La formación ético-social de los futuros ingenieros

Abstract

The engineering training presents a dichotomy between the domain of technical rationality and the consideration of ethical-social issues. This implies the need to generate in future professionals a necessary social vision, adequate training in values ​​and a conceptualization of technology that goes beyond both the conceptions of neutrality and instrumental rationality and those of a purely economic type. The triptych social vision, axiological training, balanced conception of technology, contributes to the integral training of the engineer. This work describes the actions carried out in an educational research project in order to determine: a) What is the mission / vision / function of the Engineering schools? b) How can an education in values ​​be generated? c) How do students and graduates conceive technology? The methodology included questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis. We conclude that: a) students lack a motivation of a social nature that has guided them to study Engineering. They are mostly driven by the search for a job opportunity; however, they hope that such a vision will be granted to them by the faculty; b) the social aspects of the mission / vision / function of the universities refer mainly to the response to regional needs; c) there are few references to the ethics of technology in the plans and programs; d) the conception of technology as applied science predominates. These conclusions can establish guidelines to determine strategies to incorporate the ethical-social problem in basic subjects of the career, in order to answer this integrating question: how to go from theory to practice?