Cochlear implants
The first half of the second tutorial focussed on the controversy around cochlear
implants.
a) Explain how cochlear implants render deaf people disabled according to
Sparrow (1/2 point)
He thinks disability is a wrong term because: humans view a disability by a loss
of capacity, but deaf people say that a loss in one capacity will lead to a gain in
another capacity. So, in some environments, those who can hear are disabled
and in other it is the deaf. And second, normal is seen as the range of variations
that we currently recognise. Hearing could be seen as a difference in hair color or
skin, being male or female.
The deaf community feels like they do not need to be fixed. They see being deaf
as a personality rather than a disability (in contrast to what hearing people think).
b) Provide two arguments for and two arguments against implanting young
children with cochlear implants. For each argument, make explicit which value(s)
underpin the argument (2 points)
+ If the CI is implanted early in life, the child may still be able to catch up with the
language development and he will be able to experience hearing language and
know the human sounds (or other sounds), just like children that are born without
hearing problems.
+ The child of one of the authors from the article was able to turn the device off,
so you are still able to experience both cultures (or both the hearing and deaf
experience). You can still turn off sounds and read in peace.
- Trapped between cultures: being a child that has a CI you will probably be
discriminated in the Deaf culture, but you may also not fit in the culture of the
hearing people > less self-esteem because you to no belong to any of the
cultures.
- The CI is not an instant fix: you need years of follow-up treatment and training,
which some parents may not be able to afford (> child’s language development is
still negatively influenced), the difference between rich and less rich people will
increase > societal inequality.
c) Reflect on your answer to the previous question: which values clash? How do
these clashing values relate to each other? Are they indeed opposite values, or
are some values ostensibly the same, even though they are mobilized both for
and against? If so, how can this be the case? (1/2 point)
Hearing parents of deaf children will choose the CI because they think they would
profit the most of living the culture they were born with. They think the Deaf have
less space to ‘broaden their skills and live a valued life’ compared to the culture
they were born with. But deaf parents from the Deaf community are pretty sure
that being in the Deaf culture will not give them less benefits in life. The opposite,
they think being in the Deaf culture will benefit them the most. Being deaf will not
harm their children at all.
, “As a society, we are keen to reduce the health burden of COVID-19 on all people, rich and
poor. Therefore, we developed vaccines and made them available free of cost”
Which of the four views on technology & society does this statement represent?
Interactive view (designing)
Instrumental view
Deterministic view
Interactive view (adaptive)
Frank Kupper introduced the term script in his lecture. Which one of the following is not an example of a sc
“People with diabetes should adapt their diets to stabilize blood sugar levels”: an app which prompts diab
exceed the healthy range.
"Birth control should be available to all”: including birth control options in health insurance coverage.
“People should drive safely”: a car which warns the driver when speed limits are exceeded.
“Women are primarily responsible to prevent unwanted pregnancies, not men”: the contraceptive pill w
Which one of the following statements about informed consent is true?
The four elements of informed consent are unambiguous: whether or not a researcher has followed them pr
Informed consent is not necessary when a person is not going to be harmed by an experiment in any way or
Prior to the introduction of informed consent regulations, experts decided whether a person’s participation i
Informed consent regulations emerged after controversies around the origins of the HeLa cell line.
“Society developed vaccines in order to protect itself from the COVID-19 virus”
Which of the four views on technology & society does this statement represent?
Interactive view (designing)
Deterministic view
Instrumental view
Interactive view (adaptive)
Frank Kupper talked about the social construction of science. Which of the
following statements correspond with a social constructivist view on science?
Scientific knowledge emerges from consensus among the scientific community
Reality is discovered, not created.
Science should always be objective and value-free.
Science is inevitably value-laden
The first half of the second tutorial focussed on the controversy around cochlear
implants.
a) Explain how cochlear implants render deaf people disabled according to
Sparrow (1/2 point)
He thinks disability is a wrong term because: humans view a disability by a loss
of capacity, but deaf people say that a loss in one capacity will lead to a gain in
another capacity. So, in some environments, those who can hear are disabled
and in other it is the deaf. And second, normal is seen as the range of variations
that we currently recognise. Hearing could be seen as a difference in hair color or
skin, being male or female.
The deaf community feels like they do not need to be fixed. They see being deaf
as a personality rather than a disability (in contrast to what hearing people think).
b) Provide two arguments for and two arguments against implanting young
children with cochlear implants. For each argument, make explicit which value(s)
underpin the argument (2 points)
+ If the CI is implanted early in life, the child may still be able to catch up with the
language development and he will be able to experience hearing language and
know the human sounds (or other sounds), just like children that are born without
hearing problems.
+ The child of one of the authors from the article was able to turn the device off,
so you are still able to experience both cultures (or both the hearing and deaf
experience). You can still turn off sounds and read in peace.
- Trapped between cultures: being a child that has a CI you will probably be
discriminated in the Deaf culture, but you may also not fit in the culture of the
hearing people > less self-esteem because you to no belong to any of the
cultures.
- The CI is not an instant fix: you need years of follow-up treatment and training,
which some parents may not be able to afford (> child’s language development is
still negatively influenced), the difference between rich and less rich people will
increase > societal inequality.
c) Reflect on your answer to the previous question: which values clash? How do
these clashing values relate to each other? Are they indeed opposite values, or
are some values ostensibly the same, even though they are mobilized both for
and against? If so, how can this be the case? (1/2 point)
Hearing parents of deaf children will choose the CI because they think they would
profit the most of living the culture they were born with. They think the Deaf have
less space to ‘broaden their skills and live a valued life’ compared to the culture
they were born with. But deaf parents from the Deaf community are pretty sure
that being in the Deaf culture will not give them less benefits in life. The opposite,
they think being in the Deaf culture will benefit them the most. Being deaf will not
harm their children at all.
, “As a society, we are keen to reduce the health burden of COVID-19 on all people, rich and
poor. Therefore, we developed vaccines and made them available free of cost”
Which of the four views on technology & society does this statement represent?
Interactive view (designing)
Instrumental view
Deterministic view
Interactive view (adaptive)
Frank Kupper introduced the term script in his lecture. Which one of the following is not an example of a sc
“People with diabetes should adapt their diets to stabilize blood sugar levels”: an app which prompts diab
exceed the healthy range.
"Birth control should be available to all”: including birth control options in health insurance coverage.
“People should drive safely”: a car which warns the driver when speed limits are exceeded.
“Women are primarily responsible to prevent unwanted pregnancies, not men”: the contraceptive pill w
Which one of the following statements about informed consent is true?
The four elements of informed consent are unambiguous: whether or not a researcher has followed them pr
Informed consent is not necessary when a person is not going to be harmed by an experiment in any way or
Prior to the introduction of informed consent regulations, experts decided whether a person’s participation i
Informed consent regulations emerged after controversies around the origins of the HeLa cell line.
“Society developed vaccines in order to protect itself from the COVID-19 virus”
Which of the four views on technology & society does this statement represent?
Interactive view (designing)
Deterministic view
Instrumental view
Interactive view (adaptive)
Frank Kupper talked about the social construction of science. Which of the
following statements correspond with a social constructivist view on science?
Scientific knowledge emerges from consensus among the scientific community
Reality is discovered, not created.
Science should always be objective and value-free.
Science is inevitably value-laden
