noun
Academic and policy term for applying engineering principles to social systems, such as urban planning, public policy, or behavioral design.
社会工学は、都市計画や公共政策に応用される。
Social engineering is applied to urban planning and public policy.
Katakana loanword often used in cybersecurity contexts for manipulating people, whereas 社会工学 is broader and more academic.
Compound of 社会 (society) and 工学 (engineering), likely a calque from English 'social engineering'.