Year: 2017
Type: book-review
Abstract: A s a lover of history and a student of the home economics profession, I anxiously awaited the publication of this book.At a time when numerous institutions that are part of or related to home economics are celebrating significant anniversaries of the Morrill Act, the establishment of the 1890s landgrant institutions, and the Cooperative Extension Service, the contributors to this volume continue the exploration of the historical and contemporary aspects of the profession of home economics.Although the profession has often been "misunderstood, trivialized, and under resourced, " as editors Nickols and Kay observe, "home economics has been addressing the persistent problems of daily life for more than a century" (p.3).They and the chapter authors offer this book "to foster dialogue across disciplines in higher education and to facilitate discussion with a broader audience about the role of home economics in addressing the problems of everyday life" (p.3).The editors organized the book around four themes:• home economics philosophy, social responsibility, and outreach to the public; • food and clothing; • gender and race in career experiences and preparation; and • responses to challenges of identity and continuity of the field. Home Economics Philosophy, Social Responsibility, and OutreachThe volume's opening section provides an overview of the origin of the field and of a comprehensive system for the delivery of home economics-based knowledge.In "Knowledge, Mission, Practice: The Enduring Legacy of Home Economics" (Chapter 1), the authors explore three elements that have been constant across home economics from its beginning to the present day.They begin with a brief history and connect it to the evolution of knowledge, mission, and practice.Chapter 2, "Extending Knowledge, Changing Lives: Cooperative Extension Family and Consumer Sciences, "
Author: Ann Vail
Institution: University of Kentucky
Language: English
Subfield: Cultural Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2612609317