Article ID: CBB503377392

Becoming after College: Agency and Structure in Transitions to Engineering Work (2021)

unapi

Chris Gewirtz (Author)
Marie C. Paretti (Author)


Engineering Studies
Volume: 13
Issue: 2
Pages: 111-131


Publication Date: 2021
Edition Details: Issue Theme: The Early Career Years of Engineering: Crossing the Threshold Between Education and Practice
Language: English

Engineering education and engineering studies research has clearly articulated a need for educational reform to help new engineers understand social dimensions of their work and act as change agents. At the same time, while some practicing engineers may be committed to systemic change and service to society, they must also contend with work responsibilities which serve corporate interests and constrain change. To highlight tensions between calls for socially just engineering education and the corporate contexts constraining engineering work, this study examines the transition to work for one early career engineer. Drawing on the concept of figured worlds, we examine the under-explored relationship between the agency of individual engineers and the structure of engineering workplace culture. This structure-agency approach guides our narrative analysis of the participant’s early work experience based on five interviews across her first two years of work. Our findings illustrate the need to extend representations of both educational preparation and engineering work by unpacking the complex identity negotiations that individuals experience. In doing so, we also demonstrate the value of both the structure-agency framework and narrative methods for identity researchers in both engineering studies and engineering education.

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Associated with

Article Samantha R. Brunhaver; Brent K. Jesiek; Russell F. Korte; Alexandra Coso Strong (2021) The Early Career Years of Engineering: Crossing the Threshold Between Education and Practice. Engineering Studies (pp. 79-85). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB503377392/

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Authors & Contributors
Jesiek, Brent K.
Wylie, Caitlin Donahue
Wendy Newstetter
Megan E. Tomko
Adam Kirn
Samantha Breslin
Concepts
Education, engineering
Engineering
Technoscience; science and technology studies
Students
Engineers
Work environment
Time Periods
21st century
20th century, late
Places
United States
Sweden
Germany
India
Institutions
Mars Exploration Rover Mission (U.S.)
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