Exploring the Influence of Identity Development on Public Policy Career Pathways for Engineers

Bailey Kathryn McOwen; Dayoung Kim

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Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Professional Development and Engineering Ethics Education
Tagged Division: Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/47437

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Paper Authors

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Bailey Kathryn McOwen Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Bailey is a student at Virginia Tech in the Engineering Education doctoral program. She has her bachelor's in physics from Canisius University and bachelor's in Industrial Engineering from St. Mary's University. Her research interests are in workforce development, continued education for engineering practitioners, alternative engineering career pathways, and engineering ethics.

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biography

Dayoung Kim Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Dayoung Kim is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Engineering Education (College of Engineering) at Virginia Tech. She is broadly interested in engineering practice (e.g., practices and experiences of, and competencies required for, engineers in various employment settings, such as business organizations and government agencies), engineering ethics (e.g., social responsibility of engineering professionals), and related policy concerns. She received her Ph.D. in Engineering Education at Purdue University (2022) and received her B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering at Yonsei University (2017) and Purdue University (2021) respectively. During her doctoral study, she received the 2022 Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the 2022 College of Engineering Outstanding Research Award from Purdue University.

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Abstract

With emerging technologies getting in the hands of the public at ever-increasing speeds, technology policymaking has become the primary means of regulating it. This means more individuals capable of understanding their nuances and conveying the information to the masses are required. Ethical governance of these advancements is best achieved when informed by ethically motivated technology experts, including engineers, as injecting ethics into the formation of policy begins with those who write it. For these reasons, it would be valuable to understand the relationship between the variables that may influence a technology expert in their pursuance of a policy career path, such as the development of their various identities (personal and social, engineering, and ethical identities) of these engineers. Discussions have taken place regarding public policy engineering workforce expectations and development and the use of these various identities, particularly ethics identity, in establishing a policy career pathway for engineers. There is not an explicit connection between the influence of these identities, whether personal and social, engineering, or ethical, on the establishment of public policy as a career pathway for engineers. In this theory paper, we aim to explore (1) what theoretical constructs are most prevalent among several theories for each form of identity development (personal and social, engineering, and ethical), and (2) whether these various identities have the potential to be leveraged in the establishment of a policy career pathway. We review the existing literature on the identity of engineers (including personal and social, engineering, and ethical) and consider the relation between these identities and public policy as a career for engineers. To complement the literature review, we provide examples from interviews conducted with technology experts who participate in AI ethics-related policymaking to illustrate how identity may influence one’s journey in cultivating policy career. These interviews underwent thematic coding as part of a larger study, and during this process, participants unexpectedly referenced identity-based experiences which influenced them. This specifically refers to experiences the individuals had in which their perceptions of their experiences were shaped by constructs of their personal and social identity, engineering identity, or ethical identity. A review of literature pertaining personal and social, engineering, and ethical identity development provides the necessary context to further establish the connection between them and their presence in the public policy career pathway for engineers. This paper will guide future research which requires a basis in the explicit relationship among various theoretical constructs of personal and social, engineering, and ethical identities development and the public policy career pathway for engineers.

Citation
Format

McOwen, B. K., & Kim, D. (2024, June), Exploring the Influence of Identity Development on Public Policy Career Pathways for Engineers Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47437

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - With emerging technologies getting in the hands of the public at ever-increasing speeds, technology policymaking has become the primary means of regulating it. This means more individuals capable of understanding their nuances and conveying the information to the masses are required. Ethical governance of these advancements is best achieved when informed by ethically motivated technology experts, including engineers, as injecting ethics into the formation of policy begins with those who write it. For these reasons, it would be valuable to understand the relationship between the variables that may influence a technology expert in their pursuance of a policy career path, such as the development of their various identities (personal and social, engineering, and ethical identities) of these engineers. Discussions have taken place regarding public policy engineering workforce expectations and development and the use of these various identities, particularly ethics identity, in establishing a policy career pathway for engineers. There is not an explicit connection between the influence of these identities, whether personal and social, engineering, or ethical, on the establishment of public policy as a career pathway for engineers. In this theory paper, we aim to explore (1) what theoretical constructs are most prevalent among several theories for each form of identity development (personal and social, engineering, and ethical), and (2) whether these various identities have the potential to be leveraged in the establishment of a policy career pathway. We review the existing literature on the identity of engineers (including personal and social, engineering, and ethical) and consider the relation between these identities and public policy as a career for engineers. To complement the literature review, we provide examples from interviews conducted with technology experts who participate in AI ethics-related policymaking to illustrate how identity may influence one’s journey in cultivating policy career. These interviews underwent thematic coding as part of a larger study, and during this process, participants unexpectedly referenced identity-based experiences which influenced them. This specifically refers to experiences the individuals had in which their perceptions of their experiences were shaped by constructs of their personal and social identity, engineering identity, or ethical identity. A review of literature pertaining personal and social, engineering, and ethical identity development provides the necessary context to further establish the connection between them and their presence in the public policy career pathway for engineers. This paper will guide future research which requires a basis in the explicit relationship among various theoretical constructs of personal and social, engineering, and ethical identities development and the public policy career pathway for engineers.
AU  - Bailey Kathryn McOwen
AU  - Dayoung Kim
CY  - Portland, Oregon
DA  - 2024/06/23
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Exploring the Influence of Identity Development on Public Policy Career Pathways for Engineers
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/47437
ER  -