Institutional discourses in engineering education and practice

An individual's identity is shaped by socially situated discourses-communications, interactions, language, objects, symbols, tools, ways of thinking, values, and beliefs. Discourses promoted by organizations that educate and employ engineers identify what it means to belong to the engineering profession, what an engineer should know, what values they should hold, and how they should act. This study employed qualitative content analysis to identify engineering discourses communicated by two types of organizations (i.e., universities and companies) through their websites. Findings illustrate that such institutions are clearly using their websites to promote discourses relating to their visions of engineering and what it means to be an engineer. This study begins to address the social construction of engineering identity through discourses promoted by institutions which contribute to defining engineering practice. Future work will explore the impact of these discourses on students.