Blast off in to Family & Consumer Sciences
Family and consumer sciences are at the base of not only FCCLA, but also many organizations in our society. Without family & consumer sciences (FCS), we would not have many careers or ways of living. Family and consumer sciences focus on families and work, as well as interpersonal communications. They teach individuals and families how to make decisions to identify and create alternative solutions to face everyday challenges and take responsibility for their own actions. The field represents many disciplines including consumer science, nutrition, parenting, family economics and resource management, human development, interior design, textiles, apparel design, and other related subjects.
-
Much like FCCLA’s eight purposes, family and consumer sciences education has nine purposes. They are:
-
Strengthen the well-being of individuals and families across the life span
-
Become responsible citizens and leaders for family, community, and work settings
-
Promote optimal nutrition and wellness across the life span
-
Manage resources to meet the material needs of individuals and families
-
Balance personal, home, family, and work lives
-
Use critical and creative thinking skills to address problems in diverse family, community, and work environments
-
Foster successful life management, employment, and career development
-
Function as providers and consumers of goods and services for families
-
Appreciate human worth and accept responsibility for one's actions and success in family and work life
One of the first people to master the economics of running a home was Catherine Beecher. Catherine and her sister, Hariet Beecher Stowe, both were leaders in the mid- 1800s with an interest in domestic science. They came from a very religious family that valued education, especially for women. The Morrill Act of 1862 pushed domestic science even further ahead. As men learned agricultural techniques, women were learning how to run their households. Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan were early leaders in offering programs for women.
Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later became the first female instructor, started the home economics movement. She became an expert in water quality and later focused on scientific methods of domestic situations. In 1893, she designed the Rumford Kitchen, which was a tiny kitchen that served nutritious meals to thousands of fair goers, and offered nutritional facts and education.
As you can see, family and consumer sciences have been around for many years. The skills have been used in organizations, such as FCCLA, and have improved the way we live today. Without Catherine Beecher or Ellen Swallow Richards, we would not be where we are today. So, as you are sitting through an FCCLA conference or even a health class, just remember how hard those women worked to get domestic living where it is today.