Devry LAS432 Full Course Latest 2019 September

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 1 Class Discussion

This week,
the reading and lesson trace a number of ethical theories that we will
encounter and explore this session. These include the following.

Utilitarianism

Deontology

Ethical Intuitionism

Virtue
Ethics

Ethical
Non-Cognitivism

Ethical
Contractarianism

As we begin
our discussion this week, select one theory of ethics to apply to the case
study in Chapter 2 (“Evaluating a Case Study: Developing a Practical
Ethical Viewpoint”). Based on your selected ethical theory, what are the
main ethical concerns?

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 2 Class Discussion

VALUE AND
DUTY

In the
reading for this week, Onora O’Neill suggests, “Most of us agree that we
should value the environment, or at least some bits of the environment; fewer
of us agree why we should do so. Leaving aside answers that appeal to sheer
prudence or mere preference and looking at some of the array of answers
offering under the heading of ‘environmental ethics’ leaves a great deal
obscure” (Chapter 4: “Environmental Value, Anthropocentrism, and
Speciesism”).

How can we
define environmental ethics in the contemporary moment? What are the factors
involved in creating an ethical scaffold for understanding the natural world
and its resources? What is the role of duty and obligation?

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 3 Class Discussion

INDIVIDUALS
AND COMMUNITIES

This week,
Chapter 2 considers the relationship between individuals and communities.
Oftentimes, this discussion is at the center about debates over technology and
ethics. When considering the relationship between individuals and communities,
Michael Boylan suggests that there are two main considerations (“The Self
in Context: A Grounding for Environmentalism”).

The way
that individuals understand their role and ability to act

They way
that individuals see and understand their actions within a larger social
context

Using this
schema as a guide, what is the relationship between the individual and his or
her environmental community? What are the individual roles and responsibilities
to act ethically when considering technological impact on the environment? Be
sure to illustrate your response using a concrete example of a technology and
key formations from the reading for this week.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 4 Class Discussion

ETHICS,
TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

This week
you are reading about the connection between the worldview of ecofeminism and
social justice. This week, we will utilize the case study “The
Commercialization of Life Forms” by Wanda Teays from the textbook as a
point of departure for discussion. As you study this section, consider the
following.

What is the
relationship between ecofeminism and environmental ethics? What are some of the
key points?

How do
technologies related to microorganisms suggest ethical conflicts?

How do
these conflicts relate to social justice?

Remember to
provide specific examples and references from the reading to help support your
ideas.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 5 Class Discussion

CLIMATE
CHANGE

This week’s
reading focuses on the relationship between climate change, leadership, and
ethical responsibility. What is the relationship between leadership and ethical
standards? How does advancements in technology complicate or simplify this
relationship? Utilize at least one form of technology discussed in the reading
to help illustrate your response.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 6 Class Discussion

SUSTAINABLE
SOLUTIONS

In the
reading for this week, Alan Gewirth and Randall Curren discuss the roles of
human rights and sustainability, respectively, when considering environmental
ethics and technology. In the 21st century, what is the relationship between
sustainability and human rights? How does this impact the development of new
technologies? Consider a key current technological example and apply to
readings for this week to create a simple case study to serve as an example of
your reasoning.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 1 Team Discussion

EXPLORING
TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES – A TEAM

This week you will begin to engage with your
team to brainstorm ideas for the Course Project. First, it is important for you
to get to know each other within your team and collectively explore your
interests. For your initial team post, explain what you think the role of
environmental ethics is in society. As part of your response, highlight one key
technology that you think illustrates your ideas.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 2 Team Discussion

FOCUSING
YOUR TOPIC – A TEAM

This week you
will be working with your team to create your Course Project proposal. This
week you will need to do the following.

Finalize
your topic.

Draft a
basic definition of environmental ethics.

Outline key
problems and solutions related to your selected technology.

Identify
key elements of your project and assign team responsibilities.

Begin to
develop your collective point of view.

What will
be your strategy for the week? Use this space to share initial ideas with your
teammates and develop an action plan.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 3 Team Discussion

RESEARCH
METHODOLOGIES – A TEAM

This week,
you will be submitting individual annotated bibliographies to help build a
foundation for your research process and develop your ideas. To begin the discussion
with your team this week to ensure clear collaboration, explain the elements(s)
of the project that you will be investigating. What are some research questions
you will explore related to your subsection?

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 4 Team Discussion

OUTLINING
YOUR PROJECT – A TEAMThis week, you will work with your team to develop a
collaborative and cohesive outline for your team paper. To get started this
week for your initial post, provide a summary of your section and an outline
that details the following.

Main idea

Key points
of evidence

Preliminary
analysis of evidence

Conclusions
and recommendations

References

This will
help your team highlight similarities and differences in content and structure
to begin conversations about streamlining content and project design.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 5 Team Discussion

INDIVIDUAL
DRAFT PEER REVIEW – A TEAM

This week,
you will complete your individual draft assignment of your section of the
Course Project. To help promote collaboration and support your team members,
you will post your draft for review by your team. Please preface your draft
with a brief summary of key points and any issues you would like assistance
with. Response posts should provide a cohesive review of the draft. Remember,
your teamwork is important to both your individual and collective success so be
sure to provide thoughtful and detailed feedback.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 6 Team Discussion

DRAFT PEER
REVIEW – A TEAM

This week
you will complete your team draft assignment. To help promote collaboration and
support your team members, you will post your revised individual draft for
review by your team. Please preface your draft with a brief summary of key
points and any issues you would like assistance with. Response posts should
provide a cohesive review of the draft. Remember, your teamwork is important to
both your individual and collective success so be sure to provide thoughtful
and detailed feedback.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Week 7 Team Discussion

REVISING
AND REFINING – A TEAM

As you
prepare to submit your Final Paper as a team, work together to revise and
solidify your assignment. Begin this week with explaining what areas of the
project you will focus your revisions on.

