shira bahir - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by shira bahir
New Media & Society
Research on AI ethics tends to examine the subject through philosophical, legal, or technical per... more Research on AI ethics tends to examine the subject through philosophical, legal, or technical perspectives, largely neglecting the sociocultural one. This literature also predominantly focuses on Europe and the United States. Addressing these gaps, this article explores how data scientists justify and explain the ethics of their algorithmic work. Based on a pragmatist social analysis, and of 60 semi-structured interviews with Israeli data scientists, we ask: how do data scientists understand, interpret, and depict algorithmic ethics? And what ideologies, discourses, and worldviews shape algorithmic ethics? Our findings point to three dominant moral logics: (1) ethics as a personal endeavor; (2) ethics as hindering progress; and (3) ethics as a commodity. We show that while data science is a nascent profession, these moral logics originate from the techno-libertarian culture of its parent profession—engineering. Finally, we discuss the potential of these moral logics to mature into a...
In recent decades, the Western World has seen more and more countries abandon conscription. Where... more In recent decades, the Western World has seen more and more countries abandon conscription. Whereas in 1968 78% of them had mandatory military service, by 2005 only 46% maintained it (Tishler & Hadad, 2011). When NATO was ratified in 1949, all member-States except Canada had conscription ; in the years that have passed since, most of them have cancelled or suspended it (Poutvarra & Wagner, 2011). Today, less than 40% of the States throughout the globe retain such a policy. 1 Most of these countries are not part of the Western worldthey are in Africa or Asia (ibid.)-, and most offer alternative national service options, or have selective draft systems. The Israeli case diverges from this trend by holding fast to its conscription policy, while refraining from offering most of the population any formal alternative. Furthermore, at this point in time there is no meaningful public or political discussion questioning it. Hence many believe a tension exists between the current conscription model and the shifts in values and in social and cultural orientations of the past few decades. The present article wishes to address this tension by focusing on perceptions held by teenagers regarding their future tour of duty in uniform, specifically in relation to the changes that characterize Israeli society today. Both in-depth interviews and opinion surveys were conducted on pre-conscription teens, in order to assess the role and place military service has for them, as well as how it is incorporated into their daily lives. These authors hope that this will help shed new light on the conditions that keep in place this unique state of affairs. The argument raised addresses the changes in common values that a majority of the youths surveyed voice as part of a dual discourse, made up of apparently contradictory elementscollectivist and individualistic. This simultaneity plays out differently on two distinct dimensions : conscription on the one hand, and military assignments on the other. Today's Israeli youth indeed expect the military to be a fertile ground for personal growth, realization and fulfilment, as well as job security after discharge. At the same time, often S. Rivnai Bahir and M. Avidar contributed equally to this work.
In recent decades, the Western World has seen more and more countries abandon conscription. Where... more In recent decades, the Western World has seen more and more countries abandon conscription. Whereas in 1968 78% of them had mandatory military service, by 2005 only 46% maintained it (Tishler & Hadad, 2011). When NATO was ratified in 1949, all member-States except Canada had conscription ; in the years that have passed since, most of them have cancelled or suspended it (Poutvarra & Wagner, 2011). Today, less than 40% of the States throughout the globe retain such a policy. 1 Most of these countries are not part of the Western worldthey are in Africa or Asia (ibid.)-, and most offer alternative national service options, or have selective draft systems. The Israeli case diverges from this trend by holding fast to its conscription policy, while refraining from offering most of the population any formal alternative. Furthermore, at this point in time there is no meaningful public or political discussion questioning it. Hence many believe a tension exists between the current conscription model and the shifts in values and in social and cultural orientations of the past few decades. The present article wishes to address this tension by focusing on perceptions held by teenagers regarding their future tour of duty in uniform, specifically in relation to the changes that characterize Israeli society today. Both in-depth interviews and opinion surveys were conducted on pre-conscription teens, in order to assess the role and place military service has for them, as well as how it is incorporated into their daily lives. These authors hope that this will help shed new light on the conditions that keep in place this unique state of affairs. The argument raised addresses the changes in common values that a majority of the youths surveyed voice as part of a dual discourse, made up of apparently contradictory elementscollectivist and individualistic. This simultaneity plays out differently on two distinct dimensions : conscription on the one hand, and military assignments on the other. Today's Israeli youth indeed expect the military to be a fertile ground for personal growth, realization and fulfilment, as well as job security after discharge. At the same time, often S. Rivnai Bahir and M. Avidar contributed equally to this work.
