Open AccessEngineered Violence: Confronting the Neutrality Problem and Violence in Engineering
Author(s) -
David Banks,
Michael Lachney
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
international journal of engineering, social justice, and peace
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1927-9434
DOI - 10.24908/ijesjp.v5i0.6604
Subject(s) - neutrality , framing (construction) , engineering ethics , sociology , engineering education , social engineering (security) , psychological intervention , political science , engineering , law , psychology , civil engineering , computer security , computer science , psychiatry
Engineering educators continue to challenge the social/technical dichotomy by framing engineering as a set of non-neutral activities. Faced with the historical realities that engineers are often “hired-guns” for the military interventions and capital accumulation, educators have sought to establish new canons for engineering ethics that are based on paradigms of peace and critically engaged pedagogies. We aim to situate nuanced understandings of violence—as understood by 21st century social movements—into the larger goal of reorienting engineering ethics for a more peaceful and socially just world. Literature is presented about particularly challenging what we identify as the “neutrality problem” in engineering education. We argue that theories of interpersonal and structural violence will better help engineers confront the neutrality problem in classrooms and workplaces. Our ultimate goal is to open up a larger research agenda on violence for engineering educators and practitioners.