Answer

EssayTopic2.edited1.edited x

Running Head: ESSAY TOPIC 2 1

ESSAY TOPIC 2 2

Essay Topic 2

Student’s Name

Professor’s Name

Date

1. Ethical responsibilities of current and future civil and environmental engineering professionals

The engineers have the responsibility of safeguarding public safety, health, and well being. They should avoid engineering-related failures like putting on a substandard bridge simply because it connects poor neighborhoods and related practices, resulting in death or injuries. They need to study the communities they serve, understand, and respond to their needs and goals. Civil and environmental engineers should champion the health of the communities and avoid contaminating the environment, including soil, water, and air. Their activities should focus not only today but also the future. The engineers should build infrastructures that provide safety in earthquakes, hurricanes, etcetera irrespective of clients’ racial affiliations. In case the clients are economically challenged,

It is the engineer’s ethical duty to extend charitable causes and reduce their fees to guarantee the quality, safety, health, and welfare. They should be social advocates and speak against any form of historical injustices against racial minorities, including racial discrimination in the allocation of the infrastructure budget. Civil and environmental engineers should as well take exercise informed judgments and take accountability for their actions. They should be ready to correct any issues arising fro their work. This safety, health, well-being, sustainability, pro-bono, social advocacy, among other ethical conducts, cuts across professions, and only differ in the context in which they are exercised (Roddis, 2016).

Position Statement:

The engineers must not remain complacent within our profession but should identify the ways structural racism has for long and still affects our country. They have a moral responsibility to seek actionable ways, create models of a society they want, and address this sanctioned vice.

Code of Ethics: The following canons will be useful in my essay

Canon 1: Hold Safety Paramount. I will show that engineers need to avoid any form of Structural inequality that would compromise the safety, health, and well-being of all my clients irrespective of their racial affiliations or other pertinent characteristics. They should avoid engineering-related failures like putting on a substandard bridge simply because it connects poor neighborhoods and related practices, resulting in death or injuries.

Canon 8: Treat All Persons Fairly. This canon is important in addressing the inequality mounted against minority groups in our populations, including people of color, women and LGBTQ communities, poor Americans, etcetera. Their dignity is not substitutable by their current situations. Serving all clients equality will be my principle guide and that of my essay.

Canon 6: Uphold Professional Honor. The essay will describe why engineers should avoid being corrupted by anything, be it money or some other motivations that can compromise their work. Remaining honst, transparent, and upholding ethical principles should be their greatest pursuit. It will demonstrate how this dishonest, fraud, and disregard of moral ethics has contributed to historical structural injustices.

References Summary

Roddis, W. M. (2016). Structural failures and engineering ethics. Journal of Structural Engineering, 119(5), 1539-1555. 

This article analyzes two case studies of two major structural disasters: the Kansas City, Mo Hyatt Regency walkway failure, and Quebec Bridge collapse. The author highlights the importance of ethics in engineering and ethics of engineering in addressing such disasters. the changes should incorporate both the individual actions of engineers and professional engineering societies and organizations. the author concluded that the engineers in the walkway and bridge construction failed to measure up to high standards. The bridge constructer failed to resign and placed his responsibilities on his organizations while the walkway constructor had no competency and ignored safety needs. Both were found guilty of misconduct, unprofessional conduct, and negligence.

Hoke, T. (2017). A question of ethics: The importance of understanding engineering ethics. Civil Engineering Magazine Archive, 82(5), 40-41. 

https://doi.org/10.1061/ciegag.0000781

Hoke acknowledges that lack of ethics is becoming an everyday norm in engineering and construction. He attributes this to a lack of understanding of the need for upholding professional responsibility brought about by the corrupted societal mechanism. According to Hoke, unethical behaviors like racism in our society and other vices are being translated into professional practice. The author acknowledges the need for teaching engineering ethics to professionals similar to the way we teach engineering. He also highlights several importances of understanding ethics, including fulfillment of common good, avoidance of conflict of interest, ethical judgment, accountability, etcetera. Hoke recommends the need for case studies use in teaching engineering to enhance understanding.