NPR has reported that University of Southern California’s School of Social Work is removing the term “field” from its curriculum because of the possible connotations it has toward slavery.
Specifically, the “Office of Field Education” has been renamed the “Office of Practicum Education” to ensure there aren’t inadvertant references to chattel slavery and/or immigrant/migrant work.
While this change has caused quite a lot of conversation on twitter, mostly negative, I ask how often we use words, concepts, and curricular traditions without questioning their origins (“grandfathered in” is one term that comes to mind) and/or interpretations from others with histories unlike our own.