Ethnography in Engineering Ethics Education: A Pedagogy for Transformational Listening

Abstract

Virginia Tech. For the past 7 years, she has conducted research on the historic 2001-2004 Washington, DC lead-in-drinking-water contamination. This work exposed wrongdoing and unethical behavior on the part of local and federal government agencies. In 2010, Dr. Lambrinidou co-conceived the graduate level engineering ethics course "Engineering Ethics and the Public." She is co-PI on a National Science Foundation (NSF) research and education project developing an ethnographic approach to engineering ethics education.

Establishing a Field of Collaboration for Engineers, Scientists, and Community Groups: Incentives, Barriers, and Potential

“…Though efforts where students are taught to engage broader purposes and greater socio‐environmental visions are laudable, these programs can still be overwhelmingly technical in curricular content. Consequently, scholars also argue for a dose of socially‐minded skills, like training in ethics, the dynamics of power and privilege, cultural awareness/sensitivity, and listening skills (Cech, 2013; CSD [Center for Science and Democracy], 2016; Kinsner, 2014; Lambrinidou et al, 2014; Larsen et al, 2014; Skokan & Munoz, 2006; Vandersteen et al, 2009). For Vandersteen et al (2009, p. 33), the success of one's placement in an international type program “often depends on intangible qualities, such as the student's attitude, communication skills, and cultural awareness.” For greater detail on such skills, see the Center for Science and Democracy ' s guide to scientist‐community partnerships (CSD, 2016).…”

“Racing the Sun”: A Narrative Analysis of Engineering Graduate Students’ Journeys Navigating Public-Inspired Science Work

“…Through listening, she was able to bridge the gap between researchers and communities (Lambrinidou et al, 2014) because she saw them as human beings. This can be a challenge in a field where objectivity is the main goal in research.…”

Integrating Ethics into the Curriculum Through Design Courses

“…In order to consider wider consequences the student needs to include ethical reasoning in their decision making that is free from the unconscious bias of personal gains or preferences [15]. Unfortunately, Lambrinidou et al [18] provide a compelling case of the reality of engineering instruction and the profession, where viewpoints of non-technical perspectives are neglected and opposing voices willfully disregarded. They emphasize the critical need for including perspectives that are often overlooked by engineers when defining engineering problems and solutions.…”