Adapted from the work of Dr. Laura Tryssenaar
University of Western Ontario
In the beginning Family Studies was called Domestic Science and was for young girls. Looking back from the twenty-first century we need to put into context the world at the beginning of the twentieth century.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, men and women operated in two different spheres. Men’s domain was the world of work, and women’s domain was the home. As our society moved into the industrialized era, women began, more frequently, to move out of the home and into the workplace. Their work still involved the care of people and homes as many women worked as domestics.
The Role of Adelaide Hoodless
Adelaide Hunter Hoodless, one of Canada’s most creative social reformers at the turn of the century, was a primary participant in the establishment of the Women’s Institutes, the National Council of Women of Canada, the National Council of the YWCA, the Macdonald Institute in Ontario, Macdonald College in Quebec, and the Victorian Order of Nurses.
At the annual meeting of a farmer’s organization in 1893, she startled those in attendance by stating forcefully that the health of their wives and children “which you are neglecting, is far more important than that of your animals”. She spoke with the conviction born of a tragic personal experience. One of her children, an infant son, had died in 1889 after drinking infected milk. This tragic event motivated her for the rest of her life. She endeavored, by various means, to assist women throughout Canada to provide more intelligent care for their children, their families, and themselves.
At the end of the nineteenth century, as a result of Hoodless’ efforts, courses in Domestic Science for girls and manual training for boys were added to the Ontario school curriculum. Ontario’s Minister of Education, the Hon. G.W. Ross, asked her to travel across the province to inform the public about domestic science and to write a book on the subject. She thus became one of the first women on the province’s payroll. Her book, Public School Domestic Science, was published in 1898.
Her crowning achievement was founding the Women’s Institutes. On February 19, 1897, she spoke to a meeting of farmer’s wives in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Out of that meeting came the first Women’s Institute. The inaugural meeting was held shortly afterward at the residence of Mrs. E.D. Smith in Winona, Ontario. Adelaide Hoodless was eager to initiate resources for the development of the abilities, confidence and prospects of women living in rural communities. Her aim was to establish and develop what might be described as a rural university for women and, within ten years, more than 500 Institutes had been organized across Canada.
Through the efforts of Mrs. Hoodless, her associates, and supporters such as Senator E.D. Smith, the institutes became widely influential: increased attention was paid to child welfare and women’s interests; medical care and child dental care were more frequently provided; recreational and additional library services were established; services for helping immigrants to preserve their own cultures and customs were improved.
In 1903, through a grant secured by Mrs. Hoodless from tobacco magnate Sir William Macdonald of Montreal, the Macdonald Institute was established at the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph (and later, Macdonald College in Quebec) to train Canadian women in the teaching of domestic science. (retrieved 11/09/2006 http://collections.ic.gc.ca/hierloom_series/volume4/250-251.htm
Adelaide Hoodless achieved success in her endeavors for a variety of reasons: the end of the millennium helped to stimulate “forward thinking”; educational reforms of the day embraced the educational ideals espoused by John Dewey Hoodless; Hoodless had a great deal of influence over Education Minister G.W. Ross; she was a notable speaker who raised awareness as well funds.
Adelaide Hoodless died in 1909 while she was giving a public address in Toronto.
There were also changes in society that contributed to the promotion of Domestic Science. Hygiene and sanitation had become key issues in the Victorian era. The growing independence of women meant they were employed in factories, shops, offices, etc. and thus had less time for domestic concerns. Domestic Science “would prepare women for their all important role at the centre of the home” (Stamp, 1982, p 59).
The Role of James L. Hughes
In the mid 1890’s, J.L. Hughes, a school inspector and a reformer, was advocating for Manual Training as a school subject. In an era when 95% of students left school after grade 8, he saw it as a means of providing the cultural value of connecting school and home. Manual Training was introduced into the Ontario curriculum two years after Domestic Science. They became parallel, independent programs.
Once Domestic Science was introduced into Ontario schools, it became necessary to train teachers to teach it. Adelaide Hoodless convinced James Macdonald to fund the Macdonald Institute in Guelph. The Normal Course in Domestic Science, offered training until the University of Toronto began offering a BHSc degree.
Lillian Massey-Treble
Concerned by the inner-city living conditions in Toronto at the turn of the century, Lillian Massey-Treble organized classes for young girls in the basement of the Fred Victor Mission, which was established by her father. Her classes were very successful and subsequently she opened the Lillian Massey School of Household Science and Art. This would be the place that teachers of Domestic Science would be trained. It was taken over by the University of Toronto, which soon offered a four-year degree, Bachelor of Household Science.
It is interesting to note that even though Adelaide Hoodless and Lillian Massey were both passionate about improving the lives of women and families through education, they did not work together but maintained parallel paths.
