Search

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 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 need 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 everyday existence as engineers. Table of Contents: Introduction / Throwing Away Rubbish / Turning on the Tap / Awakened by an Alarm Clock / Driving the SUV / Travelling to Waikiki Beach

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 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 need 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. Table of Contents: Introduction / Engineering and Society / Engineering and the Public / Globalisation, Development, and Technology

Mining has been entangled with the development of communities in all continents since the beginning of large-scale resource extraction. It has brought great wealth and prosperity, as well as great misery and environmental destruction. Today, there is a greater awareness of the urgent need for engineers to meet the challenge of extracting declining mineral resources more efficiently, with positive and equitable social impact and minimal environmental impact. Many engineering disciplines—from software to civil engineering—play a role in the life of a mine, from its inception and planning to its operation and final closure. The companies that employ these engineers are expected to uphold human rights, address community needs, and be socially responsible. While many believe it is possible for mines to make a profit and achieve these goals simultaneously, others believe that these are contradictory aims. This book narrates the social experience of mining in two very different settings—Papua New Guinea and Western Australia—to illustrate how political, economic, and cultural contexts can complicate the simple idea of'community engagement.'Table of Contents: Preface / Mining in History / The Ok Tedi Mine in Papua New Guinea / Mining and Society in Western Australia / Acting on Knowledge / References / Author Biographies

The text addresses the impact of globalization within engineering, particularly on working practices and prospects for creativity. It suggests that accepted norms of economic activity create enclosures and thresholds within the profession, which—as engineers increase their awareness (reflexivity)—will shape the future of engineering, and the values which underpin it. It is aimed at practicing engineers and those in training and is an introduction to the social and political context currently setting new challenges for the profession.

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 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 need 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 everyday existence as engineers. Table of Contents: Introduction / Throwing Away Rubbish / Turning on the Tap / Awakened by an Alarm Clock / Driving the SUV / Travelling to Waikiki Beach

Humanitarian Engineering reviews the development of engineering as a distinct profession and of the humanitarian movement as a special socio-political practice. Having noted that the two developments were situated in the same geographical and historical space -- that is, in Europe and North America beginning in the 1700s -- the book argues for a mutual influence and synthesis that has previously been lacking. In this spirit, the first of two central chapters describes humanitarian engineering as the artful drawing on science to direct the resources of nature with active compassion to meet the basic needs of all -- especially the powerless, poor, or otherwise marginalized. A second central chapter then considers strategies for education in humanitarian engineering so conceived. Two final chapters consider challenges and implications. Table of Contents: Engineering / Humanitarianism / Humanitarian Engineering / Humanitarian Engineering Education / Challenges / Conclusion: Humanizing Technology

Engineers, Technology and Society presents topics intended to aid the practicing engineer in reflecting upon the nature and purpose of their own practice within the engineering profession and how that is related to and implicated in social, economic and political issues. The series will include external relations between engineering, economic systems and social and political practices, as well as power structures and working conditions within the organisation. In an increasingly competitive and hostile environment in which practicing engineers are forced to spend their lives fighting for higher profit margins, many engineers become despondent and often leave the profession just a few years after graduation. They do not feel they are engineering for those in need in the world but for a small minority who can pay. There are an increasing number of engineers in the workplace who feel dissatisfied with these issues but do not know where to begin to address them. It is hoped that these books will start a conversation in many parts of the world where diverse engineers are working. This introductory book of the series presents an overview of the key issues at stake. I consider how, as engineers, we might decide what is the right thing to do by exploring rights and notions of freedom and what these might mean in a world where we are, according to some, ‘training for compliance'. I consider engineering in the past and how it has been used to contribute to social contexts in the Western world as well as in developing countries. I look at our responsibility as engineers to learn from the past to enhance our understanding and take appropriate action related to contemporary industrial development and globalization. Finally, I present a case study of my own engineering for others to critique. Practicing what you preach is never easy and living as a just engineer presents many challenges. As Ursula Franklin states clearly in her Massey lectures which I discuss in chapter 1, engineers have choices; it is up to us to ensure that we are aware of the way in which our engineering practice contributes to global social, economic and political issues so that we are able to make response – able choices.

