Proposal title
TE Ethics Participatory Research: Principles and Practice
TL;DR
This initiative of the Working Group 0mega provides a space and process to let TE Ethical Principles emerge through focus groups of token engineers, and self-selected facilitators who commit to provide useful practice sessions for each principle.
We will also provide a page in TEC gitbook with TE Ethical Principles, and keep that page up-to-date with new emerging insights. Token Engineers are encouraged to bring forth topics of interest wrt ethical dilemmas experienced in token networks, by participating in weekly WG 0mega sessions (Wednesdays 8pm CET in 0mega Voice channel) or in the 0mega channel.
Proposal description
The initiative emerged from Working Group 0mega. The Working Group 0mega had initially started with a rather big question of “How can we enable Token Engineering Ethos to emerge from such diverse backgrounds across the globe?”
Hence, we want to explore Contextual Ethics in TE and not a prescriptive, normative one - as a third mode of ethical thinking; even go further and enable learning how to apply multiple modes of ethical reasoning. This is to strengthen awareness about the trade-offs we make and legitimacy of the algorithmic policies we devise, which create global token economies, where a multitude of worldviews always will coexist. Through providing practice sessions we also aim to strengthen the Inner Game of Token Engineers.
The TE Ethics Participatory Research Process is as follows:
- Collect Focus Group topics of interest or that are timely or that emerge in ad-hoc sensemaking sessions (participate in chat and WG calls)
- Choose a topic to host focus group on, coordinate and analyze the focus group results (anyone is invited to prepare, host, and analyze a focus group, they can count on support from fellow active participants in 0mega)
- TE Ethical Principles emerge through follow on analysis sessions
- During multiple analysis sessions, and in 0mega chat, facilitators self-select who are able to provide context and lead design/co-design of a practice session. The goal of the practice session is to help participants to learn about the particular TE Ethical Principle, when such an ethical dilemma or situation may arise, and how to navigate the situation.
- Principle and Practice Session is added to the “Current Status” table. The facilitator takes on the responsibility to prepare content, coordinate with co-facilitators, suggesting a suitable date/time for hosting a practice session.
- The recordings and pre-/post-materials are collected in the “Current Status” table
Additional information to add
We keep track of results and developments of the TE Ethics Initiative in this document.
The “Current Status” table gives an overview of the principles that emerged from focus group analysis and accompanying practice sessions (to be) hosted by self-selected facilitators.
Each week in TEC community call and WG 0mega Working Group call we share updates on either one initiative of working group 0mega (this, and TE Consilience Library).
How does this proposal benefit the community and/or the field of Token Engineering?
Token Engineering Commons Vision and Mission emphasizes the importance of ethical principles. At the same time any token engineer or participant in a token economy experienced first hand how tough it is to be “sure” to “do the right thing”. We also know that the complexity of token networks doesn’t allow for slogans like “can’t be evil” to have much of a practical relevance.
We are satisfied that we came up with a living process that enables the emergence of TE Ethical principles, and reasoning around contextual ethics that we need in complex dynamic adaptive systems that token networks are.
Furthermore, this process produces not just a list of prescriptive, normative Do’s and Don’ts, which won’t survive the dynamics of a live token network - but actually provides Practice sessions along with each Principle that emerged from analyzing focus groups.
In Practice Sessions, participants can role play and learn about applicable decision making frameworks and modes of ethical reasoning in situations which present them ethical dilemmas in practice.
The process is described above and kept up-to-date in TE Ethics Participatory Reseach Initiative document.
Amount requested (Only for Conviction Voting)
15,000 wxDAI (or TEC tokens? TBD for participants in focus group)
How will these funds be used? (Only for conviction voting)
This first amount of 15,000wxDAI is requested to acknowledge the participants of the first focus group, the self-selected facilitators who helped analyze and let the Principle emerge as well as design an accompanying Practice Session. The majority of funds will flow to facilitators who are committing to prepare, host and postprocess (recording, materials, commentary) the planned Practice Sessions:
3,000 wxDAI in TEC Tokens for (15) Focus Group Participants and Guest Ethics Researcher in Analysis:
Zargham, Danilo,
Mike, Aiden, Shawn,
Peth, Sparrow, Bea,
Sebnem, Letty, Nathan, Livia, Zeptimus, Juan, Quinn
Outcome: TE Ethical Principles that emerged from analysis of “Ethical Dilemmas”
- Host multiple different worldviews
- Navigate the dynamic landscape
- Beware of social engineering
- (Enable) Informed participation
12,000 wxDAI (or TEC tokens) for (6) Designers and Co-/Facilitators of the accompanying (4) Practice Sessions:
Suggestion is to provide the same budget for each session (12k /4) , and let facilitators determine appropriate distribution among themselves depending on the effort.
Durgadas: Facilitator of 2 sessions, co-facilitator of 1 session
Sebnem: Facilitator of 1 session, co-facilitator of 2 sessions
Manu: Facilitator of 1 session
Nic: Co-facilitator of 3 sessions
Fabian: Co-facilitator of 1 session
Roberto: Co-facilitator of 1 session
| TE Ethics Principle | Practice Session | Who is it for? | Facilitator, Co-Facilitators | Date and Time, Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host multiple different worldviews | World of Worldviews Game | Practicing Token Engineers, Participants of Token Economies | Sebnem, Fabian, Roberto | tbd |
| Navigate the dynamic landscape | Intro to Mental Models and Decision Making Frameworks | Practicing, Aspiring Token Engineers, Participants of Token Economies | Durgadas, Nic, Sebnem | tbd |
| Beware of social engineering | Can’t be evil? Crazy Wisdom/TRIZ | Practicing, Aspiring Token Engineers, Participants of Token Economies | Durgadas, Nic, Sebnem | tbd |
| (Enable) Informed participation | Capabilities Approach | Practicing Token Engineers, Participants of Token Economies | Manu, Durgadas, Nic | tbd |
How will you share progress?
We share recordings and documentation of the Practice sessions, as well as Focus Group and Analysis of Focus groups.
We will give updates each week on the 0mega Working Group call, on any planned Focus Groups and/or conducted Practice Sessions, or where we are wrt content preparations.
Project information (if applies)
The place to check for available Practice Sessions is Current Status.
For shaping what is available in future join the Working Group 0mega
Team Information
Self-selected facilitators and active participants of Working Group 0mega:
Facilitators: Sebnem (Steward), Durgadas, Manu, Nic, Fabian, Roberto
In addition, active participants of 0mega who shaped the discussion: Mert, Letty
Complementary information
none.
Best is you,