Engineering and diversity: A systems engineering perspective

I argue that systems engineering is better served by greater demographic diversity. Demographic diversity are those characteristics recorded on official records such as census forms, while systems engineering is a holist approach to engineering. Greater demographic diversity amongst a group of engineers leads to better systems engineering outcomes because the diversity increases the probability of a increased diversity of thought, and this in turn improves system engineering outcomes. There are three substantial challenges to this argument however, firstly that the relationship between diversity of demography and thought might be exaggerated, secondly that the lack of appreciation of diversity needs to be explained and finally, that institutional culture could overwhelm personal characteristics.