In this book we explore a sea change occurring in leadership for academic women in the sciences and engineering. Our approach is a two-pronged one: On the one hand, we outline the nature of the changes and their sources, both in various literatures and from program research results. On the other hand, we specify and provide detail about the persistent problems and obstacles that remain as barriers to women's full participation in academic science and engineering, their career advancement and success, and, most important, their role as leaders in making change. At the heart of this book is our goal to give some shape to the research, practice, and programs developed by women academic leaders making institutional change in the sciences and engineering. Table of Contents: Women in a New Era of Academic Leadership / Background: Academic Leadership for Women in Science and Engineering / Gender and Leadership: Theories and Applications / Women in Engineering Leadership Institute: Critical Issues for Women Academic Engineers as Leaders / From Success Stories to Success Strategies: Leadership for Promoting Diversity in Academic Science and Engineering / Conclusion

This book, Engineering and Sustainable Community Development, presents an overview of engineering as it relates to humanitarian engineering, service learning engineering, or engineering for community development, often called sustainable community development (SCD). The topics covered include a history of engineers and development, the problems of using industry-based practices when designing for communities, how engineers can prepare to work with communities, and listening in community development. It also includes two case studies -- one of engineers developing a windmill for a community in India, and a second of an engineer'mapping communities'in Honduras to empower people to use water effectively -- and student perspectives and experiences on one curricular model dealing with community development. Table of Contents: Introduction / Engineers and Development: From Empires to Sustainable Development / Why Design for Industry Will Not Work as Design for Community / Engineering with Community / Listening to Community / ESCD Case Study 1: Sika Dhari's Windmill / ESCD Case Study 2: Building Organizations and Mapping Communities in Honduras / Students'Perspectives on ESCD: A Course Model / Beyond Engineers and Community: A Path Forward

The profession of engineering in the United States has historically served the status quo, feeding an ever-expanding materialistic and militaristic culture, remaining relatively unresponsive to public concerns, and without significant pressure for change from within. This book calls upon engineers to cultivate a passion for social justice and peace and to develop the skill and knowledge set needed to take practical action for change within the profession. Because many engineers do not receive education and training that support the kinds of critical thinking, reflective decision-making, and effective action necessary to achieve social change, engineers concerned with social justice can feel powerless and isolated as they remain complicit. Utilizing techniques from radical pedagogies of liberation and other movements for social justice, this book presents a roadmap for engineers to become empowered and engage one another in a process of learning and action for social justice and peace. Table of contents: What Do we Mean by Social Justice? / Mindsets in Engineering / Engineering and Social Injustice / Toward a More Socially Just Engineering / Turning Knowledge into Action: Strategies for Change / Parting Lessons for the Continuing Struggle

Needs and Feasibility: A Guide for Engineers in Community Projects -- The Case of Waste for Life is the story of Waste for Life (WFL). WFL is a not-for-profit organization that works to promote poverty-reducing solutions to environmental problems, and its educational branch is an international consortium of universities in six countries, involving students in support of community development projects. WFL currently works in Lesotho and Argentina. We present the story of the development of WFL in each country as a case-based guide to engineers, professors and students interested in community development work, particularly in contexts very different from their own. We focus mainly on the set-up stages, framing the projects to ensure that community needs are adequately articulated and acted upon. We begin with needs assessment, what is it that needs to be done -- for whom and why? How feasible is this, technically, economically, and can we guarantee sustainability? Before we can decide any of this, we need to understand and map the territory -- who are the key players, who have the most influence, and who will be most impacted by what we are doing? What is the role of the local government? If the groups are working as cooperatives, what does this mean, and what are these groups looking for? What is the technical solution going to look like? If it is a product, how will it be marketed? What other social, environmental, and economic impacts will it have and on whom? Once these have all been negotiated, and it is clear that all parties are working towards a mutually acceptable goal, how do we move forward so that any dependence on external partners is removed? When do we bring students into the work? What role can they play? Should they stay at home and support the project from there or is it better to do work in the field? This guide will be useful for the student engineer or the experienced engineer or professor who is interested in moving towards socially just engineering development work but has no idea where to begin. The real difficulties and on the ground issues encountered by the Waste for Life team are presented honestly and with the knowledge that we must learn from our mistakes. Only then can we hope to gain a better understanding of our potential role in supporting community development and move towards a better future. Table of Contents: An Introduction / Assessing the Need in Lesotho / Feasibility of WFL Lesotho / Mapping the Territory in Buenos Aires / Stakeholder Focus: The Local Government / Stakeholder Focus: Cooperatives / Sustainability: Economic, Environmental, and Social / Student Involvement / Summary Thoughts

