Thursday, October 18, 2007

George F. Will's opinions on so-called indoctrination in schools of social work ["Code of Coercion," op-ed, Oct. 14] reveal precisely the lack of awareness that drives these academic programs to teach social justice.

Social workers assist those who lack privilege, particularly the poor, so it makes sense for practitioners to be schooled in the nature of social privilege so that they may function without compounding the systems and attitudes that keep people down.

By railing against "political correctness" and indoctrination in universities, Mr. Will, the National Association of Scholars and conservatives generally are actually expressing a preference for their own long-standing and socially dominant forms of indoctrination.

It is ironic that Mr. Will cited the American Association of University Professors to support his position: The organization was founded in part in response to the dismissal of a professor who researched the problems of immigrant railroad workers.

SCOTT D. MONROE

Alexandria