The School of Household Science was housed in the building on the southeast corner of Bloor St. and Avenue Rd. in Toronto. It is now the home of upscale retail shops. The building of the school was funded through the efforts of Lillian Massey-Treble. The professors at the school were among the first female professors at the University of Toronto.
Associate professor, Clara Benson, taught in the Faculty of Household Science and was one of the University of Toronto’s first women professors. Benson researched in the field of food science and her research record was sufficiently strong to earn her a listing in American Men of Science.
History of home economics trends and the need for change
The need for change began in the American Home Economics Association conference in Lake Placid New York at the turn of the century. In the late 1800’s, Normal schools were established to train teachers of domestic science. In 1906, the University of Toronto granted both degrees and issued diplomas. In 1930, as a result of the Great Depression, the emphasis was on survival skills. At this time the “vitamin theory” and synthetic fabrics were being developed and incorporated into society. Between 1940 and 1950, the physical and biological principles of food, shelter and clothing were included in domestic science, along with management and economics. This became an introduction to the behavioural sciences.
Between 1920 and 1950 the vocational training era supported the inclusion of Home Economics at the secondary level as a means to train women for their vocation in the home. In the early
1960’s, home sewing and meal planning based on nutrition, economy and middle class standards were established. During the 1960’s and 1970’s emphasis was on the family in society, behavioural aspects of basic needs, along with physiological and technical aspects. It was during this time that values clarification and decision making were introduced into the curriculum.
Between 1937 and 1972 in Ontario, the subject known as Home Economics was structured around science, economics and art with an underlying ideal of perfection. The standards of home economics could be achieved by following the precise “how to” kind of instruction that dominated the field.
During the 1960’s, the social fabric of home and family changed dramatically with a growing number of homemakers participating in the paid workforce. Divorce rates were on the rise and more children were being raised by single parents and reconstituted families. During this time the roles of men and women in families and society were changing. Home Economics began to focus on the changing family in response to these social trends.
In 1972 in Ontario, not only did the curriculum change but the name changed from Home Economics to Family Studies. Courses became co-educational and were organized around themes developed cooperatively with students. Family as an environment, quality of family relationships, building family relationships and decision making as it relates to family relationships were examined in all courses.
During the 1980’s many changes occurred to the Family Studies curriculum. The document Family Studies: Intermediate and Senior Divisions and OAC, 1987 was released. There were no prerequisites for any Family Studies courses except for the OAC course. It included a Grade 7 program, Families, and a Grade 8, Family Environments. Each of the Grade 9 to 12 courses could be offered at the advanced, general or basic level.
The courses that were offered were: Grade 9 or 10, Food; Grade 9 or 10, Clothing; Grade 11 or 12, Parenting; Grade 11 or 12, Housing; OAC, Families in Canadian Society. This document also suggested recommended methodology for delivering these courses. This included independent study, individualized learning, small group instruction, co-operative planning, inquiry method, experiential learning, interdisciplinary materials, learning activity packages and discussion as a forum for learning.
The Family Studies curriculum of the late 1980s and 1990s opened the door to teaching about some of the deepest concerns of society. Physical, social, and cultural factors affecting all aspects of family well-being were addressed. Topics of consequence for teachers and students included; eating disorders, body image, physical and interpersonal safety, child abuse and neglect, parental disharmony, power issues in relationships, sexuality, dating violence and teen pregnancy, marital violence, cohabitation, custody, remarriage, aging, and death.
A mere ten years later, the conservative government under Mike Harris, brought in sweeping educational reforms in the guise of the “common sense revolution” (Gidney, 1999). In response to their pledge for a more rigorous and relevant curriculum, and to support the reduction of secondary schooling from five years to four, the entire K – 12 school curriculum was rewritten, published and implemented with unprecedented haste (Majhanovich, 2002).
At the secondary level, Family Studies is now clearly situated as a social science. In fact, it dominates the Social Sciences and Humanities document (Ontario Ministry of Education 1999b, 2000b) comprising 13 of the 19 courses in that subject discipline. In spite of achieving such a strong identity in secondary education, Family Studies remains optional. At this time Grade 7 and 8 Family Studies programs were for the most part discontinued as there were no specific expectations included in the elementary document. Rather they were spread throughout the curriculum and formal programs became optional.
On June 6, 2013 after several years in redevelopment, the Ministry of Education released a revised Social Sciences and Humanities document for Grade 9 to 12. This document includes 19 Family Studies courses organized under the following titles: Overview, Fashion and Housing, Food and Nutrition, General Family Studies, and Raising and Caring for Children.
The history of Family Studies indicates that it originated from a progressive movement that saw the importance of educating young women. It embodied many of the educational ideals of John Dewey and has aligned itself with science, art, social science and technology over the years in order to gain status and recognition. Family Studies has responded to and been shaped by changes in society. It continues to address some of the deepest concerns of our society. It provides students with a deeper understanding of what it means to live their everyday lives while addressing social justice, equity and diversity.
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