2. • 1884
• The first book on home economics was Mrs.
Welch's Cookbook, published in 1884 at Iowa
State by Mary Beaumont Welch. Welch's
classes on domestic economy were the first in
the nation to give college credit on the subject.
3. • 1899
• In the late 19th century, the Lake Placid
Conferences took place. The conferences
consisted of a group of educators working
together to elevate the discipline to a legitimate
profession. Originally, they wanted to call this
profession "oekology", the science of right living.
However, "home economics" was ultimately
chosen as the official term in 1899
4. 1908
• FCS is taught worldwide, as an elective or a
required course in secondary education, and in
many tertiary and continuing education
institutions. Sometimes it is also taught in
primary education. International cooperation in
the field is coordinated by the International
Federation for Home Economics, established in
1908.
5. • Ed1909
• In 1909, Ellen Swallow Richards founded the American Home
Economics Association (now called the American Association of
Family and Consumer Sciences). From 1900 to 1917, more than
thirty bills discussed in Congress dealt with issues of American
vocational education and, by association, home economics.
Americans wanted more opportunities for their young people to learn
vocational skills and to learn valuable home and life skills. However,
home economics was still dominated by women and women had
little access to other vocational trainings. As stated by the National
ucation Association (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”
6. • 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.
7. 1929
In South Korea, the field is most
commonly known as "consumer science"
(소비자학, sobija-hak). The field began
in schools taught by Western
missionaries in the late 19th century.
The first college-level department of
family science was established at Ewha
Womans University in Seoul in 1929.
8. • 1956
• Present day, the prevalence of FCS and CTE courses
help prepare students for careers rather than traditional
courses that prepare one for university rather than life skills.
Also, homemaking and home economics courses have developed a
negative connotation because of the negative gender bias
associated with home economics courses. Despite this,
homemaking is now socially acceptable for both men and women to
partake in. In the United States, both men and women are 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.
9. • 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.
10. • 1963
• Throughout the latter part of twentieth century, home economics
courses became more inclusive. In 1963, Congress passed the
Vocational Education Act, which granted even more funds to
vocational education job training. Home economics courses started
being taught across the nation to both boys and girls by way of the
rise of second-wave feminism. This movement pushed for gender
equality, leading to equality of education. In 1970, the course
became required for both men and women. Starting in 1994, home
economics courses in the United States began being referred to as
"family and consumer sciences" in order to make the class appear
more inclusive. With desegregation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964,
men and women of all backgrounds could equally learn how to sew,
cook, and balance a checkbook.
11. • 1971
• Home economics was taught to girls in the junior
cycle of secondary school in the 20th century. It
was added to the senior cycle Leaving
Certificate in 1971, at a time when elimination of
school fees was increasing participation. In
subsequent decades new co-educational
community schools saw more boys studying the
subject. Increased third-level education
participation from the 1990s saw a decline in
practical subjects not favoured for third-level
entry requirements, including home economics.
12. 1972
Home economics are
known in Indonesia as
Family Training and
Welfare (Indonesian:
Pembinaan dan
Kesejahteraan Keluarga,
PKK). It is rooted on a 1957
conference on home
economics held in Bogor; it
13. 1994
Family and consumer sciences
was previously known in the
United States as home
economics, often abbreviated
"home ec" or "HE". In 1994,
various organizations, including
the American Association of
Family and Consumer
Sciences, adopted the new term
"Family and Consumer
Sciences (FCS)" to reflect the
fact that the field covers aspects
outside of home life and
wellness.
14. 2012
In 2012 there were only 3.5
million students enrolled in
FCS secondary programs,
a decrease of 38 percent
over a decade. In 2020 the
AAFCS estimates that
there are 5 million students
enrolled in FCS programs
