Family and consumer science

Family and consumer sciences, human sciences, human ecology or home economics, is an academic discipline which combines aspects of consumer science, nutrition, cooking, parenting and human development, interior decoration, textiles, family economics, housing, apparel design and resource management as well as other related subjects.

Family and consumer sciences combines social science, including its emphasis on the well-being of families, individuals, and communities, and natural science with its emphasis on nutrition and textile science.

The field as it is today originated from home economics; in the U.S. the discipline developed at Kansas State University in 1882 and spread quickly to other land grant universities after women appealed to have their own niche while the men studied subjects such as agriculture or shop.

For many years it was traditional for school girls in higher grades to study "Home Ec" (primarily cooking and sewing) while boys took "Shop" (carpentry, auto repair, etc.). Students of either gender were strongly discouraged or outright banned from taking each other's subjects. Home Economics is now a recognised subject area in Secondary education and has become a uni-sex subject, meaning that both boys and girls can choose to participate in it.

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the largest American national education association dedicated to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE's core purpose is to provide leadership in developing an educated, prepared, and competitive workforce.

ACTE Affiliates for the Family and Consumer Sciences Education Division:

NATFACS - National Association Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences NATEFACS - National Association Teacher Educators of Family and Consumer Sciences NASAFACS - National Association State Administrators of Family and Consumer Sciences