exchange women’s experiences as scholars and
professionals in information technology,
to integrate feminist perspectives into computer science,
to develop an understanding in the IFIP communities and national
bodies of the gendered aspects in design, realisation,
and implementation of information systems,
to propose and/or evaluate appropriate courses of
action.
SCOPE
The topics
cover the transitions from women’s traditional work to work based on
modern technology, from communication within personal communities to virtual
communities, from traditional gendered life to new gendered perspectives. Computerisation is understood in the narrow sense of
computing systems as well as in the broader sense which includes the organisational, ethical, and social context of design and
usage.
Discourses are
linked to
the analysis of the effects of computer technology on
women’s status as citizens,
the analysis of opportunities and risks of computerised
technologies for women’s work in the paid labour
force and in domestic spheres,
the analysis of gender perspectives in the formative and
constructive processes of computers and information systems,
the analysis of gender in computing education and
educational strategies for girls and women.
WG 9.9 ICT
and Sustainable Development
est. 2005
AIMS
To contribute to the development of an information society that
meets the human needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
To be actively involved in the development of ICT applications
which involve the goal of sustainable development.
To investigate the interactionamong
social, environmental and economic issues in the development of ICTs and their applications.
To promote worldwide research and practice for further advancement
of ICT towards a safe and sustainable self developing World
To strengthen inderdisciplinary research
efforts in technology assessment for ICTs with a
focus on ICT-induced opportunities and risks for the individual, for social
systems and for the global ecosystem.
To provide a platform for presenting and discussing emerging ideas
and trends in the intersection of the topics 'information society' and
'sustainable development'.
To promote or support the organization of meetings as well as easy
access to high-quality data, information and knowledge in this area and related
areas.
SCOPE
To create a network of experts working on ICT applications or
implications related to sustainable development
To support the coordination of policies related to information
society issues with policies related to sustanable
development
To support applications of ICT for global environmental and
development issues
To facilitate research assessing the environmental and health
impacts
a) of ICT hardware life cycles; production, use,
recycling and final disposal
b) of ICT
applications with respect to the resource efficiency of processes they
influence
c) of
ICT-induced long-term changes of consumption patterns or lifestyles.
To promote the communication between computer professionals and
other experts on relationships between ICT and sustainable development
To promote prospective studies to disseminate early warnings on
consequences of applications of ICT that could compromise the goal of
sustainable development, and encourage the development of strategies to ensure
that ICT applications will contribute to sustainable development.