Why Study Home Economics? (1955)

This fine film attempts to cloak fifties "happy homemaker" stereotyping in the mantle of science. It opens as Janice and Carol, two sisters, try to decide which classes they want to attend next semester. Janice remarks that she wants to take some courses in Home Ec, to which Carol is aghast. "Home Economics?" she scoffs. "Why in the world do you want to take Home Economics?" Janice is not easily dissuaded, and replies "Why? Because that's something I'm gonna need to KNOW. If I'm gonna be a homemaker the rest of my life, I want to know what I'm doing!"
To confirm her point of view, Janice visits "Miss Jenkins," her Home Ec teacher, who explains that Home Economics isn't just baking and sewing; it teaches "the fundamental principals of food buying" and "the psychology of clothing." "Present-day textiles cannot be judged with confidence just by casual examination," Miss Jenkins cautions, as we see shots of girls peering through microscopes and stretching cloth swatches on a mechanical rack. If Janice decides not to get married ("at least, not right away" Miss Jenkins chuckles) she can apply her Home Ec training to college courses such as chemistry and bacteriology, or so this film insists.
"Home economics training teaches ways of developing democratic practices within the home," Miss Jenkins adds, patriotically, but she doesn't have to say any more to convince Janice. "Anyone who's going to be married and a homemaker would be foolish NOT to take Home Economics!"

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• gender
• roles
• home
• economics

[UmbreonRomReviews]

cyriak was here

;)

[TwosComplement]

Thumbs up if cyriak brought you here.

[FunUsernamesAreGone]

Sorry, I'm still not going to take Home Economics. Instead I'm going to take AP Macroeconomics. I know, what a waste of time.

[nomadcowatbk]

@jenisacutiepie

like other centron shorts, this was filmed in lawrence kansas, home of the beakers

[thebradybunchlover]

You know? My High School doesn't even HAVE a Home Ec course! I REALLY wanted to take that course! I wish schools were still like this today! Nice and organized.

[candistyx]

@widdlepuddyfat Some of our parents had to work (ok, not my mum but in her defence she was probably an undiagnosed mentally ill person).

[sladikk]

Back in the wonderful times before Cyriak came to rape the world.

[Technos72]

@UmbreonRomReviews EXACTLY

[959chris]

its no wonder society was so repressed, teaching implies one way for all these things- these things being most of the aspects of daily life

[TheChannelofRassilon]

This video makes me proud to be a Family and Consumer Sciences major :)