The Secret History of Home Economics

This was a fantastic read that did much to challenge the traditional interpretation of Home Economics as an inherently conservative field of study.  The feminists presented here forged pathways for women in the working world, a surprising number in STEM fields.  Dreilinger also does an excellent job highlighting the voices of marginalized women, particularly women of color, in her narrative.  This particular focus challenged many of my preconceptions of Home Economics as a white dominated field.  A fascinating history of an underappreciated and often overlooked discipline.  Highly recommended.

Such an interesting book- one that I think contributes a lot to understanding women's roles in the private sphere throughout the 20th century.  The idea of turning domestic work into a science isn't one that I think is ever thought about but makes perfect sense.  

This is written well, also.  There is a good mix of analytical history but also great story telling about individuals who have shaped this science and academic study

I teach at an all-girls school and will definitely incorporate some of this information into my teaching.  It is a great tool to connect to other larger themes in history and to make it more relevant for them.

A fascinating look at the history of  home economics and its role in shaping a growing and changing country.  I was unaware of just what a role furthering domestic skills played in feminism and, often, in keeping families afloat during America’s toughest times.  

By combining history and narrative, Dreilinger illustrated how women used home economics as an entry point to STEM fields, higher education and economic independence.   While time and time again, this history shows flaws in terms of racism, xenophobia and socioeconomic elitism, seeing how the field evolved (or perhaps didn't) with the times was very interesting.

This book carefully evaluates the ways that “women’s work” has saved a nation time and time again while being brutally honest about the not so savory aspects of the field.  A very informative and engaging read.

The Secret History of Home Economics promised to be interesting, but I had no idea how radical this history was, ot how pervasive its impact on society and politics. Danielle Drelinger's history is full of surprises. 

 I was in junior high, girls were required to take a semester of Home Economics classes. In cooking, I learned how to use displacement to accurately measure shortening. In sewing, we used the Bishop method to make an apron and an A-line skirt. 

I admit, I thought that Home Ec was pretty lame and meant for future housewives. And yet...I taught myself to cook from scratch and to sew, how to organic garden and bake bread, and how to follow a pattern and to make quilts. 

It turns out that there was a reason I felt that way. In the 1960s when I had those classes, the concept of home economics had been diminished from it's roots when scientists and feminists founded home economics studies. I was unaware of the impact on society the home economics had during wartime or in promoting social and advancing racial equity. And I certainly did not know that home economics also enforced a middle class, American, white life style on immigrants, people of color, and the rural poor.

As society changed, the use of home economics reflected the times. 

Drelinger introduces us to a series of intelligent women who were barred from male-dominated careers. Their used their skills in science to study nutrition to help the war effort, support government control to enforce pure foods and temperance, and they created the first nutritional guidelines.

They worked with business to promote new electronic appliances and created recipes for food companies. They wrote pamphlets to support food conservation and the remaking of clothes during the war.

On the dark side, some supported Eugenics and immigrants traditional heritage was ignored as they were pressured to assimilate.

Overall, a fascinating and enlightening read.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.