Term Paper Progress Report

Britannia Roskelley

AFAS/PHIL 223

Term Paper Progress Report

General Introduction: I would like to better understand how Africa has been affected by globalization through the context of information ethics. I would like to study the intercultural and international distribution, use, and denial of information, and the ramifications of such in Africa. This project is related to AFAS/PHIL 223 in that it will be studying Africa within a particular philosophical context. African philosophy is at the forefront of this project because African cultures and methodologies are a core part of African information ethics.

Predictions: I will analyze the socioeconomic and cultural effects of various ethical practices as they relate to the possession and use of information. I will discuss how information ethics are at play by analyzing the precedents and results of their effects. I expect to find a lot of grey areas where there is no clear locus of responsibility. I do not hope or expect to find any particular conclusion.

Directions: Clearly indicate which parts of your proposed topic have already been done; which questions or hypotheses have been evaluated; major findings; consistencies and inconsistencies among these findings. At this point include in this report the resources you are using and any future resources you may use.

Capurro said, “The main moral responsibility of African academics in the field of information ethics is therefore to enrich African identities by retrieving and re-creating African information and communication traditions… I think that retrieving the African cultural memory with regard to information and communication norms and traditions is the main challenge for African information ethics.” This stymied me at first because I assumed information ethics would primarily focus on the provision and exclusion of knowledge to underserved groups rather than the preservation and proliferation of traditions. I was imagining the challenges of implementing rudimentary education programs in rural areas, the ethical considerations of international communications, and limitation of access to information technology. In African Ethics, Brannigan explains that a foundation of African information ethics is not a metaphysical concept, but rather is based upon the experience of being as communal existence with others. This is thoroughly in line with the African value of ubuntu, which has been mentioned in virtually every text read thus far. I am beginning to understand now that before Western ideas of ubiquitous, quality education can even be considered in African information ethics, restoration of traditional African communication and information is necessary. Ubuntu places tremendous value on the well-being of the community as a whole, which cannot be maintained without safekeeping of culture and traditions. This means consideration of how to preserve and promote oral histories, diverse cultural histories, and the still-present socioeconomic effects of colonization. At this point, I think my paper will focus on the applied reparative efforts of African information ethics, as well as the realized and probable results thereof. This will provide me with a foundation on which to analyze the socioeconomic and cultural effects of those reparative efforts.

I have fully read the following materials:

The Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics by Kenneth Himma (not very useful)

Media Ethics Beyond Borders: A Global Perspective by Stephen Ward (not very useful)

The IRIE’s packet titled “African Information Ethics in the context of the global Information Society” (very useful)

Global Intercultural Information Ethics from an African Perspective ( (fairly useful)

I am still reading the following materials:

Assembling an African Information Ethics (

Information ethics education in Africa. Where do we stand (

Information Ethics for and from Africa (

Is African information ethics unique? (