A Construcao de uma Identidade Profissional, A Associacao dos Engenheiros Civis Portuguezes, 1869-1937

The present study seeks to examine the link between the path toward modernization undertaken by Portuguese society and the emergence of a professional community embodying both technical knowledge and know-how, i.e., the society of engineers. The specific nature of Portuguese history from the 16th to the 18th centuries, characterized as it id by a predominance of archaic political, social and economic structures, encouraged and prolonged the ideal of a cultural milieu reflecting a simple, rural and 'innocent' world in deep contrast with the then newly created conditions brought about by European industrialization. More over, the abundance of gold coming from Brazil over sveral centuries gave the Portuguese ruling class the possibility to acquire abroad materials and resources which did not exist at time in their own country. Consequently, the need for home-based production of these materials simply did not arise. The results of this lack national conditions for production of goods can be seen in both Portuguese economic structures and cultural attitudes. For instance machines and textiles, as well as technicians and teachers were habitually imported; thus the development of fundamental technological and scientific practices for modernization there were paralyzed. The absence of investments in the establishing of adequate technological and scientific structures characterizes Portuguese culture up until the second half of the 18th century, a period in which a new attitude toward industrialization will emerges as a result f the Enlightment (and proindustrial) policies of the Marques de Pombal (Marquis of Pombal). The subsequent goal of graranteeing the transition from the archaic structures of the ancient regime to a more industrialized organization of society will define the 19th and the firt decades of the 20th century. The kay word has became progress; its major reference point, technology. Founded in 1869, during the apogee of the economic policies based on industrialization, the Associacao dos Engenheiros Civis Portuguezes (The Portuguese Civil Engineer's Association) reflects a new vision of technology's role in society, as well as the emergence of an attendant professional consciousness. Subsequentially, engineers will view themselves as specialzed group within a social totality, essential to the handling of technological knowledge and practices by way of which the entire process of modernization will take place. This study endeavors to determine the consequences of this new proindustrial attitude, as it can be seen in this Association's mouthpiece, the Revista de Obras Publicas e Minas (Journal of Mines and Public Works). Finnaly, the strategies created for this process, its establishment, evolution and ideological components, both in respect of the creation of a well-defined professional consciousness as well as the public recognition of engineers as a socio-cultural entity, will be analyzedAvailable from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Servico de Informacao e Documentacao, Av. D. Carlos I, 126, 1200 Lisboa / FCT - Fundação para o Ciência e a TecnologiaSIGLEPTPortuga