Engineering and Society: Working Toward Social Justice , Part 1: Engineering and Society

Engineering and Society: Working Toward Social Justice , Part 1: Engineering and Society Summary:

By Caroline Baillie

Publisher: Morgan & Claypool
Number Of Pages: 114
Publication Date: 2009-08-15
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 1598296620
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9781598296624

ABSTRACT
Engineers work in an increasingly complex entanglement of ideas, people, cultures, technology,
systems and environments. Today, decisions made by engineers often have serious implications for
not only their clients but for society as a whole and the natural world. Such decisions may potentially
influence cultures, ways of living, as well as alter ecosystems which are in delicate balance. In order to
make appropriate decisions and to co-create ideas and innovations within and among the complex
networks of communities which currently exist and are be shaped by our decisions, we need to regain
our place as professionals, to realise the significance of our work and to take responsibility in a much
deeper sense. Engineers must develop the ’ability to respond’ to emerging needs of all people, across
all cultures.To do this requires insights and knowledge which are at present largely within the domain
of the social and political sciences but which needs to be shared with our students in ways which
are meaningful and relevant to engineering. This book attempts to do just that. In Part 1 Baillie
introduces ideas associated with the ways in which engineers relate to the communities in which they
work. Drawing on scholarship from science and technology studies, globalisation and development
studies, as well as work in science communication and dialogue, this introductory text sets the scene
for an engineering community which engages with the public. In Part 2 Catalano frames the thinking
processes necessary to create ethical and just decisions in engineering, to understand the implications
of our current decision making processes and think about ways in which we might adapt these to
become more socially just in the future. In Part 3 Baillie and Catalano have provided case studies
of everyday issues such as water, garbage and alarm clocks, to help us consider how we might see
through the lenses of our new knowledge from Parts 1 and 2 and apply this to our every day existence
as engineers.
KEYWORDS
engineering and society, social justice, ethics, engineering education, globalisation, public
dialogue with engineering, engineering development, engineering studies
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
1.1 Initial Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Windows on Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 Windows, Disciplinary Perspectives, and the Flow of Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4 Reading (Baillie 1998) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.5 Creative Thinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.6 Questioning and Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.7 Taking a Position vs. Stating an Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
1.8 Final Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
2 Engineering and Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
2.1 Engineering is Not in a Vacuum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.2 Science,Technology, and Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.3 Science and Technology Shape Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.4 Society Shapes Science and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
2.5 The Interactive View of the Science,Technology, and Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.6 Technological Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
2.7 Final Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
3 Engineering and the Public . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.2 Understanding Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.3 Needs Assessment and Local Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3.4 Citizen Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
3.5 Risk and Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
3.6 Policy and Legal Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
3.7 Guardians of Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.8 The Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3.9 Science Education/Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
3.10 Science and the Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
3.11 Science Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3.12 Final Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
4 Globalisation, Development, and Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
4.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
4.2 The Industrial Revolution (1760-1830) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
4.3 Engineering and Development in 19th Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4.4 Engineering and Development in 21st Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
4.5 Global Views of Globalisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
4.6 Global Economic Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
4.7 Final Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

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