An workplace throughout the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work introduced it’s eradicating the time period “field” from its curriculum.

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Frederic J. Brown/AFP by way of Getty Images

An workplace throughout the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work introduced it’s eradicating the time period “field” from its curriculum.

Frederic J. Brown/AFP by way of Getty Images

An workplace throughout the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work says it’s eradicating the time period “field” from its curriculum as a result of it could have racist connotations associated to slavery.

The newly renamed Office of Practicum Education, previously often known as the Office of Field Education, throughout the college’s Suzanne-Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, is making the change so as to be extra inclusive, based on a memo despatched out to school and college students this week and obtained by NPR.

“This change supports anti-racist social work practice by replacing language that could be considered anti-Black or anti-immigrant in favor of inclusive language,” the memo reads. “Language can be powerful, and phrases such as ‘going into the field’ or ‘field work’ may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers that are not benign.”

The change on the USC college comes as a rising variety of entities take steps to take away terminology with ties to slavery or racism. Within the pc science subject, some persons are ditching terms like “master” and “slave,” whereas the Girl Guides of Canada not too long ago renamed its “Brownies” branch. And two places of work throughout the Michigan well being division introduced this month that their staff will not use the time period “field work,” based on a memo obtained by NPR.

Mildred Joyner, the president of National Association of Social Workers (NASW), mentioned she applauds the USC workplace for its change — and whereas she is not conscious of different universities doing the identical, she disagrees with people who say the workplace goes too far.

“I don’t know what going too far means,” she mentioned. “Does that mean going too far to treat people with dignity and respect and remove all language that oppresses people? Then kudos to that department.”

The NASW has publicly acknowledged the position the social-worker career performs in perpetuating racism, citing examples like discrimination within the little one welfare system and disparities in well being care.

“We have certainly made mistakes, but we are also a group of professionals committed to helping, lifting up, and advocating for oppressed and marginalized groups of people and fighting injustice in society,” the NASW said in 2020.

The memo from the USC workplace, which shortly gained consideration on social media, is being met with each help and derision. And college students throughout the division are additionally cut up over the choice, according the Daily Trojan, a campus newspaper. Students instructed publication that they have been uncertain whether or not the time period “field” really had racist connotations, and a few thought of it to be a stretch.

A USC official instructed NPR that the choice is being constituted of one workplace throughout the division and never the college as an entire.

“The university does not maintain a list of banned or discouraged words,” Elizabeth A. Graddy, the college’s interim provost and senior vice chairman for tutorial affairs, mentioned in an announcement to NPR. “We will continue to use words – including ‘field’ – that accurately encompass and describe our work and research.”

The School of Social Work’s interim dean, Vassilios Papadopoulos, echoed the identical sentiments. He told Fox News that as a result of the Office of Practicum Education shouldn’t be a division, “its name change was not subject to a formal review process.”

In the memo, the workplace additionally mentioned that it will proceed to carry college students accountable to its values and rules.

“We know that changing terminology can be challenging, and a complete transition will take some time, but we thank you in advance for joining us in this effort and for your patience as we transition,” the memo concludes.