HOME ECONOMICS. This is a phrase now widely used in the United States to describe a subject of study which would in the past have been called "domestic economy." The range of types of the teaching of home economies is wide, as the subject is taught in elementary schools, high schools, vocational schools, private schools for girls, technical schools, colleges, universities and schools or colleges for teacher training. A further type of teaching is offered by the extension service of the U.S. department of agriculture, the home economics staff (women) doing their work through lectures, demonstrations, printed matter and the training of local leaders. This extension work is done chiefly in rural districts, but in some States there is similar work in cities. The vocational work is under the direction of the Federal board of vocational education.
In the institutional field the opportunities are many. Hospitals, sanitoriums, homes for the aged or for children, homes for the handicapped, such as the blind and crippled, employ "dietitians," "dietitian"-housekeepers or housekeepers trained in home eco nomics. Private schools employ "dietitians," housekeepers and matrons so trained. All these positions are usually resident. Tea rooms, cafeterias and restaurants employ many trained women in different capacities and are frequently owned by women. Many social welfare organizations, such as charity organization societies, have home economics departments, and these, as well as some hospitals, employ trained women as "visiting housekeepers." They are employed also in health centres, social settlements and other welfare enterprises.
Training for work as budget consultant is part of home eco nomics, and such specialists are employed by banks, welfare or ganizations and a few department stores. A few are established privately as budget consultants. Women's magazines and some newspapers have home economics workers, often specialists in one or another part of the field.
Those who have done advanced work in physiological chemistry, textile chemistry or some other branch of science with applica tions to home economics, may do laboratory or research work. Manufacturing and distributing firms whose product is food or household equipment employ trained home economics women as an adjunct to the advertising department. This staff plans the educational work of the firm, plans and prepares leaflets and mat ter for advertising pages, and co-operates with the advertising de partment to make sure that all information given to the public is accurate and helpful. Advertising firms sometimes employ a home economics woman for service to their clients, and this may in clude speaking over the radio, which is popular as a means of ad vertising foods and household equipment.
For the work described, professional training is necessary. Some women not so trained are now employed in some of the fields other than teaching, but the necessity for training is recognized more each year, so that it is increasingly difficult for a woman with inadequate or no training to secure and hold such positions.
(I. E. L.)