The recent tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico and resultant ethical consequences for the engineering profession are introduced and discussed. The need for a new engineering ethic is identified and introduced based upon advancements in science, complex systems and eco-philosophy. Motivations for introducing a new ethic rather than modifying existing ethics are also discussed. Table of Contents: Tragedy in the Gulf / Tragedy Unfolding / Engineering Ethics / Complex Systems / Quantum Mechanics / Evolving Principles of the Universe / A New Engineering Ethic / Epilogue

Water and energy are fundamental elements of community well-being and economic development, and a key focus of engineering efforts the world over. As such, they offer outstanding opportunities for the development of socially just engineering practices. This work examines the engineering of water and energy systems with a focus on issues of social justice and sustainability. A key theme running through the work is engaging community on water and energy engineering projects: How is this achieved in diverse contexts? And, what can we learn from past failures and successes in water and energy engineering? The book includes a detailed case study of issues involved in the provision of water and energy, among other needs, in a developing and newly independent nation, East Timor.

A response of the engineering profession to the challenges of security, poverty and underdevelopment, environmental sustainability, and native cultures is described. Ethical codes, which govern the behavior of engineers, are examined from a historical perspective linking the prevailing codes to models of the natural world. A new ethical code based on a recently introduced model of Nature as an integral community is provided and discussed. Applications of the new code are described using a case study approach. With the ethical code based on an integral community in place, new design algorithms are developed and also explored using case studies. Implications of the proposed changes in ethics and design on engineering education are considered. Table of Contents: Preface / Acknowledgments / Introduction / Engineering Ethics / Models of the Earth / Engineering in a Morally Deep World / Engineering Design in a Morally Deep World / Implications for Engineering Education / Final Thoughts / References / Author's Biography

Sustainable development is one of the key challenges of the twenty-first century. The engineering profession is central to achieving sustainable development. To date, engineering contributions to sustainability have focused on reducing the environmental impacts of development and improving the efficiency of resource use. This approach is consistent with dominant policy responses to environmental problems, which have been characterised as ecological modernisation. Ecological modernisation assumes that sustainability can be addressed by reforming modern society and developing environmental technologies. Environmental philosophers have questioned these assumptions and call into question the very nature of modern society as underlying the destruction of nature and the persistence of social inequality. Central to the crises of ecology and human development are patterns of domination and the separation of nature and culture. Engineering has a clear role to play in ecological modernisation, but its role in more radical visions of sustainability is uncertain. Actor-network theory provides an analysis of socio-technical systems which does not require the separation of nature and culture, and it provides a way of thinking about how engineers are involved in shaping society and its relationship to the environment. It describes the world in terms of relationships between human and non-human actors. It shows that social relationships are mediated by technologies and non-human nature, and that assumptions about society and behaviour are''baked-in''to technological systems. Modern infrastructure systems are particularly important in shaping society and have significant environmental impacts. Modern infrastructure has allowed the consumption of resources far beyond basic human needs in developed countries. Failure to deliver infrastructure services has resulted in billions of the world's poorest people missing out on the benefits of modern development. Engineers have an important role to play in developing new infrastructure systems which acknowledge the relationships between technology and society in shaping demand for resources and environmental impacts, as well as alleviating poverty. Engineers have an important role in mediating between the values of society, clients, the environment and the possibilities of technology. Constructive Technology Assessment and Value Sensitive Design are two methodologies which engineers are using to better account for the social and ethical implications of their work. Understanding engineering as a hybrid, socio-technical profession can help develop new ways of working that acknowledge the importance of technology and infrastructure in shaping social relationships that are central to achieving sustainability. Table of Contents: The Origins of Sustainability / Ecological Modernisation / Environmental Ethics / Society and Technology / Engineering Consumption / Sustainable Urban Water Systems / Engineering, Technology and Ethics / Conclusion

