The word engineering itself has much history to it. It can be used in many contexts but in my opinion, the main idea of the word engineering is to mean the build up of one thing. If you look at mechanical engineering, you are learning to build or fix something mechanical such as a car. If you look at civil engineering, it means the build up of the Army’s forces. In the way we use it, is the build up of historical events that brought us here today with the playing terms of the economy, laws created, peace treaties, or something as simple as water. An example that I can use to show this from our class would be module 9, the most recent dealing with the Native Americans. Time after time, new treaties were made, new adjustments in living were made, some of these things could have cause much conflict, and they did, but it got us to where we are today.
madisonklein says
I like that you mentioned engineering of ideas such as treaties. I think engineering is often thought to be only material things being designed and built, but it can be much more than that.