The future of home science

Sheela Ramakrishnan
Every home is a microcosm of values, beliefs, lifestyles, attitudes that shape people’s lives in different ways. Seen in this context the study of home science has tremendous potential. And the only way forward is to revisit the curriculum in the light of the new world, make home science a compulsory subject and take strong measures to remove gender biases in the basic unit of the home.

The seat of gender equity

Subha Das Mollick
How can gender equality be initiated on the home front? The pandemic and online teaching seems to have helped school teachers in Kolkata who are enthusiastically showing the way. Read on to know more.

Decolonizing home science

Lamia Bagasrawala
This article is a brief glimpse into the history of home science followed by reflections on the dominant discourse around the subject. The origins of home science are important to reflect upon, to better understand the ways in which the field has been constructed. For educators too, it is essential to explore the politics of class, caste and gender that still govern the field of home science.

Giving home science its rightful place

Simran Luthra
There is an urgent need to rescue home science. Why? The trouble with home science is that it has constantly slipped back into being perceived as a subject for women. And that has to change. Given that the home is the real driving force of capitalism and economy, it is even more urgent that the subject becomes mandatory in the school curriculum irrespective of gender.

What’s scientific about the home? Everything!

Shruti Singhal
What is it about home management that seems to ruffle the feathers of most couples? Is it about budgeting expenses, sharing household tasks or not participating at all in ‘home work’? A few individuals express their views in this article.

Sharing household duties is the new normal

Menaka Raman
Books can be a wonderful ally when one needs to have some conversations at home and show children how things can be without having to say it. Books can also sensitize children to be more empathetic, caring towards the other. Children’s books are often reflective of the times they are created in. Here are a few books that talk about gender equality, about a father-daughter relationship and even how parents can lead by example in the home. Teachers can reach out to these books to sensitize their students in schools.

The science of living… in a changing world

Lalitha Sundaram
In a rapidly changing world, schools must take it upon themselves to educate children on the science of living. This would make them self- reliant and equip them with skills that are most needed in everyday living.

Economics of the home and hearth

Saibal Basu
How can an individual’s activity that happens within the domain of a household be considered productive in order to record its value in the overall economic process? This article makes a case to recognize the household as a site of value addition and that ‘production’ and ‘reproduction’ in the economic process are legitimate parts of a dual system theory within a unitary framework.

Observing the observer

Rachana Bhangaokar and Sara Bubber
Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) is a sub category of the home science course at the university level. So what is it exactly about? It is the study of the human life span. Here, in a conversational piece, with J. Krishnamurti as a companion, two teachers explore the possibilities of what it means to express oneself as human at different points in life.

Catching them young

Seetha Anand Vaidyam
The science of managing a home is all about how it benefits all the members of the family and brings maximum well-being to everyone. So where do children come in this scheme of things?This article shares some tips of how children at the kindergarten stage can be engaged in common day-to-day tasks thereby making them independent.