Lecture Notes related to Chapter 1 (Society and Technology) of Engineering Professional Practice, prepared by Prof. Dr. Hari Krishna Shrestha, Nepal Engineering College.

1. Engineering Professional Practice
Chapter 1, 6 hours
Prof. Dr. Hari Krishna Shrestha
September 2015
http://nec.edu.np/faculty/hariks/Chap%201%20Lecture%20Notes%20Apr%202015.pdf

2. Why EPP?
• To pass BE.
• To prevent yourself from unnecessary legal
hassle.
• To get respect from society
• To implement your decision
• To get job
• To prevent yourself from embarrassing situations
• To get respect from your peers and competitors

3. Chapter 1: Society and Technology (6 hr)
1.1 Definition, types and essential elements of a society
1.2 Factors and classical theories of social change (cyclical,
evolution, functional and conflict)
1.3 Impacts and consequences of technology on socio-
economic parameters (agriculture, communication,
construction methods, information storage, generation
and dissemination, dispute resolution, family structure,
culture and livelihood)
1.4 Effects of major technological developments (2D and
3D printing, dynamite, automation, mechanization,
organic chemistry, transportation, internet,
communication, and satellites) on practice of
engineering profession.
1.5 Role of engineers in society

4. 1.1 Society: Definition, Types and Essential Elements
• Classical Definitions of Society: Abstract and Concrete
Many definitions of society; the definitions keeps changing, since
society is dynamic.
• Schaefer and Lamm: the largest form of human group, which
consists of people who share common heritage and culture.
• Ian Robertson: society gives content, direction and meaning
to our lives, and we, in turn, in countless ways, reshape the
society that we leave to the next generation. Society is a
population that occupies the same territory, is subject to the
same political authority and participates in a common culture.
• John F. Cuber: a group of people who have lived long enough
to become organized and to consider themselves and
considered as a unit more or less distinct from other human
units.

5. 1.1 Society: Definition, Types and Essential Elements
• Ginsberg: a collection of individuals unified by certain
relation or modes of behavior, which mark them off from
others who do not enter into these relations or who differ
from them in behavior
• P. Gisbert: a complicated network of social relationships
by which every human being is interconnected with his
fellowmen.
• MacIver and Page: a system of usages and procedures,
authority and mutual aid, of many groupings and
divisions, of controls of human behavior and of liberties.
• A.W. Green: the largest group to which any individual
belongs
Out of these definitions of society, which one do you
consider to be the best? Why?

6. 1.1 Types and Elements of a Society
Types of Society: from evolutionary aspect
• Tribal: hunting and gathering society: hunts for meat,
gathers natural products, do not produce food
• Pastoral: domesticate animals, mostly sheep, goat,
chicken, for meat
• Horticultural: domesticate plants, awareness of plant
from seed, slash and burn
• Agricultural: cultivation of crops, animal energy,
irrigation, saving of seed, feudal, beginning of town
and cities
• Industrial: mechanized production, mass production,
large cities and slums
• Post-industrial: information, communication and
service, generation of knowledge

7. 1.1 Types and Elements of a Society
Basic Elements: Normally societies have following elements:
• People and plurality: society consists of people, of both
sexes, of all ages, of different ideas, race, color.
• Likeness and differences: Members of a society are alike in
many aspects. This “alikeness” bonds them, and they seek
understanding and cooperation from each other. The
members of a society are different in many ways too, like
culture, profession, interest, opinion, views etc.
• Cooperation and conflict: Members of a society cooperate
with each other, and they depend on each other. Yet, due
to differences, conflict exists in a society.
• Stable and dynamic: Society is relatively stable; the norms,
values, and culture are normally stable. Yet, society is
dynamic. Some elements of a society change slowly, and
some change rapidly, depending on external and internal
factors.

8. 1.2 Factors and Classical Theories of Social Change
Factors/Driver/Causes of Social Change
• Physical environment/Contact with other societies:
Physically easily accessible society changes rapidly than
those located in remote (difficult to access) areas
• Information, knowledge and skills: Rate of social change
depends on access to information, ability to put together
the information into knowledge, ability to convert the
knowledge into skills
• Natural causes: Earthquake, landslide, flood,
desertification, and tsunami disintegrate social fabric and
changes society.
• Anthropogenic (Human) activities: International War, Civil
War, displacement for “developmental” activities, industrial
accidents, mass migration

