The Potential Prejudice Against Civil Engineering That Permeates Society
When people hear the term “civil engineering worker,” what kind of image do they have in mind?
The other day, I saw a news report that a “civil engineering worker” had been arrested in connection with a certain incident.
I, too, currently work as a civil engineering construction manager, but before that, I was a construction worker. When I saw the news that a colleague in the same industry had committed a crime and been arrested, I felt very disappointed.
But what bothered me even more was the way the media covered the story.
Why do the media report his occupation as “civil engineering worker”?
Even though I work for a company, I'm not an office worker—I'm a construction worker.
Unless they are self-employed, part-time workers, or engaged in specialized occupations, people in most industries and job categories are generally lumped together in news reports as “office workers.”
And yet, even when civil engineering workers are employed by a company, they are reported as “Occupation: Civil Engineering Worker.”
Some people might say it’s inevitable because civil engineers have a high crime rate. However, from the perspective of those of us who work diligently in this industry, I think it’s wrong to use language or report in a way that prejudges all “civil engineering workers.”
Of course, there are people who commit crimes. But that has absolutely nothing to do with civil engineering as a profession. It’s a personal issue. Does that mean everyone who works in civil engineering is a potential criminal?
If this kind of reporting continues, children and their parents are unlikely to have a positive view of the civil engineering industry. The media is partly to blame for the labor shortage.
It’s tough when, even though you’re working hard, people say, “Well, construction workers are just…”
The civil engineering industry faces discrimination.
It’s true—it can be tough at times, and it might not exactly be a glamorous job.
However, when a disaster strikes, we rush to the scene to clear away mud and debris. Skilled operators can contribute far more to disaster relief efforts than the Self-Defense Forces or volunteer fire departments (though perhaps that’s not a fair comparison). Even after the removal of soil and debris is complete, all subsequent restoration work and disaster mitigation projects are carried out by those of us in the civil engineering industry.
Last year, torrential rains caused disasters across the country—but how many people were saved by civil engineering workers? There is no doubt that it is civil engineering workers who risk their lives at the most dangerous sites during disasters.
To conveniently forget the positive aspects—or rather, to completely ignore them—and then, whenever something goes wrong, say, “See, construction workers are just…” is extremely disrespectful to everyone who works in that field, and it’s heartbreaking.