The current study offers several insights into the relationship between the features of digital a... more The current study offers several insights into the relationship between the features of digital activism and the ability of groups with limited protesting powers, such as soldiers in mandatory military service in Israel, to protest and promote social change. Moreover, it points to a unique configuration of collective identity, which is rooted not in organised collective action, but in a rhizomatic process taking place beneath the surface. The fragmented voices of these soldiers come together in the cybernetic sphere as a quasi-transparent net to form a canonical collective voice. This unique configuration seems to bridge the two existing concepts of digital activism, one of which tends to underestimate the importance of the collective, while the other believes that, despite the action of individuals, the group remains the dominant structure.
AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research
While the interest in AI ethics has overwhelmingly intensified over the last decade, and while va... more While the interest in AI ethics has overwhelmingly intensified over the last decade, and while various initiatives seek its institutionalization, the literature on algorithmic ethics tends to examine the subject through philosophical, legal, or technocratic perspectives, largely neglecting the empirical, socio-cultural ones. Moreover, this literature tends to focus on the United States, and to overlook other tech centers around the world. This paper aims to fill these gaps by focusing on how Israeli data scientists understand, interpret, and depict algorithmic ethics. Based on a pragmatist social analysis, and on 60 semi-structured interviews with Israeli data scientists, we ask: which ideologies, discourses and world views construct algorithmic ethics? And what cultural processes affect their creation and implementation? Our findings highlight three interrelated moral logics: A) ethics as a personal endeavor; B) ethics as hindering progress; and C) ethics as a commodity. We show th...
New Media & Society
Research on AI ethics tends to examine the subject through philosophical, legal, or technical per... more Research on AI ethics tends to examine the subject through philosophical, legal, or technical perspectives, largely neglecting the sociocultural one. This literature also predominantly focuses on Europe and the United States. Addressing these gaps, this article explores how data scientists justify and explain the ethics of their algorithmic work. Based on a pragmatist social analysis, and of 60 semi-structured interviews with Israeli data scientists, we ask: how do data scientists understand, interpret, and depict algorithmic ethics? And what ideologies, discourses, and worldviews shape algorithmic ethics? Our findings point to three dominant moral logics: (1) ethics as a personal endeavor; (2) ethics as hindering progress; and (3) ethics as a commodity. We show that while data science is a nascent profession, these moral logics originate from the techno-libertarian culture of its parent profession—engineering. Finally, we discuss the potential of these moral logics to mature into a...
In recent decades, the Western World has seen more and more countries abandon conscription. Where... more In recent decades, the Western World has seen more and more countries abandon conscription. Whereas in 1968 78% of them had mandatory military service, by 2005 only 46% maintained it (Tishler & Hadad, 2011). When NATO was ratified in 1949, all member-States except Canada had conscription ; in the years that have passed since, most of them have cancelled or suspended it (Poutvarra & Wagner, 2011). Today, less than 40% of the States throughout the globe retain such a policy. 1 Most of these countries are not part of the Western worldthey are in Africa or Asia (ibid.)-, and most offer alternative national service options, or have selective draft systems. The Israeli case diverges from this trend by holding fast to its conscription policy, while refraining from offering most of the population any formal alternative. Furthermore, at this point in time there is no meaningful public or political discussion questioning it. Hence many believe a tension exists between the current conscription model and the shifts in values and in social and cultural orientations of the past few decades. The present article wishes to address this tension by focusing on perceptions held by teenagers regarding their future tour of duty in uniform, specifically in relation to the changes that characterize Israeli society today. Both in-depth interviews and opinion surveys were conducted on pre-conscription teens, in order to assess the role and place military service has for them, as well as how it is incorporated into their daily lives. These authors hope that this will help shed new light on the conditions that keep in place this unique state of affairs. The argument raised addresses the changes in common values that a majority of the youths surveyed voice as part of a dual discourse, made up of apparently contradictory elementscollectivist and individualistic. This simultaneity plays out differently on two distinct dimensions : conscription on the one hand, and military assignments on the other. Today's Israeli youth indeed expect the military to be a fertile ground for personal growth, realization and fulfilment, as well as job security after discharge. At the same time, often S. Rivnai Bahir and M. Avidar contributed equally to this work.
