Sociological, postcolonial, and critical theory foundations of engineering ethics education

Three sociological approaches and their contributions to engineering ethics are discussed in this chapter: critical theory, postcolonial theory, and Science, Technology, and Society (STS) studies. Each of these helps us, albeit in different ways, to reflect on non-obvious dimensions and forces shaping technology and society. Critical engineering ethics asks us to reflect on our epistemological and ontological universalist assumptions and to question the contexts in which material artifacts and systems become hegemonic (Western) signifiers in technoscientific modernity. Postcolonial theory, including the ‘pluriverse’ and the ‘Buen Vivir’ movement, provide counter-hegemonic tools for questioning Western/non-Western power asymmetries, technological determinism, and technocratic solutionism. An ethical stance demands rethinking technological choices, giving priority to the vulnerable, the realization of human emancipation, the rights of nature, and the creation of alternative possible worlds. The chapter also discusses paths to integrate these critical approaches with engineering education practices based on insights from ‘engaged programs.’