Conceptualizing Social Justice in Civil Engineering and Professors’ Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review

Tomeka Carroll; Diana Marcela Franco Duran; Lindsay Ivey Burden

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Equity, Culture & Social Justice Technical Session
Tagged Divisions: Equity and Culture & Social Justice in Education Division (EQUITY)
Page Count: 22
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42730
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42730
Download Count: 276

Paper Authors

biography

Tomeka Carroll University of Virginia

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Tomeka Carroll is a Ph.D. Fellow in the school of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia. She is also a Research Assistant with the Behavioral Research at Darden (BRAD Lab). Her research interest revolve around JEDI in engineering education, circular economy and behavior change, as well adaptive reuse and sustainability. Tomeka received her BA in Spanish from Spelman College and attended graduate school at McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University. Prior to attending UVA Tomeka Carroll worked in the real estate development industry and has consulted with government agencies, international companies, and non-profit organizations.

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Diana Marcela Franco Duran University of Virginia orcid.org/0000-0001-8523-9309

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Lindsay Ivey Burden

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Abstract

Abstract

Professors are responsible for teaching and shaping the next generation of civil engineers. As the conduits for transferring knowledge, the positionality of an engineering professor will inherently shape how engineering students perceive their expected role as civil engineers in society, embedding both identity and priorities. Nonetheless, professors are not provided with the tools needed to create a human-centered learning environment that promotes a more equitable lens through which students can view the ethical responsibilities of a civil engineer. The framing utilized in the curriculum to communicate ethical measures lacks the intricate and contextual complexities of real-world scenarios and historical views of all stakeholders (Bucciarelli, 2007). Professors’ perspectives must be taken into account when considering teaching and identifying any perceived barriers hindering this process. There is a hierarchy in engineering curricula where technical courses are prioritized, and non-technical courses are seen as an add-on. We must account for what is being left out of the problem-solving process and whose perspectives are not being considered (Leydens and Lucena, 2017). Civil engineering curriculum should include a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) to produce students with a stronger sense of social agency when they enter into their profession (Garibay, 2015) by providing them with (1) a better understanding of the implications of the historical and present contextualization of the work of civil engineers, (2) a recognition for the role/power they play in society, and (3) an understanding for the intersection of social justice within the discipline. However, research on civil engineering and incorporating DEIJ is nascent. Literature that is found speaks on infrastructure development and ethics with regards to environmental responsibility. While there is support for more ethics training in civil engineering (Said et al., 2015), missing from the literature are specific next steps and tools to help professors incorporate social justice in each component of civil engineering (construction management, geotechnical, structural, transport, water, and environmental). We have conducted a systematic literature review outlining if and how the current curricula incorporate DEIJ in civil engineering programs along with the tools necessary for successful implementation and outcomes. For future research we suggest a deeper dive to understand the lifecycle of DEIJ from the professors’ point of view and what needs to be addressed in order to incorporate social justice into the civil engineering curriculum. In doing so, the knowledge gained supports professors by creating successful engineering programs that produce well-rounded students as future engineers.

Citation
Format

Carroll, T., & Franco Duran, D. M., & Burden, L. I. (2023, June), Conceptualizing Social Justice in Civil Engineering and Professors’ Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42730

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Abstract

Professors are responsible for teaching and shaping the next generation of civil engineers. As the conduits for transferring knowledge, the positionality of an engineering professor will inherently shape how engineering students perceive their expected role as civil engineers in society, embedding both identity and priorities. Nonetheless, professors are not provided with the tools needed to create a human-centered learning environment that promotes a more equitable lens through which students can view the ethical responsibilities of a civil engineer.
The framing utilized in the curriculum to communicate ethical measures lacks the intricate and contextual complexities of real-world scenarios and historical views of all stakeholders (Bucciarelli, 2007). Professors’ perspectives must be taken into account when considering teaching and identifying any perceived barriers hindering this process. There is a hierarchy in engineering curricula where technical courses are prioritized, and non-technical courses are seen as an add-on. We must account for what is being left out of the problem-solving process and whose perspectives are not being considered (Leydens and Lucena, 2017).
Civil engineering curriculum should include a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ)  to produce students with a stronger sense of social agency when they enter into their profession (Garibay, 2015) by providing them with (1) a better understanding of the implications of the historical and present contextualization of the work of civil engineers, (2) a recognition for the role/power they play in society, and (3) an understanding for the intersection of social justice within the discipline.
However, research on civil engineering and incorporating DEIJ is nascent. Literature that is found speaks on infrastructure development and ethics with regards to environmental responsibility. While there is support for more ethics training in civil engineering (Said et al., 2015), missing from the literature are specific next steps and tools to help professors incorporate social justice in each component of civil engineering (construction management, geotechnical, structural, transport, water, and environmental).
We have conducted a systematic literature review outlining if and how the current curricula incorporate DEIJ in civil engineering programs along with the tools necessary for successful implementation and outcomes. For future research we suggest a deeper dive to understand the lifecycle of DEIJ from the professors’ point of view and what needs to be addressed in order to incorporate social justice into the civil engineering curriculum. In doing so, the knowledge gained supports professors by creating successful engineering programs that produce well-rounded students as future engineers.

AU  - Tomeka Carroll
AU  - Diana Marcela Franco Duran
AU  - Lindsay Ivey Burden
CY  - Baltimore , Maryland
DA  - 2023/06/25
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Conceptualizing Social Justice in Civil Engineering and Professors’ Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/42730
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--42730
ER  -