Engineering and Social Justice: In the University and Beyond

Caroline Baillie · Alice Pawley

Jan 2012 · Purdue University Press

Ebook

222

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About this ebook

This book is aimed at engineering academics worldwide, who are attempting to bring social justice into their work and practice, or who would like to but don't know where to start. This is the first book dedicated specifically to University professionals on Engineering and Social Justice, an emerging and exciting area of research and practice. An international team of multidisciplinary authors share their insights and invite and inspire us to reformulate the way we work. Each chapter is based on research and yet presents the outcomes of scholarly studies in a user oriented style. We look at all three areas of an engineering academic's professional role: research, teaching and community engagement. Some of our team have created classes which help students think through their role as engineering practitioners in society. Others are focusing their research on outcomes that are socially just and for client groups who are marginalized and powerless. Yet others are consciously engaging local community groups and exploring ways in which the University might 'serve' communities at home and globally from a post-development perspective. We are additionally concerned with the student cohort and who has access to engineering studies. We take a broad social and ecological justice perspective to critique existing and explore alternative practices. This book is a handbook for any engineering academic, who wishes to develop engineering graduates as well as technologies and practices that are non-oppressive, equitable and engaged. It is also an essential reader for anyone studying in this interdisciplinary juncture of social science and engineering. Scholars using a critical theoretical lens on engineering practice and education, from Science and Technology Studies, History and Philosophy of Engineering, Engineering and Science Education will find this text invaluable.

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About the author

Caroline Baillie is Chair of Engineering Education for the Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics at the University of Western Australia. Caroline co-founded the global Engineering and Social Justice network http://esjp.wikispaces.com/ and applies this lens to her own technical work on low cost natural fibre composites for developing countries. Her not-for-profit organization 'Waste for Life' (http://wasteforlife.org/) works to create poverty-reducing solutions to environmental issues. Caroline has more than 160 publications in Materials Engineering and Engineering Education including 18 books in Engineering and Engineering Education including practice and development, teaching and supervision, science and engineering knowledge development, education and social justice.

Alice is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering Education and an affiliate faculty member in the Women's Studies Program at Purdue University. Alice has a B.Eng. in chemical engineering from McGill University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in industrial engineering with a Ph.D. minor in women's studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is co-PI on Purdue University's ADVANCE initiative.

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