I have my doctorate in family studies and most people don’t know that it’s actually an outgrowth of what was home economics. We tend to think of home economics as a sewing or foods class we took in junior high/high school.
What we don’t think about is the history of home economics– the reasons it began, where world events took it, and where it landed today. That was in the book in the photo- The Secret History of Home Economics.
There are a lot of things I could say about the book– it was very well researched– but for me, it’s really about the continued reminder of the importance of home. And as technology advanced to make doing household chores less cumbersome (to some extent– I still don’t like emptying the dishwasher and folding laundry) and more women joined the workforce, it ultimately morphed into family studies, looking at how we can make families stronger.
For me though, I find the history interesting because I believe home is important. As I reflect back on my own experience with my mom, I see how hard she worked to create as much of a happy home for us (despite all efforts by my dad to squash it with his own unhappiness that kept him drinking). And as I’ve gone to so many estate sales, now realizing I’ve been going to them for almost twenty-five years, I also see that my mom was just like the other moms out there.
They kept the recipe booklets that came from the gas company or they mailed away to Jello for. There was often a stack of towels or sheets in the linen closet to be saved for special occasions that in their eyes never came along and thus were never used. There were bright patterns on the dish towels and the pot holders/hot pads in the kitchen for when they tired of making meals for their family, usually an ungrateful group who didn’t understand what a chore constant dinner creation could be.
While the book delves much deeper than this and while my doctorate isn’t related to cooking and housekeeping in any way, I can only think that because my mom worked so hard on our home, and because my friend Bonnie, who grew up in an “oil patch” family and then married an “oil patch” man, taught me that you need to sow your seeds no matter where you are planted, I’m aware of the importance of making our dwelling as much a happy and comfortable place as we can.
Home is where I work, making my home better is what inspires me, and the history of home– while not always pleasant when one reflects on the racism and sexism– is necessary to acknowledge as we continue to take it forward. It’s still about strengthening family units, however those might be defined (two humans and two dogs at my house). It’s ultimately about how we make our lives better, lessons not always taught in this present world we live in.
