Engineering as a
Profession:
Reflections and Questions
(a review of the first unit)
technology is developed by people
what do they have?
- what technologies already
exist to build on?
- education
- how much science do they use
- whom do they work for?
what do they need?
- growing population
- changing economics
- availability of natural
resources
- war and other conflicts
- how much of technological
development is driven by profit
demand pull--need results in new
inventions
technology push--somebody invents something and creates a new need
what technology do the people in power want and not want
what are their ethical views and what do they think the public good is
what are the issues involved in engineering
becoming a profession?
- what is the definition of a
profession
- education
- licensing and other
certification
- serving the good of
society
- how has it evolved into a
profession from just a regular job--focus on change
- what are causes and
effects? why did engineering become a profession? how did it
change from apprenticeship based to school based
- step 1. technological
breakthroughs: technology was
becoming more complicated and required specialists
- influence of industrial
revolution in Europe, new nation needed to be unified
- step 2. the need for more
engineers
- step 3. classroom is a
more efficient way of learning
- classroom was needed for
standardization
- educational trend towards
more useful eduction, eg. Morrill Act
- engineering is becoming
more scientific and more theoretical
Themes:
where is technology going and how does that affect the future of
society?
difference and relationship between technology and science--and how it
has changed over time
definitions of technology and science
transition from local ingenuity to craft-based engineering to
science-based engineering
the development of engineering as a profession and what it means to be
a profession
apprenticeship vs. engineering schools
how the U.S. went from being a third-world country to being a leader in
technology
responsibilities of engineers to society, including morals, ethics,
responding to public concerns, looking at larger consequences
how society pushes engineering in new directions including regulation
example of nuclear power--what
does it show us about modern
engineering:
- engineers have to worry
about more dangerous risks and byproducts
- affects a lot more people
- people are afraid of
technologies they don't understand
- public mistrust of
technology because of past bad experiences
- technology has become so
complex that it is riskier
- based on lots of advanced
science
- very complex and
interconnected large systems
example
of gps and cell phones:
- the company can track where
you are by
the gps system included in your cell phone
- required for the 911 system
to work
- gps was developed for
military
purposes, then released for civilian use
- technologies become
widespread and
integrated into other systems much faster than they used to
- technology is so integrated
into
people's lives, if you don't have the technology or understand it you
are increasingly left out
- we become increasingly
dependent on
technology
if this is what modern engineering
is
like how did it get there?
historians are interested in how and
why things change over time
blacksmith at Dacusville Farm Days
(PEM
photo)
what is engineering, what is technology?
- relationship between science and technology
- craft-based vs. science based technology
- is computer science science or engineering?
how did engineering become a profession?
- look at the different parts of the
definition of
a profession
- how the need for engineers changes over time
(consider
more recent changes)
- rise of engineering education
- in what ways is engineering a
profession?
In what
ways is it different from the classical idea of a profession?
is Florman too negative in saying that engineers
need
to be more widely educated? Why does he think that?
relationship between technology and society:
how society affects technology
what special problems do engineers face?
- society makes demands on engineering eg.
pollution regulations
- pressure put on engineers to solve problems
they
can't solve (technological
fix)
- Consider smoking causes cancer--do you
make
smoking illegal,
persuade people not to smoke, invent a safer cigarette, or find a cure
for cancer?
- can the same person keep track of the big
picture and
the technical details? (complexity, thinking about the impact of what
you are doing)
- ethics
- make sure you are clear on Florman's
argument
- what kinds of issues are matters of
professional ethics
rather than matters of law or matters of personal morality?
- what is Florman suggesting when he says
engineers should
get more involved in politics?
- what do you do when experts disagree?
Problems at the warhead assembly and disassembly plant
this page written and copyright Pamela
E. Mack
last updated 9/14/2005