Home
economists were always deeply concerned with homes and the furnishings
and appliances they contained. These physical objects were of interest,
not as ends in themselves, but as means for people to live their lives
in safe, healthful, efficient, and economical ways. From the early days
of the field, as it began taking shape in the late nineteenth century,
home economists were researchers, educators, and activists in efforts
to improve housing. They studied heating systems, ventilation, waste disposal,
water supply, fire prevention, laundry arrangements, and kitchen equipment
in order to determine optimal living conditions for various types of families.
Research often focused on studying the labor-saving devices that became
available during the first half of the twentieth century, such as the
vacuum cleaner and the dishwasher. Educators sought to provide consumers
with information needed to make good choices in renting, buying, and outfitting
their homes. In doing so, they included attention to financial concerns
such as negotiating leases and mortgages. Starting especially with the
advent of New Deal legislation in the 1930s, home economists became involved
with issues of housing policy, as availability of affordable, good-quality
housing was coming increasingly to be seen as a matter of public concern.
- Martin Heggestad, Mann Library
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Albert R. Mann Library. . Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition and History (HEARTH). Ithaca, NY: Albert R. Mann Library, Cornell University. http://hearth.library.cornell.edu (Version January 2005).
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