History and Development of Home Economics

1884
The first book on
1899 1908 1909
In the late 19th century, FCS is taught In 1909, Ellen Swallow Richards
home economics was the Lake Placid worldwide, as an founded the American Home
Mrs. Welch's Conferences took place. elective or a required Economics Association (now called the
Cookbook, published The conferences course in secondary American Association of Family and
in 1884 at Iowa State consisted of a group of
education, and in Consumer Sciences). From 1900 to
by Mary Beaumont educators working
together to elevate the
many tertiary and 1917, more than thirty bills discussed
Welch. Welch's classes continuing education in Congress dealt with issues of
discipline to a legitimate
on domestic economy profession. Originally, institutions. American vocational education and,
were the first in the they wanted to call this Sometimes it is also by association, home economics.
nation to give college profession "oekology", taught in primary Americans wanted more opportunities
credit on the subject. the science of right
education. for their young people to learn
living. However, "home
economics" was
International vocational skills and to learn valuable
ultimately chosen as the cooperation in the home and life skills. However, home
official term in 1899. field is coordinated by economics was still dominated by
the International women and women had little access
Federation for Home to other vocational trainings. As stated
Economics, by the National Education Association
established in 1908. (NEA) on the distribution of males and
females in vocations, “one-third of our
menfolk are in agriculture, and one-
third in non-agricultural productive
areas; while two-thirds of our women
are in the vocation of homemaking”.
 1914
There was a great need
across the United States to
continue improving the
vocational and homemaking
education systems because
demand for work was
apparent after World War I
and II. Therefore, in 1914 and
1917, women's groups,
political parties, and labor
coalitions worked together in
order to pass the Smith-
Lever Act and the Smith-
Hughes Act. The Smith-Lever
Act of 1914 and the Smith-
Hughes Act of 1917 created
federal funds for "vocational
education agriculture, trades
and industry, and
homemaking" and created
the Office of Home
Economics. With this
funding, the United States
was able to create more
homemaking educational
courses all across the
country.
1929 1956
In South Korea, the Present day, the prevalence of FCS
field is most and CTE courses help prepare
commonly known as students for careers rather than
"consumer science" traditional courses that prepare
(소비자학, sobija- one for university rather than life
hak). The field began skills. Also, homemaking and
in schools taught by home economics courses have
Western missionaries developed a negative connotation
in the late 19th because of the negative gender
century. The first bias associated with home
college-level economics courses. Despite this,
department of family homemaking is now socially
science was acceptable for both men and
established at Ewha women to partake in. In the United
Womans University in States, both men and women are
Seoul in 1929. expected to take care of the home,
the children, and the finances.
More women are pursuing higher
education rather than
homemaking. In 2016, 56.4% of
college students were female as
opposed to 34.5% in 1956. Some
schools are starting to incorporate
life skill courses back into their
curriculum, but as a whole, home
economics courses have been in
major decline in the past century.
1963
Starting from the
Gentile reform, home
economics was taught
in the lower middle
school and in the new
unified middle school
established in 1963.
The name changed to
Technical Applications,
differentiated into
male and female,
which was taught until
1977 when it changed
to the title of Technical
Education, which no
longer differed in
relation to the sex of
the pupils.
 1963 1971 1972 1994 2012
Throughout the latter part of Home economics was Home economics are Family and In 2012 there
twentieth century, home taught to girls in the known in Indonesia consumer were only 3.5
economics courses became junior cycle of secondary as Family Training sciences was million
more inclusive. In 1963, school in the 20th and Welfare previously known students
Congress passed the Vocational century. It was added to (Indonesian: in the United enrolled in FCS
Education Act, which granted the senior cycle Leaving Pembinaan dan States as home secondary
even more funds to vocational Certificate in 1971, at a Kesejahteraan economics, often programs, a
education job training. Home time when elimination of Keluarga, PKK). It is abbreviated decrease of 38
economics courses started being school fees was rooted on a 1957 "home ec" or percent over a
taught across the nation to both increasing participation. conference on home "HE". In 1994, decade. In
boys and girls by way of the rise In subsequent decades economics held in various 2020 the
of second-wave feminism. This new co-educational Bogor; it became organizations, AAFCS
movement pushed for gender community schools saw state policy in 1972. including the estimates that
equality, leading to equality of more boys studying the American there are 5
education. In 1970, the course subject. Increased third- Association of million
became required for both men level education Family and students
and women. Starting in 1994, participation from the Consumer enrolled in FCS
home economics courses in the 1990s saw a decline in Sciences, programs
United States began being practical subjects not adopted the new
referred to as "family and favoured for third-level term "Family and
consumer sciences" in order to entry requirements, Consumer
make the class appear more including home Sciences (FCS)" to
inclusive. With desegregation economics. reflect the fact
and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that the field
men and women of all covers aspects
backgrounds could equally learn outside of home
how to sew, cook, and balance a life and wellness.
checkbook.