9. 1.2 Classical Theories of Social Change
• Cyclical: ups and downs, birth and death, Oswald Spengler:
approximate 1000 year cycle. Critics of this theory cite
examples that do not follow the 1000 year cycle.
• Evolution: changing with time, getting complex with time,
society continuously develops through time and change.
• Functionalist: changes as required to keep the whole society
functioning, when particular part of a society changes. August
Comte, Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, and Talcott Parsons
propagate this theory. This theory emphasizes on changing role
of different parts of a society to maintain stability of a society.
• Conflict: Karl Marx (19th century) class conflict between haves
and have-nots. Expanded version of conflict theory finds social
conflict between any groups in which the potential for inequity
exists: racial, gender, religions, political, economic, and so on.
Unequal groups usually have conflicting values and agendas,
causing them to compete against one another. This constant
competition between groups forms the basis for the ever-
changing nature of society.

10. 1.3 Impacts and Consequences of Technology on Socio-
economic parameters (positive)
a) Agriculture
Impact on Impact
Food
Production
Food production mechanized, food production
increasing, Green Revolution, GMF
Food
Processing
Food processing getting complex, requiring industrial
management
Food
Preservation
Food security increasing, for most, better food
preservation
Mechanization Mechanization of agriculture/food processing
Commercializat
ion
From subsistence to cash crop, patented seeds and
food processing techniques
Food Variety Increasing, year round availability, no more seasonal
Fertilizer/Pesticide From organic to chemical, pesticide use increasing
Water use Increasing due to cash crops & agricultural
intensification; reduced by micro-irrigation

11. 1.3 b Impact on Communication
Impact on Impact
Information generation
and dissemination
Increasing access to information
Mass communication:
Newspaper, Magazines, FM
Radio, TV, instant/breaking
news
Enhanced public awareness, timely
information to people
Internet and Social Media Increased access to information, social
media influencing design of
communication techniques
Telephone, mobile phone Increased and easier access to telephone
Virtual Meeting, virtual
reality, tele-medicines
Less need of physical presence in
meeting, distance medicine services and
remote controller operation possible

12. 1.3 c Impact on Construction Methods
Impact on Impact
Construction Technology Labor based technology gradually
replaced by capital based technology
Construction materials Better materials, light weight, fire
proof, glass as structural elements,
increased use of aluminum, pre-
fabricated, pre-stressed
Size of infrastructure Increasing
Mechanization, Automation,
and Robotics use
More mechanization, automation and
robotics use
Construction Project
Management
From ad hoc and haphazard decisions
to scientific and systematic
management tools, like CPM, PERT,
and software like MS Project,
Primevera, Project Management
ICT use for construction site
control
Better access control, better safety,
better material management

13. 1.3 d Impact on Information Generation, Storage and Dissemination
Impact on Impact
Information access Increasing access to information through
multiple mediums
Storage, virtual
storage
Floppy disk, CD, DVD, External hard disk,
Dropbox, Cloud storage, mailbox size
Generation Information generation growing exponentially,
automatic data logging, GIS, GPS, Satellite
Images, Remote sensing
Dissemination e-paper, interactive TV, internet, social media
Impact on Impact
Warfare Increased use of gun power, rockets, missiles, drones,
improvised explosive devices, chemical-biological
WMD A-bomb, H-bomb, nuclear bomb made but not yet
used (except two in WW II), Star War, MAD policy
Evidence Evidence types recorded in electronic media
1.3 e Impact on Dispute/Conflict Resolution

14. 1.3 f Impacts on Family Structure, Culture and Livelihood
Impact on Impact
Family Family relation more complex, IV-fertilization, test-tube
baby, cloning, surrogacy, same sex marriage, family size
reducing, micro-family getting possible, life span
increasing, change in status of female and disabled
Tradition/
Culture
Traditions-values challenged and altered or replaced,
heritage preservation better
Recreation
Traditional dances/music/drama/games giving ways to
movies, video games, theme parks, pay per view
Social
Norms and
Values
Social norms and values increasingly challenged and
altered or replaced, social class disintegrating, new
economic class emerging
Language International language use increasing, language getting
standardized, brail script & sign language use increasing
Livelihood
and living
standard
Livelihood diversification & specialization increasing,
Living standard & HDI increasing, poverty decreasing,
employment opportunity increasing, price decreasing

15. 1.4 Effects of Major Technological Developments
a) 2D and 3D Printing:
• written and mass produced record of agreements, laws, rules,
regulations, guidelines, procedure, manuals, books, newspapers,
magazines, journals, easily available
Effects:
• need to memorize diminished, information available when needed
• Judgment based on written laws rather than wisdom of justices,
• 3D printing: can change production mode; from micro-components
to 3D maps to house and bridges
b) Dynamite:
• Explosives, Dynamite, Warfare, Colonization, Endangered species,
Crime, Terrorism
Effects: warfare getting increasingly violent and costly, species getting
extinct, increasing use of gunpowder in crimes and terrorist activities

