Confessions of a Shoveler: STS Subcultures and Engineering Ethics

• Published in: Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society
• Main Author: Herkert, Joseph R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2006
• Subjects: General Engineering; Social Sciences (miscellaneous); Shoveler
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0270467606293331; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0270467606293331

Mainstream science, technology, and society scholars have shown little interest in engineering ethics, one going so far as to label engineering ethics activists as “shit shovelers.” Detachment from engineering ethics on the part of most STS scholars is related to a broader and long-standing split between the scholar-oriented and activist-oriented wings of STS. This article discusses the various STS “subcultures” and argues that the much-maligned activist STS subculture is far more likely than the mainstream scholar subculture to have a significant impact on engineering ethics education and practice.