In 1955, Young America Films, an educational and instructional video production company, released a nine-minute short simply titled, “Why Study Home Economics?” It opens on two high school-aged sisters, Janice and Carol, deciding which courses they will take the next term. Janice says, “Well, I have to fill one science requirement and English, and I want to take home economics…”
“Home economics?!” Carol replies, aghast, “Why in the world do you want to take home ec.?”
While the video is definitely seeped in some mid-century misogyny in terms of Janice’s primary motivation for taking the course (“Anyone who's going to be married and a homemaker would be foolish not to take home economics!" she eventually declares), the school’s home economics instructor, Miss Jenkins, takes a broader view of its benefits. “To tell you the truth, Janice,” she tells her. “You need to know more than how to run a house or an apartment. You need to know why, as well as how.”
This was at a time when home economics was taught in nearly every high school in the country, though largely only to girls. A few decades later, home economics courses became required for both male and female students, and then, in 1994, the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences recommended the name of the class be officially changed to "family and consumer sciences" as a way to more accurately reflect how its subject matter had developed through time. Beyond baking, cooking and sewing, modules on topics like nutrition and family finance had been added to the curricula.
By the early 2000s, however, enrollment began to slow. According to the Craft Industry Alliance, by 2012 only 3.5 million students were enrolled in home economics classes nationwide, a decrease of 38% over the prior decade. There are a few reasons for this: Some experts point to the complicated (and often inherently sexist) relationship Americans have with domestic labor as a motivation for the courses’ nationwide decline, while others say that simply any classes that don’t contribute to test scores and grades aren’t prioritized.
Now, there are only about 6,000 schools left in the United States that still offer home economics — or family and consumer sciences — though I’d argue that there’s never been a better time to bring it back.
The call for a resurgence in these courses isn’t a new one; in 2010, researchers Alice H. Lichtenstein and David S. Ludwig published a paper in JAMA titled “Bring Back Home Economics Education.” It read, in part:
Even more than before, parents and caregivers today cannot be expected or relied on to teach children how to prepare healthy meals. Many parents never learned to cook and instead rely on restaurants, take-out food, frozen meals, and packaged food as basic fare. Many children seldom experience what a true home-cooked meal tastes like, much less see what goes into preparing it. Work schedules and child extracurricular programs frequently preclude involving children in food shopping and preparation. The family dinner has become the exception rather than the rule.
To improve education about food, it is not necessary to bring back the classic home economics coursework, replete with gender-specific stereotypes. Rather, girls and boys should be taught the basic principles they will need to feed themselves and their families within the current food environment: a version of hunting and gathering for the 21st century.
However, the need for these courses has only increased in the subsequent decade. As Axios reported last month, 72% of respondents of a recent survey conducted by the Harris Poll said that groceries are where they feel most affected by inflation. That said, per a recent survey conducted by Mint, a reported 65% of Americans said they don't know how much they spent last month, with Gen Z as the least likely generation to know what they spent.
As the economy, as well as the way we transmit generational knowledge, shifts, younger Americans need help beyond TikTok and Reddit for learning how to budget, meal plan and shop, all skills traditionally taught in home economics. As Susan Turgeson, president of the Association of Teacher Educators for Family and Consumer Sciences told NPR in 2018: “Everything about FCS is really teaching resource management and employability skills, creative and critical thinking — we just do it through food.”
Cassandra Loftlin, a chef, recipe developer and co-founder of Goodness Gracious Grocery, has done a lot of work in the food education space, including writing recipes specifically for children, and has seen firsthand the impact it can have on students.
“Cooking is an essential life skill that children need to learn to be self-sufficient adults,” Loftlin said. “It's called culinary arts for a reason — it fosters creativity and allows children to experiment with flavors, textures, and ingredients, encouraging a sense of adventure at any age. Teaching children to cook also promotes financial literacy by budgeting for food and time management, while understanding how to prioritize tasks and manage time effectively to get dinner on the table by 6 p.m.”
She continued: “When young children learn how to cook, it boosts their confidence as they master a new skill. This newfound confidence extends beyond the kitchen, empowering them to tackle other challenges they may encounter in life. By successfully preparing meals for themselves and their family, children gain a sense of accomplishment and independence, laying a foundation for future success and resilience in the face of adversity.”
According to Loftlin, regardless of whether or not the impacts of home economics training show up on exams, they certainly have real-world impact (something Turgeson also told NPR, saying, “Wait five minutes in FCS, and you'll use this information later this week and later in life”).
“By integrating cooking into preschool education, educators and parents can provide a hands-on approach to learning that not only stimulates the senses but also reinforces academic concepts in a fun and engaging way,” Loftlin said. “This holistic approach to education sets a strong foundation for children's cognitive, social, and emotional development, preparing them for success both inside and outside the kitchen.”
