INTRODUCTION TO HOME ECONOMICS

Definition:

Home economics is a field of study that deals with the relationship between individuals, families,
communities, and the environment in which they live.

- Formerly limited to problems of food (nutrition and cookery), clothing, sewing, textiles,
household equipment, housecleaning, housing, hygiene, and household economics, it later
came to include many aspects of family relations, parental education, consumer education, and
institutional management.
- Home Economics is the application of the knowledge from the pure and applied sciences, social
sciences, Arts and Humanities to develop men and women with fundamental competences in
proffering scientific solutions to problems in the use of resources to access and increase
information on the facts of life and improve living in the family, the community, nation, and the
world at large.

Home economics has the following major branches:

 Art & Design:

We often think about design and art as of the same thing, but in fact, there are some particular
differences that separate these two forms of creativity
If we want to clearly distinguish between art and design, first we need to do is know “what is art and
design”.
Art:

- Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts
(artworks), expressing the author’s imaginative, conceptual ideas, or technical skill, intended to
be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power. In their most general form these activities
include the production of works of art, the criticism of art, the study of the history of art, and the
aesthetic dissemination of art.

- The three classical branches of art are painting, sculpture and architecture.
Design:
- Google defines design as: do or plan (something) with a specific purpose or intention in mind
- A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the
implementation of an activity or process, or the result of that plan or specification in the form of
a prototype, product or process.
- Example, craftwork, some engineering, coding, and graphic design, etc.
- Major examples of designs include architectural blueprints, engineering drawings, business
processes, circuit diagrams, and sewing patterns.

 Food & Nutrition Sciences:

 Food:
anything we eat to satisfy our appetite, to supply energy and to maintain all body processes
Food Categories:
A balanced diet is made up of the five food groups.

1. Carbohydrates: This group contains starchy foods such as pasta, rice, oats, potatoes, noodles,

yam, green bananas, sweet potato, millet, couscous, breads, breakfast cereals, barley and rye.
2. Protein: This group contains meat, fish and eggs as well as vegetable protein, nuts, beans, peas,
lentils, soya, etc.
3. Milk and dairy products: This group contains milk, yoghurt, milkshakes, cheese, etc.
4. Fruit and vegetables: This group includes fresh as well as frozen, tinned, dried and juices of
fruits and vegetables
5. Fats and sugars: This group contains butter, margarine, cooking oils, cream, salad dressings,
chocolate, crisps, sugary soft drinks, sweets, jam, cakes, pudding, biscuits and pastries.
Nutrition:
- Nutrition, nourishment, or aliment, is the supply of materials - food - required by organisms and
cells to stay alive. In science and human medicine, nutrition is the science or practice of
consuming and utilizing foods
- Nutrition also focuses on how diseases, conditions, and problems can be prevented or reduced
with a healthy diet.
- Similarly, nutrition involves identifying how certain diseases and conditions may be caused by
dietary factors, such as poor diet (malnutrition), food allergies, and food intolerances

 Human Development & Family Studies:

- Focuses on the development of individuals across the lifespan, within the context of family and
culture
- Students complete foundational coursework in human development (i.e., infancy and childhood,
adolescence, emerging and young adulthood, middle and later adulthood/aging) and in the area
of family studies
- Students study theory and innovative research in the field and learn to identify diverse factors
influencing cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development across the lifespan.
Students will demonstrate:

- Content knowledge and understanding of theory, research, and practice relevant to optimizing
the development, health, and well-being of individuals and families across the lifespan in the
context of the larger social environment.
- Effective written and oral communication skills appropriate to the field of human development
and family studies.
- The ability to access, critically evaluate, and apply multiple forms of information related to
individuals and families.
- Professional and leadership skills with individuals and families, including ethical and culturally
sensitive conduct.
 Home Management Studies:
- Every individual has values, goals and standards.
- Effective management means recognizing values, understanding decision
- Making and factors affecting decision making, determining long term and short term goals as
well as allocating resources to attain these goals.
- Management plays an important role in day-to-day life. Each individual needs to have
knowledge of managing activities. It is integral part of human life. Family life is full of various
goals and achievements whether it is an individual goal or achievement or a family goal. Most of
time, it is essential for family members to take wise decisions regarding education, career,
marriage of members in the family depending on their values and goals. 
There are specifically two concepts of management

Human Concept:
- Here emphasis has been given to all round development of the family members
- Importance is given to human needs
Materialistic Concept:
- According to the materialistic concept of home management the efficiency in doing work and
standardization of work is important.
- By doing this quality of work is improved and more perfection is maintained. 

 Textiles and Clothing:

Clothing:

- Clothing means, anything that is used for covering oneself, with a purpose to provide warmth,
beauty, fashion and decency.

Textiles:

- Textile is the study of fibers, yarns, construction of fabrics and finishes. The chief textile fibers
are: cotton, wool, silk and linen.
-  An understanding of fabrics is of great importance, which involves knowledge of fibers,
constructions and finishes in addition to familiarity with the various types of textile fibers

Significance:

- A study of textiles will give an understanding, why certain fabrics are more durable and
therefore more serviceable for specific purposes.
- It enables one to understand the reasons why certain fabrics make cool wearing apparel as well
as give an impression of coolness when used as decoration.
- Clothes do not necessarily make the person but they do go a long way towards building up a
feeling of confidence and well-being of a good personality.
The aims of the Home Economics curriculum are to enable students to:
- be responsible citizens and informed consumers willing to contribute to the well-being of
individuals, families and society in terms of meeting basic human needs
- demonstrate good use of management and organizational skills in handling physical and socio-
economic resources for self, family, community and society
- analyze contextual factors contributing to the well-being of individual, family and society with
application of knowledge from the food science and technology strand or fashion, textiles and
clothing strand
- devise and implement strategies to solve complicated problems in technological contexts, in
particular, food / fashion, using a range of appropriate techniques and procedures
- evaluate critically the impact of social, cultural, economic, scientific and technological
developments on the well being of individuals, families and society as a whole

The complete saying was originally “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a
master of one.” Formerly intended as a compliment, the phrase means that a person is a generalist
rather than a specialist, versatile and adept at many things.