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Creating an Ethic of Care for the Developing World: an Ethnographic Study. A Presentation by Dr. David Howell Dean of Students February 7, 2014. Presentation Style. Dialogue, not monologue. Why did you come to this session? What do you want to talk about?. MSOE.
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Creating an Ethic of Care for the Developing World: an Ethnographic Study A Presentation by Dr. David Howell Dean of Students February 7, 2014
Presentation Style Dialogue, not monologue.
Why did you come to this session? What do you want to talk about?
MSOE Office of Servant-Leadership Pieper Foundation Engineers Without Borders
Servant-Leadership "The servant-leader is servant first…. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.” - The Servant as Leader
Tenants of Servant-Leadership • Listening • Empathy • Healing • Awareness • Persuasion • Conceptualization • Foresight • Stewardship • Commitment to the growth of people • Building community
It’s Relational Meeting your needs by meeting the needs of others—and understanding how these things connect.
Power Pyramid You The Minion
Flat Power You The Peeps The Peeps
Power Share Co-workers, Partners, Management, Customers, etc. Leader
Uganda, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, China, Mexico, Kenya, Guatemala, Panama, India, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, etc.
Question: What does this make you think about?
The Ethnographic Study Building a bridge between the office of Servant-Leadership and Engineers Without Borders
The bridge: Muculinquiaj, in the county of Joyabaj, Guatemala
The Research Project: Guiding Questions • How does an academic overseas service initiative impact a student’s attitudes about leadership? • How does participation in an overseas initiative develop different ideas and attitudes about leadership? • What were participant definitions of “leadership” prior to the initiative, and how did this definition change as a result of the trip? • What events took place that impacted the student’s understanding of leadership? • How did the overseas initiative prepare the students for postsecondary employment? • Were the participants able to exercise leadership, and if so, in what capacity? • Were the participants able to help others exercise leadership, and if so, in what capacity?
“Ethic of Care” Questions • Will the students continue to pursue leadership and service opportunities in other countries? • Will they more readily pursue similar opportunities in their neighboring communities? • Will they more likely define themselves as leaders and servants of their academic institution? • Will they find greater purpose in their academic coursework? • Will they better comprehend their own moral framework as it applies to their day-to-day conduct? • Will their sense of empathy grow as a result of exercising their humanity?
Research Methodology • Approved by the Institutional Review Board • 2. Gather and triangulate data: • Survey • Interviews • journals (we typically do field observations) • 3. Reflection, analysis, and writing the report
Ethnography Enables you to: • Study and track cultural change • Triangulation, which means… • Both quantitative and qualitative
Survey Data Quantitative inquiries
Interview Data Qualitative inquiries
“How one acts to guide others and teach them and overall improve the general quality of whatever organization they are a part.” How Craig defines leadership
“Using your experience and helping other people to succeed in their own positions.” How Jessica defines leadership
“The greatest obstacle was communicating effectively and quickly.” Communicating when you don’t know the language.
In the United States, most, if not all people, “…never think twice about going to the sink and not only getting water, but sanitary and uncontaminated water.” Leading in a developing world context.
Journal Data Qualitative inquiries
“I gained the confidence that I was lacking towards the beginning of the year.” How do you develop leaders? Create opportunities for them to lead.
Technical aspects were also taught on the trip, such as “building framework… learning how the whole bridge is assembled and why things are required from more of a structural standpoint.” Learn engineering by being an engineer.
Post-Survey Data Final inquiries
“I learned about myself and mostly about the huge difference in cultures. The Guatemalan culture is very religious, and really nothing similar to American culture. School is uncommon, and every male works in the field, and the women stay home to cook and clean. I think the greatest obstacle I overcame was putting myself out there. At the beginning I barely knew anything about what the trip would to do me, and by the end, I was positive of the person I am.” Self-awareness. Empathy. Active listening.
“The greatest obstacle I overcame was thinking I would not be able to help much due to my year and major.” Redefining oneself
“Even though you’re the designated leader with a role and title, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you actually are.” Not power, but influence.
Question: What does this make you think about?
Jeff’s Conclusions Data-driven changes
Room for improvement Overseas initiatives should focus more on communication.
Continued collaboration EWB at MSOE builds servant-leaders.
Continued funding The MSOE Office of Servant-Leadership should continue to fund MSOE Engineers Without Borders.
Enacted Recommendations Movingforward
International Leadership Committee (ILC) The ILC decides which projects get funded—and how much funding they receive.
Build alliances for sustainability • MSOE EWB: Guatemala • February/May 2014 • pedestrian bridge at Pachichij • portable water system for Chortiz • Lawrence University: Sierra Leone • Njala University • November 2013/2014 • Ripon College: Jamaica • Blue Mountain Project • March/May 2014 • Alverno College: Cameroon • May 2013/2014 • Computer lab
For more information Dr. David Howell Dean of Students: (414) 277-7225howell@msoe.edu http://www.msoe.edu/people/1324/blog