This is a surprisingly fascinating history of the field of home economics! From its founding in the late 1800s to today, the field has seen a lot of ups and downs, and changes in philosophy. At times it has promoted feminist ideas that women should be empowered to have the skills and knowledge to make financial decisions, work efficiently so they have more leisure time, and be self-sufficient, and at times it has promoted patriarchal ideas what women should stay in the home to serve their husbands and children. At times, home economists have had an imperialist agenda of teaching other cultures to do things the Western way, and at times, home economists have listened to other cultures to incorporate their recipes and ways of life into Western homes. The role of home economics in schools has been debated over the years: is home economics at primarily Black schools a way of teaching Black women marketable skills, or a way of keeping them in subservient positions? When college is just seen as a place for women to go to find a husband, home economics is a logical degree for them to get, which makes it seem less like a legitimate field of study and more like something to do until they find their man. Home economists have also played major roles in shaping political policies, such as the FDA's dietary recommendations. ( )

Such an interesting history. Home economics changed as society changed. I’m in favor of the author’s solution to bring it back to the curriculum. It could provide practical skills for life! ( )

The Secret of Home Economics by Danielle Dreilinger is a 2022 W.W. Norton & Company publication.

A surprisingly fascinating look at the history of Home Economics from a feminist viewpoint.

Like many people, when I heard someone say ‘Home Economics’ it instantly brought to mind images of 1950s classrooms where the message was clear- A woman’s place was in the home and that is most unfortunate.

This well-researched book takes a hard look at the history of home economics and her findings are extraordinary!

Before the field became stigmatized, and a course relegated to mainly white girls and women, the field was considered progressive, using science to help improve society through the home. The goal was to curb hunger and improve health through nutrition.

The field began in the late nineteenth century and gained momentum, becoming popular during the first world war and the depression era and was especially helpful to black households.

The 1950s Home Ec., stereotype really hurt the image of the field, and it was also at this point when black women were left out of the equation, almost entirely, as it became exclusively white and female.

Since then, Home Economics courses have dropped out of the offered curriculum- and again, that is unfortunate, as many educators seem to be in favor of it.

A fresh approach or name change could help to eradicate the bad image that Home Economics has had a hard time shaking off- such as key words- like ‘Home’ and ‘Family’ - for example.

As the author points out-'home' is more inclusive than family- as you and your dog can be ‘family’- or if you live alone- how relevant is ‘family’ in your choices in clothing or what you are planning to have for dinner?

But, still, everyone does think about what they are going to eat for dinner-what products will be needed to clean your home, and how food and necessities will be paid for- right?

Our hectic lifestyles often leave little time to teach these skills in the home, as has often been suggested. Not only that, but it could also help to balance the household chores, instead of having these tasks fall mainly onto the shoulders of women- which it still does- most of the time.

Just something to think about.

Overall, this book is most enlightening, and most of the information here was news to me. The material is organized and maybe the author was as surprised by what her research revealed as the reader! She obviously put a great deal of effort into the research and the presentation is thoughtful and thorough.

I was impressed and proud of how women have worked through the years to improve our lives. Although, the commercialization, mainly brought on by television, sexism, and racism, eventually created a ridiculous standard and representation of HE, that would eventually be its undoing, burying all benefits and forward thinking that came before.

I hope Home Economics will make a comeback-in an updated way that will accredit many of the women and organizations featured in this book, at long last, and restore the reputation of this field of study, so that it can continue to prepare students and improve the quality of life for us all.

For those who think this book will only appeal to those who have careers in the HE field- that couldn't be further from the truth!

I recommend this book to everyone. Men and Women of all ages- those who are interested in women's or feminist studies, or history, will find this book interesting, educational, helpful, and just might convince you we still need to teach Home Economics!

5 stars ( )

Birthed in the late nineteenth century, home economics originally encompassed far more than cooking and sewing. The field's pioneering women such as Annie Dewey, the wife of Dewey Decimal system founder Melvil Dewey, Ellen Swallow Richards, and Margaret Murray Washington, wife of renowned Booker T. Washington, brought science to women through the new discipline. The field encompassed family life, consumer economics, and much more. The book covers the origins of the field up to World War II fairly well. Its spotty coverage after World War II is a weakness. Think of this as macro home economics. It looks more at the field as a whole than it does as the field was lived out in the experiences of those living in specific states and counties or taking a course at a specific school. It would be interesting to see how experiences differed for a person taking a home economics course in rural Mississippi from those of one taking a similar course in New York City or Boston. I suspect the courses were tailored very much toward the climate in the area. The women pioneers of the field saw home economics as a means of elevating the position of women. That began to turn on them as they encompassed disciplines men though kept women at home and out of the workforce. The field is now called Family and Consumer Science. The author outlines her ideas for bringing back home economics education--and she wants it to take back its old moniker. While the book was interesting, I was disappointed in its coverage of the last half of the twentieth century to the present. ( )