Why Study Home Economics?

Why Study Home Economics? Centron Corp. / Young America Films 15:10:20 Teenage sisters Janice & Carol sit on couch & chair & discuss choosing courses for next term; Janice suggests Home Ec. - “If I’m going to be a homemaker the rest of my life, I want to know what I’m doing!”. Carol aghast - thinks she’ll learn everything from her mother & talks to Janice in sneering tone - challenges her to find out what’s so good about it. 15:11:39 Janet speaks to Home Ec teacher Miss Jenkins who tells her exactly why it would be a useful course over matching shots of Home Ec lessons & homemaking: food preparation class - students tasting (including one boy), food buying - selecting cut of meat from butcher; food handling - food into refrigerator; family round dinner table - meals “planned to meet individual needs of your family”; nutrition class - CU foods laid out on desk; buying clothes for little girl; clothing course - students learning “the psychology of clothing, the history of costume & techniques of dress designing”; fabric recognition; girl models dress she “constructed” herself; trailer & “dream home”; putting up curtains; furniture design class. 15:14:23 Male students on construction site; VO “Many boys as well as girls are enrolled on Home Economics courses. They too need to learn house designs, decorator colors, & money management”. Finance class. Gardening. “We’re all becoming more aware of the advantages of preparing for marriage”; VO re parenting - mother playing w/ baby; teaching kids about money & social situations - “democratic practices within the home” - women at community meeting - “protect the interests of your family”. 15:15:45 Cut back to Miss Jenkins’ office - Janice asks what’s the point of Home Ec if you don’t get married - “you may go on to college first or maybe even work for a while” - shots of advanced Home Ec class in college & other subjects where skills useful - chemistry, bacteriology, sociology - lecture hall. 15:17:01 Graduation ceremony - students across campus in cap & gowns. VO re uses for qualifications post-college: teaching Home Ec in school, extension class & nursery. Cooking class. Dietician working in food service. Social worker w/ kids. Laboratory technician. Female journalist. Filming cookery program for television w/ female presenter. 15:18:17 Miss Jenkins sums up usefulness of Home Ec training. Janice leaves office - hears Carol’s hectoring voice - “Just wait til I get home & see Carol, what I won’t tell her!” Careers; Sexism; Gender Roles; Feminism; Funny Dialogue; Nuclear Family; Interior Design; Housewives; Peer Pressure; Bullying; 1950s Americana; Hectoring; Sexual Stereotypes - Lesbians;