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What is home economics?
To most people the answer would be that it is a field in which girls learn cooking and sewing and other things related to housekeeping. The answer is true but not complete. In home economics classes cooking sewing and home making skills are part of the instructional program that aims at inculcating values, development of understanding and provision knowledge needed to promote optimum human development. Provision of usable practical information is apriority at elementary levels while at higher levels it leads to expertise in relevant areas of more basic sciences and technologies. However at all stages the concerns and interests of the individual, family and community are the primary focus of home economics. Compensatory to the advancement of science for the benefit of producers, home economists pursue research to assist the consumer in better selection and utilization of new products.
The objective of home economics education is betterment of individual, family and community. Its strategy is to extract usable subject matter from physical and social sciences and arts and deliver it to consumers, so as to empower the consumers i.e. individuals families and communities, to make judicious decisions in their daily life. Home economics recognize homes as the foundation of human development and integrity of family as an inevitable requisite for the establishment of homes. Home economics means: making best use of available knowledge and skills for the optimum functioning of homes and betterment of family members.
Home economics as a activity is present ever since civilization lead to establishment of homes. The quality of human civilization undoubtedly depends on the quality of homes. Traditionally learning of most of the human activities and occupations depended on informal transfer of knowledge and expertise from one generation to another. With the accumulation of a large amount of knowledge disciplines emerged and acquisition of expertise became dependant on formal education. However it is quite astonishing that due attention has not been paid by education policy makers to assure planned and formal transfer of knowledge and expertise for the oldest and most important of all professions that is home-making. Regardless of the material resources available success of homes depend on decisions made by the homemakers in their everyday life. Money could buy goods and services but no amount of could buy an expert capable of making judicious decision for family. The need for homemaking education is even greater where goods and services are to be provided by family members.
The need for home making expertise never diminishes. Regardless of family members employment or education they need a place to rest retires, refresh, grow, live and die. Human civilization cannot survive without these units. Strength of civilization depends on the strength of these units called homes. No matter how many science and technology experts a country has if these units are not utilizing the outputs of science and technology in an appropriate manner peace and prosperity are impossible. Home economics as a discipline functions to extract usable information from various social and physical sciences and delivers it to the profession of home making, and thus strengthens and empowers home makers.
Most of the societies today are unable to get the best form developments in science and technology because of limitations of home-makers in the face of command on science and technology available to producers. Consumption is grossly influenced by the vested interests of producers. May it be use of atherogenic fatty, sugary food, cancer producing food adjuncts, use of toxin producing synthetics, undue of exposure of youngsters to violent movies and games the home makers as consumers are immensely effected by powers of producers. The home-makers would be in a much better position to make choices if he or she had up-to-date information about short and ling term influences of these modern options. It is not possible for each home maker to become expert in various social and physical sciences and to extract the relevant matter herself so as to be able make wise decisions. However if effective home economics programs are functioning it is their duty to do so for the consumers. Research in various areas of home economics promotes understanding of the impact of using modern products on the consumers. It provides guidelines and precautionary measures while selecting and using goods and services offered and advertised by entertainers. Benefits of consumers are the focus of Home Economists.
Societies toady are facing polarization of resources because of high handedness of producers. Home economics education if given its due place could empower the consumers are restore the balance in exploitation of advancement in science and technology by producers and consumers.
Emergence of Home Economics as a discipline
Home economics emerged as discipline in a historic 1899 meeting in Lake Placid, New York. Melvil Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, and his wife Annie were central figures at the conference. Early home economists worked in laboratories, in the field doing research, and in an on-site nursery school to document child behavior and developed innovations in food conservation and preparation, product and housing design, textiles, home management and budgeting, as well as new scientific ideas about child development. "Home Economists in early 20th century America had a major role in the Progressive Era, the development of the welfare state, the triumph of modern hygiene and scientific medicine, the application of scientific research in a number of industries, and the popularization of important research on child development, family health, and family economics.
Research conducted by home economists contributed to a greater understanding of vitamins, calories, and proteins, as well the development of modern freezer equipment and food storage; better stain removal treatments and durable synthetic fibers; more efficient household design; improved consumer practices and improved educational opportunities for children from low-income families.
Just like the other feminized service professions -- teaching, nursing, social work, and librarianship -- home economics struggled to establish a professional identity. In a series of conferences held at Lake Placid between 1899 and 1909, home economists defined the nature of their field, debated what to call themselves, and founded their first professional association and research journal. In 1909, the American Home Economics Association (AHEA) was formally organized with the aim of improving "living conditions in the home, the institutional household, and the community."
Misconceptions about home economics and their impact
Unfortunately home economics often received a reputation as confining women to the home, while the movement for women's suffrage has been viewed as liberating women from the home. Though the Progressive Era movements for home economics and women's suffrage both had shared a common mission: to improve the condition of women in society the consequences of exclusive emphasis on womens liberation from home are before us in the from of declining birthrate, need for lucrative incentives to promote parenthood, and fears of extinction of homosapiens as human beings in several of the most prosperous nations. Kelly states There is currently no cultural force in the modern societies to maintain human population levels over the long term. Population robustness these days comes primarily from undeveloped countries, and from cultural practices that are disappearing in developed countries. Once the developing countries become developed, there will be little at work to maintain an average of one offspring per person, with millions have more to balance the millions with few or no children. How many future readers will be willing to have three or more kids? http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/story/35.html
At one part of the globe effects of neglecting homes have become evident, the other half should now learn to leap towards prosperity without paralyzing the functions of their social units. In several of the under developed nations functions of homes are negatively influences by power imbalance within homes. Gender balance needs to be resorted but without essentially bringing women out of their homes. The only academic discipline that is integrated enough to provide research based guidelines for developing strategies that could assure economic uplift and gender empowerment without losing family as a social unit is home economics. Given chance research in home economics could lead to socially and culturally acceptable channels to inculcate social values leading to gender balance. Home economics could provide educational material leading to consumption of nutritious food, hygienic living and mutual understanding and respect.
The peculiarity of its contribution is that it promotes nations prosperity without jeopardizing its social integrity. Home economics has contributed to economics and social uplift of many countries and is still doing so in several others. It is a fact that human would have taken a different shape if home economics was not misunderstood and was given its due place. Nevertheless it is encouraging to note at several forums importance of family as a social unit and needs for its strengthening is being professionally recognized. There have been and are a group of dedicated home economist who kept International federation of home economics alive for nearly 100 years now. The importance of home economics has been identified at the international level through maintenance of IFHE�s consultative status of UNO. In Pakistan home economics has made a significant contribution by providing human resources in the areas of nutrition and dietetics. Toady more than 90% of the nutritionists and dietitians available in country are the graduates of home economics colleges. If the governments intend to get a higher returns from input in hard sciences and technologies channels must be crafted to direct as much benefits to the consumers as to the producers.