The Power of Place: A Critical Examination of Engineering Enculturation & Identity Formation

Abstract Engineering identity formation is not simply the result of knowledge acquisition, but also that of enculturation. As Basso (1996) reminds us, both processes of knowledge acquisition and enculturation are intricately linked to the places (i.e., physical infrastructures) in which they unfold. In the context of engineering university settings those places include laboratories, classrooms, communal areas, workshops, and other spaces that mediate social and technical relations. Places act as a conduit for engineering enculturation (or resistance to it), as it is within these settings that students are inundated with value-laden symbols Ong, 2018; Tichavakunda, 2021; Verdiguel, 2021). Recognizing that the physical infrastructure serve as a tangible manifestation of broader challenges to addressing systemic societal issues, this paper delves into the institutional challenges of engineering enculturation by examining how physical spaces are implicated in the process of perpetuating inequalities and social injustices (e.g., systemic racism, classism, and other forms of discrimination), within an engineering school and how certain places are perceived differently by underrepresented groups such as minorities, women, and LGBTQ+ students. Employing qualitative research methodologies, we examined approximately 250 images submitted by students and conducted 16, identity-based focus group sessions, each lasting two hours, with undergraduate students. Focus groups were organized to ensure homogeneity in terms of race, sexual orientation, and gender among participants. Preliminary results highlight the pervasive influence of detrimental engineering ideologies (Riley, 2013) within the everyday symbols, rituals, and curricula and other built infrastructure within an engineering school. Students from diverse social identities reported that these physical manifestations invoke tensions between their sense of belonging and the perception of depoliticization within the field of engineering (Cech, 2013), the centrality of military and corporate interests (Leydens Riley, 2013), detachment from societal issues (Cech, 2014), and a glaring dearth of diverse representations within labs, classrooms, hallways, statues, public gathering areas, and study lounges. These findings underscore the significance of considering the role of physical places in the conceptualization of engineering identity formation and highlight the necessity for institutions to address and overcome existing infrastructural challenges to fostering inclusive environments that cater to a diverse array of identities.