In this book we consider ways in which mining companies do and can/should respect the human rights of communities affected by mining operations. We examine what'can and should'means and to whom, in a variety of mostly Peruvian contexts, and how engineers engage in'normative'practices that may interfere with the communities'best interests. We hope to raise awareness of the complexity of issues at stake and begin the necessary process of critique—of self and of the industry in which an engineer chooses to work. This book aims to alert engineering students to the price paid not only by vulnerable communities but also by the natural environment when mining companies engage in irresponsible and, often, illegal mining practices. If mining is to be in our future, and if we are to have a future which is sustainable, engineering students must learn to mine and support mining, in new ways—ways which are fairer, more equitable, and cleaner than today.

This book will focus on'Waste Management,'a serious global issue and engineers'responsibility towards finding better solutions for its sustainable management. Solid waste management is one of the major environmental burdens in both developed and developing countries alike. An alarming rate of solid waste generation trends can be seen as a result of globalization, industrialization, and rapid economic development. However, low-income and marginalized sectors in society suffer most from the unfavorable conditions deriving from poor waste management. Solid waste management is not a mere technical challenge. The environmental impact, socio-economic, cultural, institutional, legal, and political aspects are fundamental in planning, designing, and maintaining a sustainable waste management system in any country. Engineers have a major role to play in designing proper systems that integrate stakeholders, waste system elements, and sustainability aspects of waste management. This book is part of a focused collection from a project on Engineering and Education for Social and Environmental Justice. It takes an explicitly social and environmental justice stance on waste and attempts to assess the social impact of waste management on those who are also the most economically vulnerable and least powerful in the society. We hope that this book will assist our readers to think critically and understand the framework of socially and environmentally just waste management. Table of Contents: Introduction / Towards a Just Politics of Waste Management / Expertise, Indigenous People, and the Site 41 Landfill / Waste Management in the Global North / Waste Management in the Global South: A Sri Lankan Case Study / Assessing the Feasibility of Waste for Life in the Western Province of Sri Lanka

The recent tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico and resultant ethical consequences for the engineering profession are introduced and discussed. The need for a new engineering ethic is identified and introduced based upon advancements in science, complex systems and eco-philosophy. Motivations for introducing a new ethic rather than modifying existing ethics are also discussed. Table of Contents: Tragedy in the Gulf / Tragedy Unfolding / Engineering Ethics / Complex Systems / Quantum Mechanics / Evolving Principles of the Universe / A New Engineering Ethic / Epilogue

What in the world is a social scientist doing collaborating with an engineer, and an engineer with a sociologist, and together on a book about drones and sociotechnical thinking in the classroom? This book emerges from a frustration that disciplinary silos create few opportunities for students to engage with others beyond their chosen major. In this volume, Hoople and Choi-Fitzpatrick introduce a sociotechnical approach to truly interdisciplinary education around the exciting topic of drones. The text, geared primarily at university faculty, provides a hands-on approach for engaging students in challenging conversations at the intersection of technology and society. Choi-Fitzpatrick and Hoople provide a turnkey solution complete with detailed lesson plans, course assignments, and drone-based case studies. They present a modular framework, describing how faculty might adopt their approach for any number of technologies and class configurations.

