Intercultural information ethics: foundations and applications
| Published date | 27 June 2008 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14779960810888347 |
| Date | 27 June 2008 |
| Pages | 116-126 |
| Author | Rafael Capurro |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Intercultural information ethics:
foundations and applications
Rafael Capurro
Stuttgart Media University, Stuttgart, Germany
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to examine the present status of the research field intercultural
information ethics (IIE) including the foundational debate as well as specific issues.
Design/methodology/approach – A critical overview of the recent literature of the field is given.
Findings – The present IIE debate focuses on a narrow view of the field leaving aside comparative
studies with non-digital media as well as with other epochs and cultures. There is an emphasis on the
question of privacy but other issues such as online communities, governmentality, gender issues,
mobile phones, health care and the digital divide are on the agenda.
Originality/value – The paper addresses basic issues of IIE that may open new vistas forresearch
and practice in this field.
Keywords Culture, Informationmanagement, Ethics, Privacy
Paper type Conceptual paper
1. Introduction
Intercultural Information Ethics (IIE) can be defined in a narrow or in a broad sense.
In a narrow sense it focuses on the impact of information and communication
technology (ICT) on different cultures as well as on how specific issues are understood
from different cultural traditions. In a broad sense it deals not only with intercultural
issues raised by ICT but by other media as well allowing a large historical comparative
view. IIE explores these issues under descriptive and normative perspectives. Such
comparative studies can be done either at a concrete or ontic level or at the level of
ontological or structural presuppositions.
The international debate on information ethics started with the “First International
Congress on Ethical, Legal, and Societal Aspects of Digital Information” organized by
UNESCO in 1997. Subsequent UN conferences culminated in the World Summit on the
Information Society. The academic debate on intercultural issues of ICT takes place in
the biennial conferences on “Cultural attitudes towards technology and
communication” organized by Charles Ess and Fay Sudweeks since 1998. But
intercultural issues are also raised in the ETHICOMP conferences organized by
Simon Rogerson since 1995, the conferences on “Ethics of Electronic Information in the
21st Century” at the University of Memphis since 1997, and the Computer Ethics:
Philosophical Enquiry conferences since 1997. The first international symposium
dealing explicitly with IIE was organized by the International Center for Information
Ethics entitled “Localizing the Internet. Ethical Issues in Intercultural Perspective.”
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1477-996X.htm
The author thanksKenneth Einar Himma (Seattle PacificUniversity, USA) and Herman T. Tavani
(Rivier College,USA) for their critical comments onoriginal long version of this paper thatwill be
published in K.E. Himmma and H.T. Tavani (eds.): Information and Computer Ethics, Wiley,
New Jersey (in print).
JICES
6,2
116
Journal of Information,
Communication & Ethics in Society
Vol. 6 No. 2, 2008
pp. 116-126
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/14779960810888347
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