Back to the Basics

Your roommate might be a brilliant kid halfway to a degree in electrical engineering, but they might have no clue how to boil a potato. According to a 2011 study by MarketWatch, 28 percent of American adults don’t know how to cook. Home economics, and in particular a curriculum section dedicated to food education, is a vital skill for Americans. According to Smithsonian Magazine writer Jesse Rhodes, home economics has gradually “attained the reputation of a relic.” However, in a world where young people are forced to grow up quickly and make their own way in the world, home economics is more relevant than ever.

Home economics has been ignored for several reasons. While older generations often had the opportunity to learn home skills from a mother or grandmother who did not work, the majority of Americans now have two working parents who are unable to teach them. Home skills are also not considered to be as important as they were several decades ago, according to a New York Times article by Trish Hall. Rather than being a required aspect of a public school curriculum, home economics has been relegated to the status of an elective. Students are often only able to learn how to sew, cook, or do their taxes if they teach themselves.

Food education is particularly important in today’s society. The prevalence of fast food, chemical additives, overly sugary food and beverages, and highly processed foods means that homecooked, nutritious meals are a rarity. Learning to choose healthy foods and cook delicious meals creates a healthier population. A home economics class provides a safe way for students to learn about sanitation, nutrition, and cooking.

Katherine Going is a senior at MSU majoring in sustainable foods and bioenergy systems with a focus on food systems. She is also the program administrator for the Livingston Food Resource Center. She manages the senior meal program and runs a Kids Cooking Camp each summer. The free camp teaches kids nutrition, basic cooking skills, and confidence in the kitchen - all skills that they can bring home to their families. In Katherine’s words, “culinary education and nutrition education improve the overall health of individuals.”

However, there’s more to home economics than food education. Home economics classes also include lessons on budgeting and economics. They teach students how to do their taxes, create and follow a budget, and manage household finances - all vital skills for any adult. Home economics classes could also be expanded to include elements of a traditional shop class, teaching students basic mechanical and handyman skills.

Finally, home economics classes cover important social topics. They teach students how to navigate family relationships, friendships, and romantic connections. They also discuss maintaining a healthy work-life balance, which many fully-fledged adults would do well to develop.

The ideal way to learn about many of these topics would be from an adult in your family, but many students don’t have the opportunity to do that. Whether it’s due to a broken home or simply two working parents, students are left out in the cold when it comes to learning basic home skills. Instituting a required home economics class for high schoolers would be a perfect way to teach young adults life skills.