Ethics and Equity in Engineering

1
Ethics and Equity in Engineering

• Monique Frize, P. Eng., O.C.
• NSERC/Nortel Joint Chair for Women in
  
  Science and Engineering in ONTARIO
• Carleton University / University of Ottawa
• Ottawa, CANADA

2
Content

• Four Ethical Theories
• Code of Ethics for Engineers
• Ethical Decision-Making Process
• Privacy and Confidentiality,Plagiarism
• Equity (participation of women, strategies for
  K-12, universities, workplaces, profession)

3
Definition of a Profession

• Work that requires highly developed skills,
  judgment, discretion, not routine
• Extensive formal education to become a member
  (not just training)
• Sets standards for conduct and
  self-governance
• Significant public good, safety.
• C.B. Fledderman Engineering Ethics, Prentice
  Hall, 1999

4
Professional Engineers Act

• Misconduct or Incompetence
• Code of Ethics (Professional Engineers Ontario)
• Other codes (IEEE, etc.. )

5
Examples Moral Dilemmas

• Choosing between risking health of workers or
  stopping work
• Is a gift innocent kindness or an attempt at
  bribery ?
• An engineer undermines another
• Company secrets after leave?

6
Definition of Ethics

• The study of right or wrong
• Good and evil
• Obligations and rights
• Justice
• Social and political ideals.
• Andrews and Kemper, textbook referenced in course
  outline

7
Ethical Decision-Making

• Define the problem
• Assess possible solutions
• Resolve moral problem and develop moral criteria
  to guide human behaviour and decision

8
Four Ethical Theories

• Utilitarianism John Stuart Mill and others
• Formalism or Duty Ethics Kant
• Rights Ethics Locke
• Virtue Ethics Aristotle

9
Utilitarianism

• That which produces the maximum benefit for the
  greatest number of people (ex. Democracy)
• Calculate Intensity and Duration of a benefit
  or pleasure and number of people affected

10
Formalism or Duty Ethics (Kant)

• Each person has fundamental duty to act
  ethically
• conscience imposed on absolute, categorical
  imperative
• (i.e. unconditional demand)
• follows universal principles.

11
Examples

• Be honest
• Be fair
• Do not hurt others
• Keep your promises
• Obey the law
• This leads to RESPECT for HUMANITY

12
Rights Ethics (Locke)

• Everyone has rights that arise from existing
  (i.e. Right to LIFE, maximum individual LIBERTY,
  and human DIGNITY are FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS).
• Other rights arise as a consequence
• DUTY is a consequence of personal rights.

13
Examples

• Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (Canadian
  Law, 1980s)
• Only the fundamental rights set by Parliament
  are included
• (ex. Right to a harassment-free,
  discrimination-free environment).

14
Virtue Ethics (Aristotle)

• Compromise between extremes and select the
  GOLDEN MEAN
• Between EXCESS and DEFICIENCY
• Virtues Truly human qualities such as power
  of thought, reason, deduction, logic happiness
  or goodness result if humans qualities function
  fully.

15
Examples Golden Mean

• Modesty between vanity and humility
• courage foolhardiness and cowardice
• generosity wastefulness and stinginess

16
Code of Ethics

• Duty to Society and to the Public
• Duty to Employers
• Duty to Clients
• Duty to Colleagues
• Duty to Employees and Subordinates
• Duty to the Profession
• Duty to Oneself

17
Solving Ethical Problems

• Define problem or need
• Gather information, define goal
• Generate alternative solutions or methods
  synthesis
• Evaluate benefits and cost of each solution
  analysis
• Decide and optimize
• Implement the best solution

18
Privacy and Confidentiality

• Privacy freedom from intrusion or public
  attention removed from public view or knowledge.
• Confidentiality Entrusted with secrets.
• Secrecy The keeping of secrets information is
  withheld.
• J.W. Decew, In Pursuit of Privacy Law,
  Ethics, and the Rise of Technology Cornell
  University Press,1997./ Dictionaries

19
Plagiarism

• To adopt or reproduce as ones own work someone
  elses work
• To incorporate into ones own work WITHOUT
  AKNOWLEDGEMENT
• http//www.zoology.ubc.ca/bpg/
• plagiarism.htm