This book probes the complex interweaving, across time and cultures, of violence and non-violence from the perspective of the present. One of the first of its kind, it offers a comprehensive examination of the interpenetration of violence and non-violence as much in human nature as in human institutions with reference to different continents, cultures and religions over centuries. It points to the present paradox that even as violence of unprecedented lethality threatens the very survival of humankind, non-violence increasingly appears as an unlikely feasible alternative. The essays presented here cover a wide cultural–temporal spectrum — from Vedic sacrifice, early Jewish–Christian polemics, the Crusades, and medieval Japan to contemporary times. They explore aspects of the violence–non-violence dialectic in a coherent frame of analysis across themes such as war, jihad, death, salvation, religious and philosophical traditions including Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, mysticism, monism, and Neoplatonism, texts such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and Quran, as well as issues faced by Dalits and ethical imperatives for clinical trials, among others. Offering thematic width and analytical depth to the treatment of the subject, the contributors bring their disciplinary expertise and cultural insights, ranging from the historical to sociological, theological, philosophical and metaphysical, as well as their sensitive erudition to deepening an understanding of a grave issue. The book will be useful to scholars and researchers of history, peace and conflict studies, political science, political thought and cultural studies, as well as those working on issues of violence and non-violence.

A response of the engineering profession to the challenges of security, poverty and underdevelopment, environmental sustainability, and native cultures is described. Ethical codes, which govern the behavior of engineers, are examined from a historical perspective linking the prevailing codes to models of the natural world. A new ethical code based on a recently introduced model of Nature as an integral community is provided and discussed. Applications of the new code are described using a case study approach. With the ethical code based on an integral community in place, new design algorithms are developed and also explored using case studies. Implications of the proposed changes in ethics and design on engineering education are considered. Table of Contents: Preface / Acknowledgments / Introduction / Engineering Ethics / Models of the Earth / Engineering in a Morally Deep World / Engineering Design in a Morally Deep World / Implications for Engineering Education / Final Thoughts / References / Author's Biography

Mining has been entangled with the development of communities in all continents since the beginning of large-scale resource extraction. It has brought great wealth and prosperity, as well as great misery and environmental destruction. Today, there is a greater awareness of the urgent need for engineers to meet the challenge of extracting declining mineral resources more efficiently, with positive and equitable social impact and minimal environmental impact. Many engineering disciplines—from software to civil engineering—play a role in the life of a mine, from its inception and planning to its operation and final closure. The companies that employ these engineers are expected to uphold human rights, address community needs, and be socially responsible. While many believe it is possible for mines to make a profit and achieve these goals simultaneously, others believe that these are contradictory aims. This book narrates the social experience of mining in two very different settings—PapuaNew Guinea and Western Australia—to illustrate how political, economic, and cultural contexts can complicate the simple idea of'community engagement.'Table of Contents: Preface / Mining in History / The Ok Tedi Mine in Papua New Guinea / Mining and Society in Western Australia / Acting on Knowledge / References / Author Biographies

In A Philosophy of Technology: From Technical Artefacts to Sociotechnical Systems, technology is analysed from a series of different perspectives. The analysis starts by focussing on the most tangible products of technology, called technical artefacts, and then builds step-wise towards considering those artefacts within their context of use, and ultimately as embedded in encompassing sociotechnical systems that also include humans as operators and social rules like legislation. Philosophical characterisations are given of technical artefacts, their context of use and of sociotechnical systems. Analyses are presented of how technical artefacts are designed in engineering and what types of technological knowledge is involved in engineering. And the issue is considered how engineers and others can or cannot influence the development of technology. These characterisations are complemented by ethical analyses of the moral status of technical artefacts and the possibilities and impossibilities for engineers to influence this status when designing artefacts and the sociotechnical systems in which artefacts are embedded. The running example in the book is aviation, where aeroplanes are examples of technical artefacts and the world aviation system is an example of a sociotechnical system. Issues related to the design of quiet aeroplane engines and the causes of aviation accidents are analysed for illustrating the moral status of designing, and the role of engineers therein. Table of Contents: Technical Artefacts / Technical Designing / Ethics and Designing / Technological Knowledge / Sociotechnical Systems / The Role of Social Factors in Technological Development / Ethics and Unintended Consequences of Technology

