Abstract
This chapter sets out to examine the potential for social justice education within engineering education at an un-named Irish practice-based university. In particular, the chapter aims to examine whether the focus in some American engineering programs on social justice issues resonates with students and faculty in engineering education at this Irish university. The research design that has been used is a single case study using a mixed methods approach. The mixed methods include survey data from first and final year engineering students from three engineering degree programs: civil, structural, and electrical/electronic/computer engineering combined with semi-structured interviews with program chairs from the respective three programs. The objective of surveying first and final year students in the above degree programs is to examine: (1) first and final year engineering students’ attitudes towards social justice and their perceptions of its relevance for engineering education and practice, and (2) to theorize the possible difference in perceptions between them. The objective of the semi-structured interviews with program chairs is to examine their attitudes to social justice, and to what extent, if any, degree programs have sought to develop students’ understanding of, and commitment to social justice issues in engineering education and practice. Our data show a positive attitude by a majority of first and final year students to the relevance of including social justice into their engineering curricula, and the data also show the difficulty for programs chairs to come to terms with the role of social justice within engineering education and how to find a place for it. The chapter is structured as follows: After the Introduction, the chapter briefly considers (1) Irish society and challenges for social justice, (2) engineering education at the Irish case study university, and (3) potential enablers and constraints for social justice arising from accreditation criteria. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to mining the data and to discussing the findings.
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Notes
- 1.
As part of its own normal review process, in January 2021 Engineers Ireland published revised accreditation criteria which will be phased in and will begin to apply in 2022.
- 2.
In this context the student quoted by Niles et al. (2020) is relevant. They say that one student who wanted to “make a difference…soon came to realize that many of her peers were there “to get a good paying job” rather than make a positive social impact” (2018 p. 8).
- 3.
The Chairs are identified as follows: GFYÂ =Â General First Year; EECÂ =Â Electrical/Electronic/Computer Engineering; STÂ =Â Structural Engineering; CIVILÂ =Â Civil Engineering.
- 4.
Becher and Trowler (2001) have argued that “hard” disciplines are considered superior to “soft” ones. Soft disciplines are as “politically weak and…lacking in good intellectual standing” (p. 192). Martin (2020) has argued that the underlying generative mechanism shaping the provision of engineering ethics is an engineering education culture which designates ethics as “soft”. Godfrey & Parker (2010) says that “a sense of increased status appeared to be linked to subjects or research that incorporated a higher level of mathematics” (p. 548).
- 5.
Peter Meiksins (2007) argues that alongside the commitment to a scientific identity, engineering professional values represents a practical professionalism that lives in the real world. Jamison et al. (2014) have identified three modes of engineering education one of which, the Market-Driven Mode, seeks to combine the technical skills of engineers with entrepreneurial skills focused on solving real world problems through technological innovation. Niles et al. (2020) have made the point that “Many of the ways that “social” aspects have been included in engineering are through a depoliticized approach that limits the potential of engineers to more critically address systematic injustices…It is possible to bring in questions about social context or values within engineering without broad transformations in the systems that generate social exclusion or harm” (2020, pp. 63/66).
- 6.
Noble (1977), in his history of US engineering, demonstrates that in the nineteenth century discussions on broadening engineering education and the role of the humanities were underwritten by a desire to make engineers more effective managers and controllers of people. As one engineer put it “A more liberal education gives power over men (sic)” (p. 32)
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Murphy, M., Christensen, S.H., Conlon, E. (2022). Social Justice at an Irish Practice-Based University: In or Out of Place?. In: Christensen, S.H., Buch, A., Conlon, E., Didier, C., Mitcham, C., Murphy, M. (eds) Engineering, Social Sciences, and the Humanities. Philosophy of Engineering and Technology, vol 42. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-11601-8_10
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