Overview of Home Economics Revival During COVID-19

• Social Phenomenon: People are reconnecting with traditional household activities such as baking during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Example: Author's niece creates sourdough starter due to the unavailability of dry yeast.

  • Care for sourdough starter likened to having a newborn, requiring warmth, stirring, watching for bubbles, and regular feeding.

  • Observations of scarcity in baking supplies like flour.

  • Question raised: Are these behaviors indicative of a societal change or merely stocking up during quarantine?

  • Importance of understanding motivations behind these activities.

Historical Context of Home Economics

• Misconceptions: Home economics often viewed as solely cooking and sewing, associated with traditional gender roles.

  • Early definitions focused on women's domestic work, which is not reflective of its broader implications today.

  • Modern definition emphasizes ecology and integration of systems.

Integrated Systems Approach in Home Economics

• Main Theme: Ecology as an integrated system where changes in one element can affect others.

  • Pandemic highlighted interconnectedness in everyday life.

  • Home economics aims not only for skill-building but also for enhancing relationships and quality of life.

• Critical Thinking: Importance of evaluating relationships and choices.

  • Skills should enable flexibility amidst challenges, such as shortages or crises.

Development of Home Economics as a Discipline

• Origin: Founded in the 1800s due to societal shifts from agriculture to industry; aimed at training healthy personnel for work.

• Ellen Swallow Richards: Known as the founder of home economics in North America.

  • Remarkable achievement: First woman to earn a chemistry degree from MIT.

  • Advocacy for using “ecology” in naming the field but ultimately settled on “home economics” in 1908.

Notable Figures in Home Economics

• Adelaide Hunter Hoodless: Instrumental in Canada for founding home economics education.

  • Established the Women’s Institute in 1897; played a crucial role in advocating for women's health and education.

  • Motivated by personal experience following her son’s tragic death due to tainted milk.

• Evolution: Post-1960s expansion of opportunities for women in various fields, including education and government roles.

Social and Cultural Changes Impacting Home Economics

• Personal Experience: Author recounts joining 4-H as a youth and the influential role of the district home economist.

  • Describes her as a professional role model who encouraged her to pursue a degree in household economics.

• Cultural Shifts: Integration of home economics in a broader context amid rising consumerism and market trends.

  • Shift from a female-only discipline to more inclusive dynamics, including men in the field.

Contemporary Perspectives on Home Economics

• Ongoing Dialogue: Continuous discussion on the relevance and naming of the discipline.

  • Alternate concepts include human ecology, family and consumer sciences, and family studies.

• Observations around Mother’s Day: Commercialization of the holiday contrasts with personal memories of baking and motherhood.

  • Author shares a nostalgic story about her mother baking bread, exemplifying connections between food, love, and family.

• Conclusion: Despite commercialization and evolving contexts, home economics remains vital.

  • Emphasis on the need for skills fostering connections and well-being.