ENGL 181 Engineering Communications

Engineering isn’t just about designing bridges, apps, or medical devices—it’s about solving problems that affect people’s everyday lives. Because technology and infrastructure shape society, engineers’ decisions can either reduce or reinforce inequities. That’s where social justice comes in: it helps engineers think about who benefits, who might be excluded, and how to design fairly and ethically.

Ethical Responsibility of Engineers

The work engineers do affects people, communities, and society at large. Most professional codes of ethics, like the NSPE Code of Ethics, emphasize that engineers must “hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.” In the context of social justice, this responsibility expands to ensuring that designs, technologies, and systems do not perpetuate inequities or disproportionately harm marginalized groups.

Ethical engineers actively consider the fair distribution of benefits and risks. They question who gains access to new technologies, who might be excluded, and whether their work unintentionally reinforces structural barriers—such as socioeconomic disparities, discrimination, or unequal access to resources. They also engage with communities, seeking input from diverse voices to ensure that projects meet real-world needs, not just theoretical or commercial objectives.

In practice, this means engineers must integrate social justice principles into every stage of their work—from problem identification to design, testing, and deployment. It is about anticipating social consequences, making decisions that advance equity, and taking accountability when designs fail to serve everyone fairly. By doing so, engineers uphold their ethical duty to serve the public good, not just technically but socially and morally.

As you begin formulating ideas about possible designs, consider the following questions:

Who benefits most from this design?

• Am I creating advantages for only certain groups, or does this design improve conditions equitably across communities?

Who bears the risks or costs?

• Could this design unintentionally harm, burden, or exclude marginalized or vulnerable populations?

Does this product address or reinforce inequities?

• Am I challenging systemic barriers (such as lack of access to healthcare, clean water, or mobility), or am I inadvertently upholding them?

Whose voices are included in the design process?

• Have I sought out perspectives from communities directly affected, particularly those who are often underrepresented?

Am I considering intersectionality?

• How might overlapping factors—such as race, gender, class, or disability—shape how different people experience the outcomes of my design?

What long-term impacts could emerge?

• Beyond immediate function, will this project contribute to building a more just, sustainable, and inclusive society?

How transparent and accountable is this process?

• Can I explain my decisions in ways that reflect fairness and ethical responsibility to the communities impacted?