A note on social engineering and the public perception of technology

“Social engineering” has lost its positive connotations and is now mostly used pejoratively. It is in general associated with paternalism and with simplistic application of theory, but neither of these is characteristic of engineering. It is therefore recommended that the unreflected pejorative use of the term should be discontinued. Unmotivated interference in other people's lives should be criticized for what it is, without perpetuating misunderstandings about the nature of engineering.