Home Economics History, Concepts, Principles, and Philosophy PDF

Chapter 1: Home Economics: History, Concepts, Principles and Philosophy Home Economics (HE) It is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of homes and community. It is a field of formal study including such topics as consumer education,...

Chapter 1: Home Economics: History, Concepts, Principles and Philosophy Home Economics (HE) It is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of homes and community. It is a field of formal study including such topics as consumer education, institutional management, interior design, home furnishing, cleaning, handicrafts, sewing, clothing and textiles, cooking, nutrition, food preservation, hygiene, child development, and family relationships. It prepares students for homemaking or professional careers. The Evolution of Home Economics The history of home economics is attributed to Catherine Beecher (sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe) who was the first to champion the economics of running a house. Catherine Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe were both leaders in the middle of the 1800s who talked about domestic science and valued education especially for women. Home economics education started in the United States after the American Revolution. Morril Act of 1862 – An act donating public lands to the several states and territories which may provide colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts. The act established first institutions which provided a foundation for the growth of the home economics education. This act led to education farms wives to run their households while their husbands were having taking agricultural methods and processes. Institutions in Lowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan offered programs for women and a number of women graduated from these institutions several years before the Lake Placid Conferences which eventually led to the home economics movement. The first Lake Placid Conference was held in 1899. The conferences consisted of a group of educators working together to elevate the discipline to a legitimate profession. Ellen Swallow Richards was the first woman started the Home Economics movements. She was also the first woman to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and became the first woman instructor in the same school. She was instrumental in getting her own space during the World’s Fair in 1893 the Rumford Kitchen. She refused to participate in the kitchen demonstration because she believed that nutrition was not only the women’s work, but information for all. For over 10 years, Ellen Richards and her contemporaries explored the latest in this line of profession. It was their goal to form an education and scientific association as an important component in formalizing the profession. The American Home Economics Association was formed in January 1909. It was until 1993 when a group of modern home economics met at Scottsdale, Arizona to include the course for home economics in the millennium. The Scottsdale Conference changed the name of the American Home Economics to American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Many colleges and universities used other names although even long before the Scottsdale Conferences such as titles as Human Sciences, Human Ecology,  Consumer and Family Sciences and many more were used. The use of different names contributed to the failure in the move to have just one name to give recognition to the profession. Home Economics is also known as Family and Consumer Sciences. It is taught in secondary schools, colleges and universities, vocational school and in adult education centers, where students include women and some men. In 1800s, Home Economics classes were intended to prepare young women for their duties in the home. Classes were first in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, followed by Latin America, Asia and Africa. International organizations such as those associated with the United Nations have been involved in starting home economics programs around the world. In the 20th century, the term Home Economics started amidst increasing population of a literate citizenry and the greater availability of printed materials that catalyzed the consumption of literature in homemaking. In 1862, the Morril Act was passed which established land-grant to states that were open to women and mandated to foster scientific theories and techniques and modernized activities associated with home economics, such as cooking, laundry, sewing, house cleaning, care of the sick, and sanitation. In the 19th century, courses in domestic science were implemented. With the Lake Placid conferences in 1899, the activists called for the teaching of Home Economics across the state. The American Home Economics Association was formed among the conference participants and lobbied for the funding of research and teaching of Home Economics. The Smith-Hughes Act mandated the importance of occupational preparation in home economics, thus in 1917 funding was provided. It was through this act that women’s role in home and in the society was elevated. It was emphasized that the study of home economics should prepare students for their effective discharge of duties in their respective homes and prepare them for efficient administration of household affairs. In 1900’s, home economics gained popularity as a result of urbanization, industrialization, and immigration. The Vocational Education Act of 1963 diminished the funding that the field had been receiving from the Smith-Hughes Act. Funding was only to be provided for Home Economics education that led to gainful employment. In the 1960s and 1970s, home economics came under fire with changing societal norms for women at home and in the workforce. Many schools dropped these programs and in some cases the educators of this profession were criticized for their lack of sympathy towards modern feminism. Home economics legitimately created opportunities for women and greatly impacted American society, creating vocational economic opportunities for women and educating boys and men about domestic skills. Catherine Beecher was one of the first to champion the economics of running a home. She argued for the importance of domestic life and sought the application of scientific principles to childbearing, cooking and housekeeping. Harriet Beecher Stowe, an American abolitionist and author and is best known for her novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin 6” talking about domestic science. They came from a religious family that valued education especially for women.  