Comments on: are "homemaking" courses at colleges good… or evil?

By: Lost Blogger

Lost Blogger — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:33:44 +0000

The standard student meal for us was always spaghetti bolognese, wish i was better in the kitchen!

By: jen

jen — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:44:12 +0000

In my junior high (Iowa in the late 80s) we all had to take a section of home ec (cooking, sewing, ironing), a section of shop (you could choose wood or metal) and typing. I think that was a really great requirement.

By: Sunshine

Sunshine — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:31:55 +0000

I think it is a great idea! I would have LOVED to have a major like this!!! For those who desire to take this life path, I say go for it!!! We have plenty of colleges which offer all types of classes & majors open to men AND women…. it doesn’t hurt anyone to let ONE college offer a major which caters to it’s student population… DIVERSITY should work BOTH ways!!! live let live I say…

By: shelterrific » Blog Archive » five things we learned last week

shelterrific » Blog Archive » five things we learned last week — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:32:57 +0000

[...] required all students to take one semester of shop and one semester of home ec.” Weigh in on this hot topic here. [...]

By: anm

anm — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 10:41:08 +0000

I see no problem offering courses in homemaking, but I don’t think it should be offered as a degree. I actually think they woulld be good for both genders; shocking as this comes from a “right- wing and religious” woman (what’s up with the labels?). My “ultra conservative” husband is even proud that he took a home ec class in jr high. My high school offered home ec (and shop), and to my mom’s chagrin I didn’t sign up because I was too busy on my AP/ honors classes. Such classes were offered to both genders. I learned how to cook when I left my parents’ home for college. I learned to budget my money earned from a part- time job as an undergrad. My mom also managed to teach me life skills growing up, including hemming. I think I was motivated to learn basic life skills, and my parents set a good example.

By: Meesha

Meesha — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 22:07:53 +0000

I agree with others who say that this type of class ought to be taught to both genders in high school. And I have to say I’m grateful for my public middle school, which (despite being located in Texas and thus heavily populated by Baptists with conservative “family values”) required all students to take one semester of shop and one semester of home ec.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 16:28:26 +0000

Heck, my college has physical ed classes to teach good exercise habits and leadership courses to teach basic interpersonal skills. I think colleges shouldn’t put too much money into such things, but given the way Americans live now, maybe they do need to pick up the slack. Maybe they could be more advanced and cater to student’s curricula so as not to be froo froo. Currently they are offered at my school for management students as a “restaurant” practicum. Chemistry students can also take a food science class that involves cooking. A wine tasting course in the horticulture department that involves studying soil science and plants has become very popular. There are already food related writing, economics, anthropology, and law classes…maybe integrate those with some kitchen demos.

College students currently eat crap…and we are building habits that will persist for a long time.

By: Lee_ahh

Lee_ahh — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:30:16 +0000

In general, I think that most people aren’t being taught life skills by their parents these days. I certainly never learned to cook or sew or do financial planning from my mother growing up. She was too busy working…and actually….so was I. I took a class in high school that taught me financial planning, and although I laughed at it at the time…it was kind of helpful.

I dislike that these home-ec classes are being taught specifically to women, but I like the spirit of the classes overall. It seems that people don’t know how to function as adults these days. Many of my friends (both female and male) are in the same boat not knowing how to handle their finances, cook, or clean their house.

While we’re on the subject, I think we could take it a bit further and require that kids learn life skills such as “how to act in public”, “how to treat others”, “credit card responsibility”, and most importantly….”how to raise children.” It shouldn’t be a college major, but it would be a nice requirement.

By: alisa

alisa — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 22:03:50 +0000

my happiest school moments were in home ec in middle school, art throughout all grades and in yearbook in highschool. I wish I had been smart enough to take shop! Creative people are happiest doing creative things. These are creative classes in the midst of more cerebral courses. Who says a college course can’t be about life skills and creating a more successful family and home? A lot of the women who CHOOSE to attend a bible college leave school with a degree AND a husband who, most likely, is going into the ministry–pastor, missionary, social work, etc… Not big money-making careers. Part of that lifestyle includes hospitality and home/church management that many of the young wives struggle with, socially and financially. Why would you judge them for wanting to be better prepared for the life choices that they have made? Leave them alone with their handmade curtains, their knitting, their balanced checkbook, their well-balanced meals with homemade brownies on the side, their beautifully- decorated-on-a-shoestring homes. Sounds like all the stuff that SHELTERRIFIC promotes, doesn’t it? HMMMMMMMM?

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 19:25:10 +0000

Human Ecology! Yes, that’s what it was called when I was at Maryland. Thanks for reminding me, Tina!