Teaching engineering in a social context

The broader implications of technological innovation are not addressed directly in the engineering classroom. Even in courses that consolidate and integrate knowledge, such as engineering design, the social issues are dealt with narrowly. The student is encouraged to be a team player and to behave ethically, but the reason is to optimize the design activity, not to explore its implications. In this article, the author introduced a course entitled "Components and Systems: Engineering in a Social Context" specifically to provide a link between the engineer as a calculator and designer and the engineer as a professional who must recognize that his or her inventions have profound societal impact and who must therefore act in a socially responsible manner.