The Morril Act of 1862 propelled domestic science further ahead as land grant colleges sought to educate farm wives in running their households as their husbands were being educated in agricultural methods and processes. In the last decades of the nineteenth century, the land-grant schools, along with a few private institutions, established courses of instruction in what was generally called “Domestic Science”. Late in the 19th century, Richards convened a group of contemporaries to discuss the essence of domestic science and how the elements of this discipline would ultimately improve the quality of life for many individuals and families. A home economics class was started in 1911 in Toronto and was named as Oekology or science of right living or Euthenics, the science of controllable environment. Ultimately, “Home Economics” was chosen as the official term in 1899. Beginning in 1899, Richards, along with Melvin Dewey and other educators and activists, organized a series of annual gatherings that became known as the Lake Placid Conferences. These educators work tirelessly to elevate the discipline, which was to become home economics, to a legitimate profession. Conference participants formed the American Home Economics Association (AHEA). This organization effectively lobbied federal and state governments to provide funding for home economics research and teaching, to the rapid expansion of educational programs in 1908. In 1993, American Home Economics Association was changed to American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences during Scottsdale Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. History of Home Economics in the Philippines Home economics is attributed to the late Dr. Helena Zoila Tirona Benitez. She founded the Philippine Home Economics Association in 1948. The Philippine Home Economics Association was a national non-government organization composed of individuals, institutions, and organizations for the purpose of improving Home Economics education in the Philippines. Significant Changes or Stages of Development of the History of Home Economics in the Philippines 1901 – American methods of instruction were ensured by bringing in hundreds of American teachers called Thomasites. The vocational training in housekeeping and household arts was made an important element of girls’ education in the Philippines. 1913 – Elvessa Ann Stewart, a graduate of the University of Nebraska, went to the Philippines as a teacher in Home Economics. 1920 – Girls in grade 5 to 7 were required to devote 80 minutes a day to home economics activities which included cooking, sewing, housekeeping, sanitation, home nursing, infant care, food selection, embroidery, lacemaking. 1929 – Elvessa Ann Stewart became the superintendent of Home Economics in the Bureau of Education in Manila. 1941 – Every secondary girl was required to have at least one year of home economics before graduation. Required subjects included nutrition and childcare. Teachers of Intermediate Home Economics were required to be graduates of the  Philippine Normal School of the equivalent which required 3 years of study beyond secondary level. For 20 years, domestic training had flourished in Filipino schools starting with sewing, cooking, and housekeeping. Today, Home Economics continues to be practiced by professionals in many venues including secondary teaching, college and university teaching and research and outreach through cooperative extension programs. It has given emphasis in the K – 12 curriculum. Societal Changes and Development Brought about by Home Economics Home Economics education has many opportunities to develop a visionary approach to education for sustainable development and for improving the quality of life of every individual. Poor eating habits and improper diet are notoriously serious causes of disease. Careful detailed planning is important contribution to counteracting such a development. Home Economics as a creative subject can allow for experimentation and the development of critical judgment relating to food and meals. That way it can inspire students to use their skills outside school and later in life. As a practical subject, the teaching of Home Economics encourages students to cook and develop a sense of pleasure in work as well as good working habits, and to be conscious consumers, allowing them to take responsibility for food and meals, both in recreation and in the workplace and society. Teaching the subject will contribute to an awareness of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. The Role of Home Economics in Nation Economy “Home Economics provides the knowledge, skills, and attitude needed for healthy family life and community living, which are regarded as integral for national development.” – Dr. Michelle Pinnock (2015), Director of the Ministry of Education Youth and Information’s Western Regional Office. Home Economics exposes students to the fundamental principles of budgeting and financial management, home and resource management, health and nutrition to name a few. Home Economics education has matured into a range of offerings which include home ecology, human and consumer sciences, family resource management, clothing and textiles, home management, food safety, family life, food and nutrition. What is Home Economics? It is a field of study that is primarily concerned with strengthening family life and increasing productivity of individuals in the social economy. It synthesizes knowledge from arts and science-based disciplines to improve manipulative skills, organizational skills, and social skills. It is a broad filed of knowledge and services concerned with all phases of family life. A skill-oriented subject which is capable of equipping the individuals with basic skills and knowledge that will help them to be self-reliant and thereby contribute to  the social and economic development of the individual, the family and the nation at large. A diversified field of knowledge that involves education and research in many areas including food and nutrition, clothing and textiles, family life and human development, household and institutional resource management and community health. Areas of Home Economics in the 19th Century 1. Cooking 2. Child Development 3. Education and Community Awareness 4. Home Management and Design 5. Sewing and Textiles 6. Budgeting and Economics 7. Health and Hygiene Areas of Home Economics in the K-12 Curriculum In the Technical-Vocational track of the K-12 curriculum, Home Economics has the following areas of specialization: 1. Housekeeping 2. Caregiving 3. Beauty Care 4. Cookery 5. Bread and Pastry 6. Dressmaking 7. Handicraft