In recent decades, the Western World has seen more and more countries abandon conscription. Where... more In recent decades, the Western World has seen more and more countries abandon conscription. Whereas in 1968 78% of them had mandatory military service, by 2005 only 46% maintained it (Tishler & Hadad, 2011). When NATO was ratified in 1949, all member-States except Canada had conscription ; in the years that have passed since, most of them have cancelled or suspended it (Poutvarra & Wagner, 2011). Today, less than 40% of the States throughout the globe retain such a policy. 1 Most of these countries are not part of the Western worldthey are in Africa or Asia (ibid.)-, and most offer alternative national service options, or have selective draft systems. The Israeli case diverges from this trend by holding fast to its conscription policy, while refraining from offering most of the population any formal alternative. Furthermore, at this point in time there is no meaningful public or political discussion questioning it. Hence many believe a tension exists between the current conscription model and the shifts in values and in social and cultural orientations of the past few decades. The present article wishes to address this tension by focusing on perceptions held by teenagers regarding their future tour of duty in uniform, specifically in relation to the changes that characterize Israeli society today. Both in-depth interviews and opinion surveys were conducted on pre-conscription teens, in order to assess the role and place military service has for them, as well as how it is incorporated into their daily lives. These authors hope that this will help shed new light on the conditions that keep in place this unique state of affairs. The argument raised addresses the changes in common values that a majority of the youths surveyed voice as part of a dual discourse, made up of apparently contradictory elementscollectivist and individualistic. This simultaneity plays out differently on two distinct dimensions : conscription on the one hand, and military assignments on the other. Today's Israeli youth indeed expect the military to be a fertile ground for personal growth, realization and fulfilment, as well as job security after discharge. At the same time, often S. Rivnai Bahir and M. Avidar contributed equally to this work.
The current study offers several insights into the relationship between the features of digital a... more The current study offers several insights into the relationship between the features of digital activism and the ability of groups with limited protesting powers, such as soldiers in mandatory military service in Israel, to protest and promote social change. Moreover, it points to a unique configuration of collective identity, which is rooted not in organised collective action, but in a rhizomatic process taking place beneath the surface. The fragmented voices of these soldiers come together in the cybernetic sphere as a quasi-transparent net to form a canonical collective voice. This unique configuration seems to bridge the two existing concepts of digital activism, one of which tends to underestimate the importance of the collective, while the other believes that, despite the action of individuals, the group remains the dominant structure.
AoIR Selected Papers of Internet Research
While the interest in AI ethics has overwhelmingly intensified over the last decade, and while va... more While the interest in AI ethics has overwhelmingly intensified over the last decade, and while various initiatives seek its institutionalization, the literature on algorithmic ethics tends to examine the subject through philosophical, legal, or technocratic perspectives, largely neglecting the empirical, socio-cultural ones. Moreover, this literature tends to focus on the United States, and to overlook other tech centers around the world. This paper aims to fill these gaps by focusing on how Israeli data scientists understand, interpret, and depict algorithmic ethics. Based on a pragmatist social analysis, and on 60 semi-structured interviews with Israeli data scientists, we ask: which ideologies, discourses and world views construct algorithmic ethics? And what cultural processes affect their creation and implementation? Our findings highlight three interrelated moral logics: A) ethics as a personal endeavor; B) ethics as hindering progress; and C) ethics as a commodity. We show th...