Week 2: History of Home-ec

Explain two of the VERY early year histories

• Socrates

  • Home & farm management

• Aristotle

  • Economics of household

What happened in the late 19th century that progressed home ec?

• Industrial revolution and role changes

• Ppl got sick and they needed to learn how to prevent & educate others

• Food adulteration (poisoning) happened hella so they made the Food & Drug Act (FDA)

What was the “turn of the century”?

• Professionalization

  • Creating professions such as home ec

  • Women wanted to join but many rejected them

Who was the founder of home ec?

• Ellen Swallow Richards

  • 1st scientist oi conduct water surveys

What were the 3 central themes of ellem Swallow Richard’s life?

1. A passion for science

2. A commitment to furthering women’s

   education and careers

3. A belief in the home as a source for

   social change

Was it always human ecology?

• NO, it used to be economics → ecology was rejected

Who is Melvil Dewey?

• Dewey Decimal Classification library organization

Who is Wilber O. Atwater?

• Socio-cultural determinants of food habits

Who is Martha Van Rensselaer?

• Founder of home ec at Cornell

• Educated woman farmers

Who is Flora Rose?

• created fortified cereals

Who is Margaret Murray Washington?

• Founded organizations for black women

Who is Adelaide Hoodless?

• Stressed importance of hygiene and cleanliness after her son died of spoiled milk

Why was home-ec important during WW1?

• Ingredients were scarce

• Home-ec taught substitution, meatless meals, less food waste

What happened in the 1920s?

• smaller kitchens = used canned stuff

• beauty standard to be skinny

What happened in the 1920-1930’s?

• rise of antibiotics

• betty crocker made so that they could sell more processed foods

What happened in the 1930s?

• Great depression

  • economy collapse → home ec taught how to stretch budgets

  • taught kids how to sew/cook/home-make though it was not culturally focused

What happened in WW2?

• Army failed physicals

• Expanded food programs

• Women joined

What happened in the 1950’s?

• focus on women’s role in home

• associate with home-ec → was a required course for girls

• Emphasized depersonailized/q=instant cooking

• experiential learning/community-based practica

What happened in the 1960’s?

• birth control

• civil rights & feminism

• Feminists hating on home-ec

What happened in the 1970’s?

• nutrition education important

• greater variety

• Identity crisis of home-ec

What happened in the 1980’s?

• OHEA registered status

• Hating on home-ec → sonforming to society & forcing physical material

• Olestra → anal leakage

What happened in the 1990’s?

• Rise of celebrity chefs

• Program closures & new names

What happened in the 2000’s?

• low carb diets

• recession

• interest in local/farmers markets

What happened in the 2010’s?

• wellness misinformation rise

• Diverse recipes & ingredients

What happened in the 2020’s?

• Covid disrupted suppliers

• highlight of inequality

• importance of home-ec