This book, Engineering and Sustainable Community Development, presents an overview of engineering as it relates to humanitarian engineering, service learning engineering, or engineering for community development, often called sustainable community development (SCD). The topics covered include a history of engineers and development, the problems of using industry-based practices when designing for communities, how engineers can prepare to work with communities, and listening in community development. It also includes two case studies -- one of engineers developing a windmill for a community in India, and a second of an engineer'mapping communities'in Honduras to empower people to use water effectively -- and student perspectives and experiences on one curricular model dealing with community development. Table of Contents: Introduction / Engineers and Development: From Empires to Sustainable Development / Why Design for Industry Will Not Work as Design for Community / Engineering with Community / Listening to Community / ESCD Case Study 1: Sika Dhari's Windmill / ESCD Case Study 2: Building Organizations and Mapping Communities in Honduras / Students'Perspectives on ESCD: A Course Model / Beyond Engineers and Community: A Path Forward

Humanitarian Engineering reviews the development of engineering as a distinct profession and of the humanitarian movement as a special socio-political practice. Having noted that the two developments were situated in the same geographical and historical space -- that is, in Europe and North America beginning in the 1700s -- the book argues for a mutual influence and synthesis that has previously been lacking. In this spirit, the first of two central chapters describes humanitarian engineering as the artful drawing on science to direct the resources of nature with active compassion to meet the basic needs of all -- especially the powerless, poor, or otherwise marginalized. A second central chapter then considers strategies for education in humanitarian engineering so conceived. Two final chapters consider challenges and implications. Table of Contents: Engineering / Humanitarianism / Humanitarian Engineering / Humanitarian Engineering Education / Challenges / Conclusion: Humanizing Technology

Needs and Feasibility: A Guide for Engineers in Community Projects -- The Case of Waste for Life is the story of Waste for Life (WFL). WFL is a not-for-profit organization that works to promote poverty-reducing solutions to environmental problems, and its educational branch is an international consortium of universities in six countries, involving students in support of community development projects. WFL currently works in Lesotho and Argentina. We present the story of the development of WFL in each country as a case-based guide to engineers, professors and students interested in community development work, particularly in contexts very different from their own. We focus mainly on the set-up stages, framing the projects to ensure that community needs are adequately articulated and acted upon. We begin with needs assessment, what is it that needs to be done -- for whom and why? How feasible is this, technically, economically, and can we guarantee sustainability? Before we can decide any of this, we need to understand and map the territory -- who are the key players, who have the most influence, and who will be most impacted by what we are doing? What is the role of the local government? If the groups are working as cooperatives, what does this mean, and what are these groups looking for? What is the technical solution going to look like? If it is a product, how will it be marketed? What other social, environmental, and economic impacts will it have and on whom? Once these have all been negotiated, and it is clear that all parties are working towards a mutually acceptable goal, how do we move forward so that any dependence on external partners is removed? When do we bring students into the work? What role can they play? Should they stay at home and support the project from there or is it better to do work in the field? This guide will be useful for the student engineer or the experienced engineer or professor who is interested in moving towards socially just engineering development work but has no idea where to begin. The real difficulties and on the ground issues encountered by the Waste for Life team are presented honestly and with the knowledge that we must learn from our mistakes. Only then can we hope to gain a better understanding of our potential role in supporting community development and move towards a better future. Table of Contents: An Introduction / Assessing the Need in Lesotho / Feasibility of WFL Lesotho / Mapping the Territory in Buenos Aires / Stakeholder Focus: The Local Government / Stakeholder Focus: Cooperatives / Sustainability: Economic, Environmental, and Social / Student Involvement / Summary Thoughts

