Engineers in Action: Investigating Collective Agency in Sociology of Engineering
In this article we are mapping an extensive body of empirical research which constitutes the emerging field of sociology of engineering. The aim is to define its subject matter within the wider field of sociology of technology, on the one side, and its specific optics within the interdisciplinary complex of engineering studies, on the other side. To this end, we analyze the research literature that has been accumulated since 1960s when the term “sociology of engineering” started appearing in the publications. Acknowledging conventionality of all the intra- and interdisciplinary demarcations, we argue that the distinguishing feature of sociology of engineering is its focus on agency in production of technologies, which requires bringing together the social context and the substantive content of engineering activity. The micro-macro conceptualization of engineering activity implies bridging the research on collective action of engineers with study of the routine engineering practices. To this end, we structure the material around two topics: the engineering professional societies in macrosociological perspective and the engineering communities of practice in microsociological studies. Investigating the engineering agency, we claim, is crucial for the commonly declared goal of introducing the principle of social responsibility in engineering education, which may be regarded as “finalization” of knowledge in sociology of engineering.