Engineering and Sustainable Community Development (Synthesis Lectures on Engineers, Technology, & Society)

✍ Scribed by Juan Lucena, Jon A. Leydens, Jen Schneider, Samantha Temple

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2024
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 208
• Edition: 2nd ed. 2024
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book presents an overview of engineering as it relates to humanitarian engineering, service-learning engineering, peace engineering, or engineering for community-led development, programs that are often grouped under Engineering for Good or Engineering for Change. By placing “community” at the center of these endeavors, this book invites readers and practitioners to strive for sustainable community development (SCD). This 2^nd edition is centered on new concepts of community-led development and includes topics on the history of engineers and development, the problems of using industry-based practices when designing for communities, how engineers can prepare to work with communities, and listening in community development. Two case studies are provided to highlight the book’s concepts using first-hand experiences of engineers engaged with communities―one of engineers developing a windmill for a community in India, and a second of an engineer mapping communities in Honduras for improved water management. The book concludes with student perspectives and experiences from a curricular model focused on engineering for sustainable community development. Overall, the text invites engineers to reflect and prepare themselves for global careers that involve international development in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. This 2^nd edition places community-led practices at the heart of these endeavors.

The book is for engineering faculty, students and practicing engineers, involved in current or future community collaborations. The authors wrote this book with a goal to help readers critically reflect on their own practices and perceptions. Readers learn to question past, current, and future frameworks in the project of development, and are encouraged to adopt practices of community-led development.

This 2^nd edition is aimed at engineering students who, as future global engineers, are faced with opportunities and challenges when working with communities. As funding for renewable energy, “green jobs,” and community-based initiatives continue to increase, engineers will need to rely on the social and historical concepts presented in this book.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Engineers as Problem Solvers
1.2 Engineers’ Beliefs About Community Development
1.3 Engineers, Development, and Community
1.4 What Makes This Book Different?
1.5 Who is This Book for?
1.6 Brief Outline of the Book
References
2 Engineers and the Project of Development: A Historical Review of Critical Events and Concepts
2.1 What is Development and Why Does Language Matter?
2.2 Engineers and the Development of Empires (18th Century)
2.3 Engineers and National Development (19th Century)
2.4 Engineers and the Modern Concept of International Development (1900s–1970s)
2.4.1 Engineering Education Did Not Respond
2.4.2 Basic Needs and the Paradox of Technology
2.4.3 Appropriate Technology
2.5 Engineers and the “Lost Decade of Development” (The 1980s)
2.6 Engineers Move Toward Sustainable Development (1980s–1990s)
2.7 Engineers Heed the Call to Sustainable Development (Late 1990s–Early 2000s)
2.8 The Explosion of “Engineering to Help” (ETH) Activities (2000–2020)
2.8.1 Globalization of U.S. Engineering Education
2.8.2 Transformation of Long-Term Corporate Loyalty to Engineering Employees
2.8.3 Unparalleled Media Coverage
2.9 The Emergence of Community in Sustainable Development and ETH Initiatives
2.9.1 The Movement for Community-Led Development (2020-Present)
References
3 Why Design for Industry Will Not Work as Design for Community
3.1 Introduction
3.2 One Design Project: Description and Reflection
3.3 Design Courses and Design Instruction
3.3.1 The Syllabus
3.3.2 Objectives
3.3.3 Constraints
3.3.4 Expectations from Students
3.4 Course Content
3.4.1 Design Process
3.4.2 Leadership and Teamwork Dynamics
3.4.3 Design Tools and Approaches
3.5 The Course
3.5.1 Location
3.5.2 Course Practices
3.5.3 Teamwork
3.6 The Written Report
3.7 The Final Presentation
3.8 Conclusions: What Can You Do?
References
4 Engineering with Community
4.1 Introduction
4.2 A Definition for “Community”
4.2.1 How One Engineer Views Community
4.3 Challenge #1: Engineering Problem Solving (EPS)
4.4 Challenge #2: Engineering Mindsets
4.5 Challenge #3: Community Development Projects and Community-Led Development
4.5.1 Community-Led Development
4.5.2 Community-Led Development in Recycling E-Waste in Colombia
4.6 Challenge #4: Engineers’ Belief in Development
4.7 From Engineering for Development to ESCD
4.7.1 Incorporate Opportunities for Self-Reflection
4.7.2 Meaningful Ways to Learn About a Target Community
4.7.3 Can the Time-Scale of Your Project Be Expanded?
4.7.4 Make Plans for Failure
4.7.5 Design a Landing Pad
4.7.6 Develop Meaningful Assessments
4.8 Conclusion
References
5 From Listening to Community Ownership
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Students Learn First-Hand to Listen to Community
5.3 What is Community Ownership?
5.4 Ownership in Big Development: The El Cajón Dam Case
5.5 Ownership in Little Development: Brick Making Kilns in Peshawar, Pakistan
5.6 Listening as a Component of Community Ownership: Where is Listening in Engineering Education?
5.7 What is Contextual Listening?
5.8 Dimensions of Contextual Listening
5.8.1 Integrating History and Culture
5.8.2 Openness to Cultural Difference and Ambiguity
5.8.3 Building Relationships
5.8.4 Minimizing Deficiencies and Recognizing Capacities
5.8.5 Foregrounding Self-Determination
5.8.6 Achieving Shared Accountability
5.9 Barriers to Contextual Listening
5.9.1 Engineering Problem Solving
5.9.2 Engineering Design
5.9.3 Benefits of Contextual Listening
5.9.4 Contextual Listening Counters Biases
5.9.5 Contextual Listening Fosters a Community-Centric Approach to Problem Solving
5.9.6 Contextual Listening Integrates Multiple Human and Sectoral Perspectives
5.9.7 Problem, Definition, and Solution
5.9.8 Conclusion
Appendix: Questions to Foster Understanding of Dimensions of Contextual Listening
References
6 ESCD Case Study #1: Sika Dhari’s Windmill
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Case Overview
6.3 Case Specifics
6.3.1 Phase One: Participatory Planning
6.3.2 Phase Two: Project Implementation
6.4 Conclusion
6.5 Community Ownership Review and Questions for Further Reflection
7 ESCD Case Study #2: Building Organizations and Mapping Communities in Honduras
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Becoming an Engineer
7.3 Discovering Water
7.4 Changing an Organization
7.5 Doing “Big” Development
7.6 Moving to Sustainable Community Development
7.7 Questions for Reflection
References
8 Student Perspectives on ESCD: A Course Model
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Engineering and Sustainable Community Development: A Course Description
8.3 Development Projects Involve History and Politics
8.3.1 Student Responses to This Challenge
8.4 Development Problems Are More Than Technical Problems
8.4.1 Student Response to This Challenge
8.5 Strengths and Limitations of the Engineering Problem Solving and Design Methods
8.5.1 Student Response to This Challenge
8.6 Learning to Measure Projects Against SCD Criteria
8.6.1 Student Response to This Challenge
8.7 Resistance by Students
8.8 Transformations
References
9 Beyond Engineers and Community: What is Missing and How to Move Forward
9.1 What is Missing?
9.1.1 Donors
9.1.2 Implementers
9.1.3 Relationships Among Actors
9.2 Moving Forward
References