16. c) Automation/Mechanization:
• Industrial production, agricultural mechanization, transportation,
robotics, automation,
Effects:
• Lower cost of goods and food
• Easier movement over long distances
• Standardization and interchangeability of design, size, shape
• Safer working environment for dangerous jobs
• Higher living standard, material comfort
d) Organic Chemistry
• Plastic, Polymer, plastic, Construction glues, fossil fuel, construction
materials
Effects: New materials: including construction materials, PPR pipes,
PVC pipes, synthetic glues, synthetic clothes, bio-degradable plastic,
light weight and stronger materials, water proofing, paint
• Fossil fuel: transportation, bitumen
1.4 Effects of Major Technological Developments

17. 1.4 e) Impact on Transportation
Impact on Impact
Land transportation Road, multi level roads, railways
Underground Metro/Underground railways
Water Naval transportation, river navigation
Air Air cargo, air travel, air ambulance
Transportation safety Increasing
1.4 f) Effects of developments in Internet, Communication Satellite
Communication Satellites
• Mass Communication: Radio, TV, Newspaper, Internet, WWW,
social media, virtual meetings, Satellite maps, GIS, GPS, Map
making, Open Source Mapping, Google Maps, Global Circulation
Modeling, Surveying, Wild Fire detection, Early Warning
Effects: ICT development, TV, GPS, Satellite Maps, Weather
forecasting, Climate Modeling, LiDAR, GIS based planning (urban,
land use etc), Remote Sensing

18. Computer and Computer Crimes
Computer:
• Modeling, simulation (visualization of potential impacts and solution
before the event occurs and solutions implemented), design, solution
techniques (FDM, FEM), Management Information System, Spatial
planning using GIS, computer crimes, intrusion on personal privacy, data
mining, data theft,
Effects: information generating, storing and dissemination
• Design of materials using simulation
• Electronic equipment
Electronic Transaction Act 2004 has listed the following acts under the
Computer Crime
• Theft, damage or alteration of computer source code
• Unauthorized access to materials on computer
• Destruction and computer and information system
• Publication of illegal materials on electronic form
• Violation of confidentiality
• Posting of false information
• Submitting or showing forged license or certificate
• Non-submission of the document or other materials
• Computer fraud

19. 1.5 Role of Engineers in Society
The practice of engineering is directly related to societal issues, and hence
has an impact on society. Engineering is the application of science to solve
societal problems.
Some of the basic roles of an engineering in society are:
• Interact with society to fully understand the societal issues (needs and
problems) and propose a range of short-medium-long term
options/solutions with financial, technical, safety, and environmental
pros and cons of each option
• Contribute in decision making process to choose the best option
• Prepare optimum design, including detailed specification to implement
the designed product
• Execute the solution by creating the product to solve the issue or
supervising the constructing the solution
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the performance of the solution, and
upgrade the solution based on evaluation
• Train people to operate and maintain the solution system for its
reliability and sustainability

20. Changes brought by engineers in societies
• Mass production of goods through mechanization: lower
price of goods
• Automation of production system: standardization of parts
and design, more safety in work place
• Faster means of transportation: easier access to remote
places and faster pace of life, better integration of different
communities
• Mass communication: Awareness enhancement, easier
access to information
• Inventing labor saving devices: faster construction
• Creating faster pace of life: More productivity
• Commercializing recreation: Recreation when wanted
• Emphasizing on high degree of specialization: More reliable
and accurate results

21. Self Evaluation
Society:
• Define society and discuss the essential elements of a society.
• What is social change? What are the factors of social change?
• Discuss the types of societies.
• What are the theories of social and cultural change?
Impact of Technology on Society
• Define technology. What are the effects and impacts of technology on society?
• Describe the impact of technology in the rural society.
• What are the impacts of technology in social and cultural changes?
• What is the role of transportation facility to improve the economic condition of
the rural people of Nepal? Explain with the help of suitable example.
• Throw light on how technological development is reflected in Human
Development.
• What is the impact of technology on society for bringing social as well as cultural
change? Briefly discuss.
• 'Technology is the indicator of development.' Relate it with societies of the
world. Write technological achievement of the 21st century that has greatest
impact on human.
• Explain the impact of computer in society.
• Explain the impact of 2D and 3D printers in society, with suitable examples.