Being smart, analytical, calculating and hardworking are common characteristics shared by most engineers. Such characteristics develops due to the nature of education and training that engineers must go through in order for them to practice their profession. Considered as one of the hardest courses in college, at the very least, an engineer must have fundamental knowledge in calculus and the physical sciences. In order for him to be able to design things and processes, an engineer is also expected to be creative and ingenious. Many dream of becoming an engineer, but due to its level of difficulty, only a few passes on to graduate and actually practice engineering . Some, for instance, drops out of the course while still in college while others lands on jobs that are not related to the field of engineering. Engineers are also trained to work in the most challenging environments as well as work in an office environment, which makes them among the most flexible professionals in terms of work assignments. These characteristics make engineering an in demand profession Engineering is also a lucrative profession in terms of economic advantage. An average engineer in the United States, for instance, earns twice as much as the median income at $87,620. No wonder, most people think that engineers are rich primarily because they earn more than what the average person earns.
Although there are certain characteristics that are true for the majority of engineers, engineering professionals often find themselves stereotyped and labeled based on oversimplified standards. Stereotyping is defined as “false or misleading generalizations about groups held in a manner that renders them largely, though not entirely, immune to counterevidence” (Blum, 2004, p.251). While stereotyping is not necessarily negative or discriminatory, psychologists believe that it has a profound impact on the shaping of an individual’s behavior. In studying criminal behavior, for instance, it was observed that people tend to fulfill their stereotypes (Scimecca, 1977, p.652).. As observed by scholars, “labeling or official typing, and consequent stigmatization, leads to an altered identity in the actor, necessitating a reconstitution of self” (Scimecca, 1977, p.652). For the same reason, some engineers become pressured by the standards that society has imposed on them. Engineers either live-up to positive stereotypes and expectations or live through the negative perception of society.
Like most professional groups, engineers have many stereotypes that reflect how society sees them, which also impacts how they see themselves. Some of these stereotypes are positive while others are negative. These stereotypes also tend to change over time. Way back in the 19th century, for example, engineers were generally admired because of their contribution to the industrial revolution (Florman, 1996, p.2). This period, according to observers, is a golden age of engineering wherein they are seen as heroes and saviors of mankind because of their ability to apply scientific ideas in order to solve technical problems in real life (Florman, 1996, p.2). The stereotyping of engineers, however, changed from being heroes and saviors of mankind to being “doom-bearers” (Florman, 1996, p.3). Being associated with the creation of destructive weapons such as the atomic bomb as well as being associated with environmental degradation because of technological and infrastructure advancements, engineers find themselves being tagged as being cold and unethical towards nature. Although they are often seen as smart, hard-working and career focused individuals, some people resent their work because they commonly associate engineering with environmental degradation. However, recent engineering practices that emphasize sustainable development are gradually changing public opinion towards the role of engineers in preserving nature while bringing technological progress.
References
Blum, L. (2004). Stereotypes And Stereotyping: A Moral Analysis . Retrieved March 2016, from http://filosofa.be/: http://filosofa.be/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/blum-stereotypes.pdf
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2013, May). Occupational Employment Statistics. Retrieved March 2016, from http://www.bls.gov/: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes172051.htm
Doherty, K. (2013, April). The 5 Hardest College Majors. Retrieved March 2016, from http://www.hercampus.com/: http://www.hercampus.com/life/academics/5-hardest-college-majors
Florman, S. (1996). Breaking the Stereotypes for Engineers . Retrieved March 2016, from http://ocw.mit.edu/: http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/comparative-media-studies-writing/21w-035-science-writing-and-new-media-elements-of-science-writing-for-the-public-spring-2013/calendar-readings-and-assignments/MIT21W_035S13_Stereotype.pdf
Scimecca, J. (1977). Labling Theory and Personal Construct Theory: Toward the Measurement of Individual Variation. Retrieved March 2016, from http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/: http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6052&context=jclc
The Best Colleges. (2014). Top 10 Easiest and Hardest College Degree Majors (Updated!). Retrieved March 2016, from http://www.thebestcolleges.org/: http://www.thebestcolleges.org/top-10-easiest-and-hardest-college-degree-majors/
