Blog

Filter by:

Limit to posts where the date of the blog post:
Date range
Limit to posts where the date of the blog post:
Limit to posts where the title matches:
Limit to posts tagged with one or more of:
Limit to posts where the audience is one or more of:

In our class on Design & Society, we discuss the so-called dilemma of progress.  With any design whose introduction poses potential risk, there is a decision to make on how to regulate it.  In simplest terms, there are two possibilities:

  1. Permissive: introduce the new design until such time as it proves to be overly harmful, or
  2. Precautionary: restrict the new design until such time as it proves to be acceptably safe.

Under conditions of uncertainty, it can be difficult to know which strategy is best.

The history of the Centre for Society, Technology and Values (CSTV) can tell us a lot about the history of the University of Waterloo. Founded in 1984, the Centre has been around for more than half of Waterloo’s 60 years. It began during a period of expansion and optimism on campus. Although the scope of its activities later contracted during a time of fiscal restraint, the Centre has survived and even thrived, in a modest way. As the university’s mission and goals have evolved to meet the demands of a rapidly changing society, CSTV has remained relevant and significant.