Chair of sociology

Following the efforts of industrial engineering in the research and design of work practices, the Chair of sociology has been founded in the 1970s. Through its scientific and educational operations, the Chair has been mostly and primarily focused on theorizing and researching social dynamics in a (post)industrial setting of the workplace, offering engineers a specific set of skills and knowledge they can implement in their professional practice.

Research and publications of the Chair’s members coincide with the needs leading engineering organizations (IGIP, SEFI) and engineering education accreditation agencies (ABET) mention as crucial to a well-rounded professional engineer. Some of the Chair’s fields of interests can be found in researching social dynamics in organizations, social networks, social interaction and group processes, communication skills, teamwork, contemporary models of labour division, professional ethics, and organizational culture.

Subjects:

• Sociology in engineering
• Sociology of work and organizations
• Social psychology of small groups
• Science, technology, society
• Engineering ethics and social responsibility

The chair has been functioning as an integral part of the department of industrial engineering for more than 40 years, while educating more than 600 students yearly.