No more field work in college? A letter from the practicum department of the University of California’s Suzanne-Dworak-Peck School of Social Work tells students and faculty that the term “field” must be scrubbed from the curriculum descriptions and replaced with the word “practicum.”
“As we enter 2023, we would like to share a change we are making at the Suzanne-Dworak-Peck School of Social Work to ensure our use of inclusive language and practice. Specifically, we have decided to remove the term ‘field’ from our curriculum and practice and replace it with
‘practicum.’ 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. 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.
“This change aligns with the Council on Social Work Education Advancing Antiracism in Social Work Education through Educational Accreditation Policies and Standards, the 2021 National Association of Social Work’s commitment to undoing racism through social work, and the Eliminate Racism Grand Challenge for Social Work.
“In solidarity with universities across the nation, our goal is not just to change language but to honor and acknowledge inclusion and reject white supremacy, anti-immigrant and anti-blackness ideologies. Words are powerful, but even more so is action. 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. It also means continuing to work together to train social work students today who understand and embody social and racial justice. This is the bedrock of our values and principles and we all need to hold each other accountable to do better in this regard. 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.”
