Engineering Student Positionality and Alignment with The Culture of Disengagement

Abstract

The culture of disengagement, consisting of meritocracy, depoliticization, and technical/social dualism, is an ideology that has been connected to decreasing interest in public welfare among engineering students. These mindsets present a barrier to engineering for social justice. This paper aims to examine how aspects of positionality such as gender and ethnicity may impact students’ alignment with the culture of disengagement, to better inform interventions. Pre- and post-term surveys were completed by students in the third core engineering design course at the [University Name]. Regressions were run on several closed-ended questions, while coding and thematic analysis were conducted on open-ended questions. Results show significant gender differences in all three pillars of the culture of disengagement, with men having a stronger alignment with the culture of disengagement than women and nonbinary students. Mixed impacts of students’ lived experiences on their beliefs were found. Students’ ideology, and their engagement with social justice, can be deeply informed by their positionality. Recommendations include tailoring interventions based on program stream where there are large variations in gender balance and/or providing flexibility in the level and content of students’ social justice learning.