LAS432 Technology, Society, and Culture

Course Project

The
Capstone Assignment

Objectives

This
Capstone Course concludes with a research-based team Course Project that starts
during the first week of the session and continues throughout the duration of
the course. It culminates with the submission of a formal, written report and
presentation in Weeks 7 and 8.

For the
project, students will work together in teams to identify and explore and
analyze the social, cultural, political, and economic impact of an emerging or
existing technology. The technology selected should have complex applications,
impacts, or potential controversies when deconstructed.

Topic
examples can be found throughout material covered in this course and could
include, but are in no way limited to, a specific technology that intersect with
one of the following ideas.

Course
Projects will address the technological, historical, social, cultural, moral,
and ethical issues presented by their selected topic.

Guidelines

The primary
focus of this assignment is to research and assess the issues associated with a
specific emerging technology. It requires that students work collaboratively on
individual sections of a team paper to produce an APA formatted 20 to 25-page
final paper during Week 7. Teams will also create a formal presentation of
approximately 15 slides for a 20 to 25-minute presentation in Week 8.

The paper
must be well researched and utilize scholarly resources (refer to the Week 7
APA Paper Template and the APA Guide tutorial found in the Writing and Research
Help area (in the Introduction & Resources Module).

The final
product should include the following components.

A title
page, including each student’s name (individual submissions should include the
submitting student’s name highlighted)

In
addition, student names should appear in the header of each page to identify
which specific areas of the paper individual students completed.

An abstract

A table of
contents

An
introduction, including a clearly defined thesis statement (roughly one page)

An
historical timeline that details key predecessors and ideologies foundational
to the technology that includes a written assessment on how these technologies
influenced the development of the current technology (roughly two pages)

An analysis
of the technology’s influence on society considering all of the following
components (roughly four pages)

Social

Cultural

Political

Economic

Environmental

An
evaluation of the ethical considerations associated with the technology in
relation to its impact on humanity (roughly two pages)

Concluding
remarks that include concrete recommendations for future development,
regulation, and ethical responsibility (roughly one page)

In text
citations and a reference section in APA format

Appropriate
statistical graphs or visual aids to support the paper

Best
Practices

Review the
video tutorials found in the Writing and Research Help area in the Introduction
& Resources Module.

Communicate
with your professor regularly if you have any issues or questions.

Consider
the following thoughts when working on the required sections of your Impact
Analysis.

Social

How has
this technology been received, accepted, or rejected? Why? Is it feared or
favored? What is the attitude toward change? How are the developers trying to
sell the technology to the general public? Look at attitudes, feelings
(emotions), behaviors, personality, and the ways humans change as a result of
this technology. What is being thought and why? Is the human mind impacted?
How? Are interactions between people changing as a result? Who is included or
excluded, and why?

Look at
groups and organizations that have arisen and prospered because of this
technology. Are these groups supportive or antagonist, and why? How does the
technology change society, or how does society change in response to the
technology? What factors in society led to the development in the first place?
What do class, gender roles, race, norms, and so forth mean in this context?
Who will benefit from the technology, and who might be harmed (this might also
belong in ethics and morals section)?

Look at the
workplace, new companies, and/or jobs created, jobs lost (or save this for the
economics section). Look at roles—subgroups and people’s interpersonal and
intrapersonal relationships.

Cultural

Consider
the elements that comprise the culture and subcultures. Think about
technologies in relation to their global impact and reach. What role does
technology play in globalization? Global movements and politics? Universal
ethics?

What
cultural products are a result of emergent technology? How have art, music,
film, and other forms of artistic expression adapted and shifted to address
advances or concerns over technology, ethics, and environmental impact? How is
artistic production an important mirror through which to glean insights about
contemporary realities?

Political

Look at
government policy, government intervention, government involvement (support or
lack of support, funding), both nationally and internationally. Consider Congress,
the president, the Supreme Court (decisions), the rate of change, liberalism,
conservatism, legislation, litigation, and so on. What political factors are at
work in the progression or regression of the technology (e.g., lobbyists,
special interest groups, partisan views, vocal advocates, or spokespersons)?

What are
current political debates that your selected technology intersects with? What
are potential impacts and resolutions?

Economic

Consider
production, consumption, costs, variables of supply and demand, corporations,
private enterprise, and the impact on the nation’s economy (employment,
displacement, and outsourcing). Are certain industries impacted more than
others?

Look up
financial projections—expectations for growth, startup companies, the stock
exchange, and the like—anything related to business and the U.S. and global
economies. Who are the chief players in the business environment, and what are
their roles? How much has been invested in research and development? How will the
price fluctuate? What economic trends are to be observed? Who will make money
from the technology?

Consider
the politics of development. Who is funding the research and development? Who
controls the purse strings, and why? Look at foundations and charitable
organizations, the outcomes, and the nature of consumers.

Be sure to
use charts and tables and quantitative data in this section. Tables, figures,
data, and statistics must be current, valid, and used appropriately.

Environmental

Consider
such things as dangers to humans, the depletion of resources, air and water
pollution, discovery before inventions, impact on wildlife and humans (health
and safety), long-term and short-term effects, waste disposal, and aesthetic
considerations (how the technology changes the landscape).

Consider
the positive effects (savings of raw materials or fossil fuels, low
environmental impact, and enhancement of the environment).

Practice
makes perfect. Please be sure to practice your oral presentation to ensure that
you are comfortable with the material and can stick to the time constraints.