This unique work explores, through personal narratives, the overlapping and intermingling of cultures as well as the immense cultural diversity across the world. This exploration inevitably questions notions of higher or lower cultures, and civilized or uncivilized peoples. Indeed it questions the very concept of superiority amongst peoples. Apart from cross-cultural encounters, this work also discusses how various democratic and non-democratic governments and organizations have attempted to conceal cross-cultural influences by inventing superiority, purity, and authenticity of cultures and civilizations to the detriment of others. Yet cross-culture pollination, an ongoing process, always reveals itself through the ignored cracks of history. The book shows that India is no exception and has been and continues to be porous. The numerous examples of cross-pollination — with Algeria, Indonesia, Cambodia, to mention a few — force us to re-look cultural constructs and indeed the very meaning of culture.

In this book we explore a sea change occurring in leadership for academic women in the sciences and engineering. Our approach is a two-pronged one: On the one hand, we outline the nature of the changes and their sources, both in various literatures and from program research results. On the other hand, we specify and provide detail about the persistent problems and obstacles that remain as barriers to women's full participation in academic science and engineering, their career advancement and success, and, most important, their role as leaders in making change. At the heart of this book is our goal to give some shape to the research, practice, and programs developed by women academic leaders making institutional change in the sciences and engineering. Table of Contents: Women in a New Era of Academic Leadership / Background: Academic Leadership for Women in Science and Engineering / Gender and Leadership: Theories and Applications / Women in Engineering Leadership Institute: Critical Issues for Women Academic Engineers as Leaders / From Success Stories to Success Strategies: Leadership for Promoting Diversity in Academic Science and Engineering / Conclusion

Over the last two decades, globalization has had a profound impact on how we view the world and its sustainability. One group of professionals that lies at the heart of sustainability is the engineers. Engineers are trained problem solvers, required to implement technical solutions and are at the forefront of the development of new technologies. Although engineers play a critical role in sustainability, traditional engineering programs typically only focus on the technocentric and ecocentric dimensions of sustainability, providing little training on the sociocentric dimension. With more and more interest in sustainability, it is becoming increasingly important to also provide engineers with an awareness of sociocentric issues and the necessary skills to address them. The aim of this book is to provide engineering educators with a real-life case study that can be brought into existing courses to help bridge the gap between engineering and the global world. The case study focuses on how our engineering study of different natural plant fibers for soil erosion control led us to small villages in Kerala, India, where marginalized women workers often stand waste deep in water several hours a day, clean and beat coconuts by hand, and separate and spin coconut (coir) fibers into yarn by hand, for very low wages. The case study provides insight into the three dimensions of sustainability (technocentric, ecocentric, and sociocentric) and how they come together in a typical engineering problem. Table of Contents: Reinforcing the Classroom / Natural Plant Fibers for Engineering Applications: Technocentric and Ecocentric Dimensions of Sustainability / The Coir Fiber Industry in Kerala, India: Sociocentric Dimension of Sustainability / Case Study / Conclusion / Bibliography

The profession of engineering in the United States has historically served the status quo, feeding an ever-expanding materialistic and militaristic culture, remaining relatively unresponsive to public concerns, and without significant pressure for change from within. This book calls upon engineers to cultivate a passion for social justice and peace and to develop the skill and knowledge set needed to take practical action for change within the profession. Because many engineers do not receive education and training that support the kinds of critical thinking, reflective decision-making, and effective action necessary to achieve social change, engineers concerned with social justice can feel powerless and isolated as they remain complicit. Utilizing techniques from radical pedagogies of liberation and other movements for social justice, this book presents a roadmap for engineers to become empowered and engage one another in a process of learning and action for social justice and peace. Table of contents: What Do we Mean by Social Justice? / Mindsets in Engineering / Engineering and Social Injustice / Toward a More Socially Just Engineering / Turning Knowledge into Action: Strategies for Change / Parting Lessons for the Continuing Struggle