Cameron,
Cameron
Thankyou for setting some early discussion points in a discussion of design
research ethics and gender polities. The points you make are some of the
intellectual ethical issues which have been I think generally ignored by a
designer population in the west which is approximately 90% male. It raises the
issue of gender in terms of politics, ethics, and power. I am interested in
whether we can shift into a discussion which can start with a premise that
humans have characteristics, rights and responsibilities that are not delimited
by gender. Hopefully we don't have to go back to the basics of the 70s and
discuss whether there are prescriptive gender characteristics beyond the
obvious physical differences of sexual attributes and capabilities. There are
qualities which have been slotted into gender which are not gender specific but
human. Some examples are compassion, anger, tenderness, caring, determination,
etc.
Like racism and homophobia, gender stereotypes may be blocking good design from
being accessible to society and human populations. The issue of what is
acceptable commercial design research is a big one. Can designers tell big lies
as a part of trying to "get the design right" or "sell the most products", do
people have the right to speak on their own behalf? When can that speaking be
an advantage to design development and what are ways that can be effectively
done. Do commercial agendas preclude honesty? Do designers have any special
need for clear ethical boundaries similar to doctors (of course I am not really
holding the medical profession up as an example just the Hippocratic oath).
I think this discussion of what lies ahead would be quite interesting. Perhaps
we can identify what are feelings and what are thoughts and what these may mean
from each persons perspective.
Regards, Jan
Jan Coker
C3-10 Underdale
University of South Australia
+61 8 8302 6919
fax +61 8 8302 6239
Relativity teaches us the connection between the different descriptions of one
and the same reality
Albert Einstein
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