20
Equity in Science and Engineering

• The early days 1960s One female student in a
  faculty or in a discipline
• Very lonely, feel different, that you shouldnt
  be there, but also a mascot
• Culture Lady Godiva was alive and well
• Macho, masculine culture

21
The 70s

• A few more women, but not many (intriguing)
• A curiosity still, lonely but there are a few
  other women around, no female role models
• In the workplace one woman on a site, in a mine,
  in a plant, on an oil field

22
The 80s

• Active recruitment, many more women (not yet too
  threatening)
• Women are told they are welcome
• Reality culture still masculine, you do well if
  you are one of the boys
• In the workplace a few more women, but not many
  policies on equity, harassment, child-care
• BUT Charter of Rights and Freedoms

23
The 90s

• Post-massacre 20 enrolment
• Are women taking over?
• Some backlash to intervention programs
• But many intervention programs remain or are put
  into place
• Industry develops policies and some enforce them,
  pro-actively hire women
• There are a few women professors and more
  graduate students

24
A decade of interventions

• 1989 Creation of National Chair on Women in Eng
• 1990 A national committee (CCWE / report 92)
• 1993 NABST report (Winning with Women in TTSE)
• 1995 A national conference (New Brunswick)
• 1996 Granting Council report (NSERC)
• 1997 Creation of FIVE regional Chairs
• 1998 A national conference (British Columbia)
• 2000 A national conference (Newfoundland)
• 2002 An international conference and coalition

25
Now...

• General feeling that ceiling has been reached,
  nothing more can be done
• BUT perception is not correct
• Much more can be achieved

26
Female Enrolment Statistics
27
K-12 Strategies

• Increase the profile of women
• Increase contact with students
• Demystify various disciplines, show human
  connection
• Explain the opportunities, mentoring, networking
  and support
• Continue major efforts not to lose ground

28
Successful programs

• Pathmakers (role models, fun, exciting,
  confidence)
• Pinocchio nose (talk, game, project, visit labs)
• Sessions for parents/teachers
• Sessions with co-op employers (double standards,
  confidence level, benefits of diversity)

29
Culture

• Hacker and others describe the culture of
  engineering as an environment stressing
• The importance of technology over personal
  relationships
• Formal abstract knowledge over inexact humanistic
  knowledge
• Male attributes over female ones

30
Strategies for universities

• Change the culture humanise (teaching style,
  curriculum, what is valued)
• Monitor climate, find ways to improve
• Support women students with special needs
• Identify how feminine values improve the
  discipline and expect respect for these

31
Universities (cont.)

• Policy on sexual harassment (in 1990s)
• Policy on hiring
• For equal candidates, pick a man in female
  dominated fields and a woman in male dominated
  fields
• Review tenure and promotion criteria
• MIT report This survey is needed in every
  Canadian University
• Re-define excellence in more general way.

32
Examples curriculum and teaching styles

• Multidisciplinary programs (ex. problem-solving
  and life sciences)
• Environmental, Industrial, Chemical and
  Biomedical Engineering are popular
• Computer Science applications in arts, music
• Add societal context and relevance to other
  disciplines (mech, elec, civil)
• Cooperative teaching (learning) style

33
Education and training

• Ethical Decision-making
• Social responsibility
• Impact of technology on people, society
• Principles of sustainability, protection of the
  environment
• Gender, racial issues and homophobia

34
Women faculty...

• At highest rank, almost invisible
• Salary, office and lab space differences
• Women clustered in non-tenured positions
  adjunct, part-timers, instructors, lecturers
• In USA, concentrated in two-year institutions
• More likely to be teachers than researchers,
  low-status fields.

35
Workplace

• More flexible options, telework
• Enforce policies (harassment and discrimination
  and parental leave)
• Create support networks and mentoring
• Training on different communication styles and
  approaches of women and men
• Encourage men to share parenting and household
  work (ex. OIQ 21 men take parental leave in
  1998)

36
Remodel

• Increase diversity in the profession and
  integrate perspectives into the culture
• Remodel how we teach skills and abilities to fit
  the new needs of industry and society
• Build a more dynamic model of engineering
  education
• Define success in more diverse terms

37
Future...

• Many intervention programs (1989-2002)
• Unique project (five Chairs 1997-2002)
• Coast to coast and many aspects of gender issues
• Expect major progress in next decade

38
Ontario Chairs web site

• http//www.genie.uottawa. ca/cwse-on
• http//www.icwes12.org