Computer science and society

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Informatics and Society ( IuG ) is a branch of the science of informatics and researches the role of informatics on the way to the information society . The interactions in computer science examined in this context cover a wide variety of aspects. Based on historical, social and cultural questions, this concerns economic, political, ecological, ethical, didactic and of course technical aspects. The emerging globally networked information society is seen as a central challenge for computer science, in which it plays a defining role as a basic technical science and has to reflect this. IuG is characterized by the fact that an interdisciplinary approach, especially with the humanities and social sciences, but also z. B. with the law is necessary.

Research areas of computer science and society

"Informatics and Society" deals with a wide range of topics. In summary, it can be described in two parts: On the one hand, IuG researches the implications, possibilities and limits of technology in order to convey this to society (external impact); on the other hand, IuG researches the implications of the social embedding of computer science itself and its products in order to show this to computer science ( Internal effect).

Its necessary interdisciplinary orientation should be underlined, especially the cooperation with the humanities. Even if this description suggests a broad field, the core topics can be analytically divided into two areas: on the one hand, questions relating to the social embedding of computer science and, on the other hand, questions relating to the epistemological considerations of computer science . Of course, the areas also overlap.

Social embedding of computer science

  • History and culture of computer science : What are the historical and cultural roots of computer science, which social subgroups and ideologies did the occupation with the computer produce and what can we learn from them about current technical developments and social processes?
  • Ethics in Computer Science : What Responsibilities Do Computer Science Professionals Have and Why? How is it dealt with in society and in IT?
  • Critical IT : Which power structures are affected by the use of IT systems, which are strengthened, which are weakened? Which value conceptions and decisions live on objectively in IT systems? Which political dimensions are influenced by IT or IT systems and how?
  • Digital media and digital art : How are the media changing in terms of their functionality and effectiveness as a result of increasing digitization and networking?
  • Privacy and data protection : How does technology change the understanding of privacy? What is the relationship and what is the connection between technical and non-technical data protection and how can IT deal with it?
  • Computer science and law / legal informatics in general : Which areas of law are significantly influenced by computer science and vice versa?
  • Surveillance and military technology : What are the consequences of the research, development and use of digital surveillance and military technology in the areas of civil and military use e.g. B. biometrics ?
  • New knowledge order : What are the effects of computer science and its products on the understanding of copyright , patent law and the handling of intangible goods as a whole? See e.g. B. Open Access , Open Source or Intellectual Property .
  • Networking / Internet : What are the consequences of the global networking of the majority of all computers on society? See e.g. B. Turing Galaxy
  • Autonomous systems and responsibility : How can one deal with the possibility of autonomous systems socially, legally or with the means of computer science?
  • Long-term archiving : How do we as a society deal with digital cultural assets that are growing in scope but are more short-lived?
  • Didactics of computer science and (technical) enlightenment in the information society : How do you teach computer science and how do you teach social science basics in order to be able to live independently in an information society?

Philosophical considerations of computer science

  • Basic terms in computer science : What are the basic terms in computer science, how are they used in the subject itself and how are they understood and used by people outside of computer science?
  • Scientific theoretical foundations of computer science : To what extent is computer science a science, what are its theories and methods? What are the criteria and procedures for your knowledge production? What is the subject of research in computer science? What is the aim and purpose of a computer science science.
  • History of computer science : What are the historical and cultural roots of computer science as a technical science and the technologies it has developed?

The preoccupation with human-computer interaction , in particular its social effects and the field of controllability of computers in general, can be considered almost classic . Prominent representatives of the IuG are, for example, Christiane Floyd , Joseph Weizenbaum , Britta Schinzel and Wolfgang Coy .

The concerns of women in computer science have been followed since 1986 with the specialist group "Women and Computer Science". This group offers annual symposia and a newsletter.

See also

literature

Web links