A Voyage in the Field of Social Work. Jean Ughetto, a French Educator in the United States (1950-1951)

In the history of international circulations in the field of social work, the study trip is seldom a subject for research. However, we focus on such a study trip in this article about Jean Ughetto (1923-2010), the first French special education teacher to travel to the United States. Ughetto’s trip took place in 1950-51 as part of an exchange programme, and was thus a personal and professional adventure. Chosen to represent French special education teachers, Ughetto used his long stay in the US to study social work at the university, to find out the latest techniques in social work in the country that stood out as the most modern, and to measure the gaps with what was happening in France thanks to observations, conferences, visits and professional encounters. Lastly, he had an opportunity to test his skills as an educator during a participant observation in socio-educational institutions in New York City and the surrounding areas. By focusing on the conditions for Jean Ughetto’s trip, as well as the impact it had on him, we can cast light on how he developed his thinking and his unique approach to educational and social work. This in turn helped influence social work in France.