Transcript No Slide Title - School of Electrical Engineering and Computer

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
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)
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
Professional Engineers Act
Misconduct or Incompetence
Code of Ethics (Professional Engineers
Ontario)
Other codes (IEEE, etc.. )
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?
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
Ethical Decision-Making
Define the problem;
Assess possible solutions;
Resolve moral problem and
develop moral criteria to guide
human behaviour and decision
Four Ethical Theories
Utilitarianism : John Stuart Mill
and others
Formalism or Duty Ethics : Kant
Rights Ethics : Locke
Virtue Ethics : Aristotle
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
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.
Examples
Be honest
Be fair
Do not hurt others
Keep your promises
Obey the law
This leads to ‘RESPECT for
HUMANITY’
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.
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).
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.
Examples: Golden Mean
Modesty : between vanity and
humility
courage: foolhardiness and
cowardice
generosity: wastefulness and
stinginess
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
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
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
Plagiarism
To adopt or reproduce as one’s own
work someone else’s work;
To incorporate into one’s own work
WITHOUT AKNOWLEDGEMENT
http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/bpg/
plagiarism.htm
Equity in Science and
Engineering
The early days: 1960’s: One female
student in a faculty or in a discipline
Very lonely, feel different, that you
shouldn’t be there, but also a mascot
Culture: Lady Godiva was alive and well
Macho, masculine culture
The 70’s
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
The 80’s
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
The 90’s
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
A decade of interventions
1989:
1990:
1993:
1995:
1996:
1997:
1998:
2000:
2002:
Creation of National Chair on Women in Eng
A national committee (CCWE / report ‘92)
NABST report (Winning with Women in TTSE)
A national conference (New Brunswick)
Granting Council report (NSERC)
Creation of FIVE regional Chairs
A national conference (British Columbia)
A national conference (Newfoundland)
An international conference and coalition
Now...
General feeling that ceiling has
been reached, nothing more can
be done
BUT perception is not correct
Much more can be achieved
Female Enrolment Statistics
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
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)
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
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
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.
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
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
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”.
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)
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
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
Ontario Chair’s web site
http://www.genie.uottawa.
ca/cwse-on
http://www.icwes12.org