Core Principles of Professional Ethics and Gender Equity

Fundamentals of Ethics

Ethics: Meaning and Scope

Ethics refers to a set of moral principles and values that guide the behavior of individuals and professionals. In engineering, ethics ensures honesty, responsibility, safety, and accountability in all technical and professional activities.

Personal Versus Professional Ethics

• Personal Ethics: Moral values shaped by culture, family, and belief systems. They include honesty, kindness, and integrity.
• Professional Ethics: Rules and standards defined by the profession, ensuring public safety, transparency, and quality.

Example: A person may be honest personally, but professionally they must also maintain confidentiality and follow safety standards.

Civic Virtue

Civic virtue means acting responsibly as a citizen—respecting laws, protecting public resources, and contributing to society. Engineers must uphold civic virtue because their work affects public welfare.

Profession and Professionalism

• Profession: A specialized occupation requiring formal education, expert knowledge, and ethical responsibilities.
• Professionalism: The behavior expected from a professional—competence, punctuality, responsibility, and respect.

Key Professional Attributes

• Ingenuity: Creative and innovative problem-solving ability.
• Diligence: Carefulness, hard work, and attention to detail.
• Responsibility: Accepting the consequences of decisions and prioritizing safety.

Integrity in Design and Research

Engineers should be truthful in reporting data, avoid falsification, follow standard procedures, respect intellectual property, and avoid plagiarism.

Plagiarism

Using someone else’s ideas or work without proper credit. It is unethical and unacceptable in academic and professional fields.

Technology and the Digital Revolution

Data, Information, Knowledge Hierarchy

• Data → raw facts
• Information → processed data
• Knowledge → understanding gained from information

Cybertrust and Cybersecurity

Cybertrust refers to confidence in the security, privacy, and reliability of digital systems. Cybersecurity protects systems from hacking, malware, and data breaches.

Data Collection and Management Ethics

Issues arise related to privacy, misuse of data, consent, and unauthorized access. Ethical handling of data is a professional responsibility.

High Technologies Connecting People

Technologies like AI, IoT, 5G, social media, and GPS connect people across distances.

Positive impacts: faster communication, accessibility.

Negative impacts: privacy issues, misinformation, digital addiction.

Conflict Management and Confidentiality

Managing Conflict

Conflict can occur in teams due to differences in opinions or goals. Common methods of resolving conflict include communication, negotiation, compromise, and mediation.

Collective Bargaining

Process where workers negotiate with employers (through unions) for better wages, working conditions, and rights.

Confidentiality

Engineers must protect sensitive information of clients, companies, and users. Confidentiality can only be broken when public safety is at risk.

Codes of Ethics

Codes of Ethics provide professional guidelines. Common principles include:

• Prioritize public safety
• Be truthful and objective
• Maintain confidentiality
• Avoid conflicts of interest
• Work only in areas of competence
• Respect environment and society

Basic Concepts in Gender Studies

Sex Versus Gender

• Sex: Biological differences (male/female).
• Gender: Socially constructed roles, identities, and expectations.

Gender Identity and Expression

• Gender Identity: How individuals identify themselves (man, woman, transgender, non-binary).
• Gender Expression: How they present themselves (clothing, behavior).

Gender Stereotypes

Common assumptions such as “men are better at technical work” or “women should do caregiving.” Stereotypes cause inequality.

Gender Disparity and Discrimination

In Education

• Girls discouraged from STEM
• Lack of support systems
• Stereotypes in textbooks

In Employment

• Gender pay gap
• Lower representation in leadership
• Workplace discrimination and harassment

History and Innovations in Science

Examples of contributions by women include pioneering work in mathematics, computing, biotechnology, and astronomy. Their achievements highlight the importance of inclusivity in science.

Gendered Technologies and Innovations

Some technologies unintentionally favor one gender due to biased design (e.g., tools sized for male hands, early voice recognition systems working better for male voices). Inclusive design removes such biases.

Gender Equity and Empowerment Initiatives

Government and societal initiatives aim to promote equality:

• Women’s education programs
• Anti-harassment policies
• Support for transgender rights
• Skill development and entrepreneurship initiatives for women