Cognitive and Social Values in Computer-Aided Engineering Design

科学、技术和文化研究的中心问题之一是， 社会关注各自的角色和关系 科学和工程的认知和社会价值 思考和决策。 认知价值是我们倾向于 认为是"科学的"或"客观的";它们涉及 例如，证据或证明标准。 社会价值观也 在决定成功的科学研究中发挥作用， 尤其是工程方面的努力。 市场的判断， 美学，适合性，等级或公平， 例如，可以在有关 工程研究和开发的方向，并使用 工程产品或过程。 事实上， 社会价值观在标准中有必要的作用， 证据，明确区分社会和认知 价值观很难画。 这个奖项，授予一位人类学家， 技术研究助理教授在中心的 弗吉尼亚理工学院社会科学研究， 将使他能够继续研究 认知和社会价值观， 计算机辅助工程设计（CAD）。 总体目标 是探索工程师的文化身份， 包括认知和社会标准，形状工程 决策 该项目有两个组成部分。 学习 （1）在两个层次上， （2）协助他的东道主专家， VPI的CAD/CAM实验室主任， 设计项目应用有限元分析方法， 产业问题。 研究内容包括（1） 研究CAD系统的历史发展， 工业和大学，以确定认知的作用， 和社会价值判断，以及（2）引导参与者 观察研究的CAD设计项目，以调查 这些判断在当前谈判中的作用， 设计解决方案 将传播项目成果 通过发表两篇论文，将课程改为两门课程， 以及一系列的公开演讲， 社会科学/人文科学受众。 这个项目解决了一个重要问题。 申请人身体健康 合格 主机专家和其他可访问的专家是 非常合格，将能够提供必要的 指导;合作努力可能会继续超越 这个奖项的时间。 该项目设计良好，计划 发展和传播成果是适当的。 大学的支持非常好。 数额为 因此建议拨款38 000美元。

One of the central problems in studies of science, technology and society concerns the respective roles and relationships of cognitive and social values in scientific and engineering thinking and decisionmaking. Cognitive values are those we tend to think of as "scientific" or "objective"; they concern standards of evidence or proof, for example. Social values also play a role in determining successful scientific and, perhaps especially, engineering efforts. Judgments of the marketplace, of aesthetics, of suitability, hierarchy or fairness, for instance, can play critical roles in decisions about the directions of engineering research and development, and the use of engineering products or processes. Indeed, it is possible that social values have a necessary role in standards of evidence, making a clear distinction between social and cognitive values difficult to draw. This award, to an anthropologist and assistant professor of technology studies at the Center for the Study of Science in Society at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, will enable him to pursue research on the relationships between cognitive and social values in decisions to develop and use computer-aided engineering design (CAD). The overall objective is to explore how the cultural identities of engineers, which include both cognitive and social standrads, shape engineering decisions. The project has two components. The learning component involves (1) enrolling in a sequence of two senior- level courses in CAD and (2) assisting his host specialist, the director of the CAD/CAM Laboratory at VPI, in an engineering design project applying finite element analysis methods to an industry problem. The research component involves (1) investigating the historical development of CAD systems in industry and at universities, to identify the roles of cognitive and social value judgments, and (2) conducting a participant observation study of the CAD design project to investigate the roles of these judgments in a current negotiation of a competent design solution. Results of the project will be disseminated through two published papers, curriculum changes to two courses, and a series of public presentations before engineering and social science/humanities audiences. This project addresses an important issue. The applicant is well qualified. The host specialist and other accessible experts are very well qualified and will be able to provide the necessary guidance; collaborative efforts are likely to continue beyond the period of this award. The project is designed well and plans for the development and dissemination of results are appropriate. University support is very good. An award in the amount of $38,000 is therefore recommended.