California university office will no longer use the word 'field' over racist 'connotations'
The University of Southern California's School of Social Work will no longer use the word "field" because it "may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers that are not benign," according to a letter from the department.
USC's Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work will make the change in order to ensure the use of "inclusive language and practice," according to the letter.
"Specifically, we have decided to remove the term ‘field’ from our curriculum and practice and replace it with ‘practicum,'" the letter said. "This change supports anti-racist social work practice by replacing language that would be considered anti-Black or anti-immigrant in favor of inclusive language."
"Language can be powerful, and phrases such as ‘going into the field’ or ‘field work’ maybe have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers that are not benign," the letter continued.
The goal of the change was to "to honor and acknowledge inclusion and reject white supremacy, anti-immigrant and anti-blackness ideologies," according to the letter.
Additionally, the USC's School of Social Work states that the "bedrock" of its values and principles is "to work together to train social work students today who understand and embody social and racial justice."
"We are committing to further align our actions, behaviors, and practices with anti-racism and anti-oppression, which requires taking a close and critical look at our profession – our history, our biases, and our complicity in past and current injustices," the letter stated.
"USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work is joining other universities in making this change," the school told Fox News Digital.
"I understand that this decision was made by the Office of Practicum Education out of a desire to more accurately describe its work," Interim dean of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work Vassilios Papadopoulos told Fox News Digital. "Because the Office is not an academic department, its name change was not subject to a formal review process. The university does not maintain a list of ‘banned’ or discouraged words. As an institution of higher education, we will continue to use words - including the word ‘field’ – that accurately encompass and describe our work and research, while also continuing our efforts to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all."