ABSTRACT
This chapter and the research project on which it is based emerged out of common and yet distinct concerns among the authors that spatial information technologies (SIT) at least in certain contexts and at certain scales can lead to consequences that raise important ethical questions. It identifies three inter-related dimensions in which these consequences have manifested: in conflicts correlated with changing patterns of spatial perceptions and values; in competition related to knowledge and claims of resources; and in relation to structural or organization stresses at the institutional level. The chapter discusses by observing the experiences of Fox Jefferson with participatory mapping activities in Southeast Asia. It explains about the socio-ethical implications of SIT deployment, which is discussed in a workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2003. The chapter describes the impacts of SIT on the organizational dynamics of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which introduce SIT into rural communities.
