Abstract
Proselytizing Problem-Solving: The Religious and Secular Values of Engineering for Good
This dissertation explores how engineers’ values shape their desires to “do good.” Through a comparative, multi-sited ethnographic study of undergraduate engineering for good programs, I describe how value claims are institutionalized, disseminated, and a part of engineers’ professionalization. I argue that these engineering programs with Baptist, Catholic, and secular missions translate engineers’ desire to “do good” into actionable projects, designed to “solve problems” through service, development, and social justice. These universities’ religious affiliation (or lack thereof) shape what problems their engineers can solve and what it means to be successful. The project asks how the technology that these engineers produce has become a ubiquitous feature of humanitarianism, unquestioned as a public good and apolitical intervention. Seen in action, this form of philanthropy—producing and appropriating technology—paints a more complex picture. How is engineering a part of training the next generation of humanitarians? What can pedagogues do to prepare students to think through value claims regarding their future careers? At its core, this project explores how three engineering programs have answered these questions and interrogates the role of technology in “doing good.”