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Kiara Boeck

Mrs. Goossens

Senior Seminar

28 February 2018

The Importance of Home Economics

Quilting has been used in nearly every part of the world. The word quilt comes from a

Latin origin called culcita, which means a stuffed sack (Quilting in America). People have been

using quilting long before the European settlers arrived in the United States of America. In fact,

the United States ancestors used these skills to guide themselves to the new world. Without

sewing, people would not have over half the things they have today. This is why it is very

important to teach sewing and quilting in the school system.

Home economics classes which typically included sewing and quilting started around the

1950s. “The women's movement was often critical of home economics, seeing it as a discipline

that worked to restrict girls and women to traditional domestic and maternal roles” (Robertson).

Many women did not take jobs, but worked in their homes. Soon, educators realized home

economics was an important subject to teach because the skills could be carried through life.

Even though this made women stay at home, it “opened up opportunities for women and had a

broad impact on American society” (Robertson). Some people saw home economics as a way for

women to educate “boys and men about domestic skills” (Robertson). It also offered women jobs

as teachers and researchers, therefore classes have not only made an impact on students, but also

on the faculty.

Quilting itself has been “an American Folk art” (Quilting in America). Most women were

busy doing all types of things for their families. Spinning weaving and sewing clothes and
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blankets did not allow much time for an artistic eye. During times that were difficult, with

money, it was hard to be artistic and creative with simple things like blankets and clothes. They

were seen more as a need than a want. Once the commercial blankets came out “women had to

be creative” (Quilting in America). All of these different materials had to keep each women’s

families warm during the harsh winter seasons. While not as necessary today, quilting skills are

still beneficial.

In order to graduate from a Minnesota school, a person is required to have a limit of so

many credits in each subject. The annual credits for each subject in Minnesota include: “four

languages, three math, three sciences, three and a half social studies, one in the arts, and seven

elective credits” (Minnesota Department of Education ). This calculation will vary depending on

the school a person is attending. People can go over the required limit, but they have to have at

least that many credits in one subject. For example, say the requirement; math is three math

credits, a person can take over three credits if they want. This means they can take four years of

math instead of three, but a person is required to take three years at least or else they will not

graduate. Home economics is not a required credit to take. It is only an option between electives.

This means if people want to take it, they can, otherwise, they do not have to.

Home economics is the learning of cooking, nutrition, clothing, and household

management taught as a class at school. Home economics has moved beyond sewing and baking.

There are many beneficial aspects to taking home economic courses. These classes teach “skills

that are necessary to turn today’s students into responsible adults” (The Quilt World and the

Academic World ). Teachers that teach this subject “educate their students about finical

responsibility, healthy cooking, household management, and more” (The Quilt World and the
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Academic World ). Having a few of these skills can help people make better choices for

themselves and their future.

Not only do these courses help with life skills, but they also help with other courses in

school. Students can apply writing, reading, history, math, and science to home economics (The

Quilt World and the Academic World). For example, math would be applied to different

measuring cups. Adding cups to teaspoons is a big difference. In baking it is essential to get the

right measurements otherwise the final product will not turn out right. It is very important to

check that all the measurement is right. Adding and subtracting can also be applied to

measurements of material for making a quilt. If a person does not add the sides together right,

they will either be short material or have too much material.

Other subjects can easily be applied to this course. Reading can be applied to reading

directions, material, measurements and more. For quilting it is very important to read and

understand the steps to make a quilt. In order to make a quilt, a person has to follow the

directions step by step, otherwise, if a person misses a step the quilt will not be right. That is why

reading the instructions can make it easier for people to go through a step by step process.

Being able to write down the right measurements is also a key component in quilt

making. Just like math, people can end up having too much material or not enough if it is not

written down. One other thing that is built into a home economics course is vocabulary.

Vocabulary helps people understand different words and their meanings. Learning new terms

will widen a student’s vocabulary and make them more educated as a person.

A home economics course creates a better knowledge foundation for students. It allows

them to know more and keep retaining knowledge for future situations. They would not be able

to learn the basics of sewing, quilting, baking, and child development. Students will be able to
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apply all of these aspects to their homes and their lives. Without home economics, many students

would struggle to know the basic household needs for them and their future families.

There are more benefits than disadvantages in taking a home economics course. One

disadvantage of a home economic course is it can take away from technology. Many things today

are updated into the twentieth century. However, not all of the home economics courses are high

in technology. With that being said, there is still lots of technology that is used, whether it is with

kitchen appliances or a sewing machine.

In most schools, home economics is an elective class. As technology keeps getting better

it is hard for schools to keep up with expensive cooking equipment. Since it is only an elective

class, schools do not see it as a primary option to keep updating the equipment if only so many

students select that elective. Back in the 1950s material was “cheap and easy to buy”

(Thiemann). Now days material for quilting and sewing has become more expensive. This has

put home economics at a disadvantage because the prices keep rising.

Home economics should be a required course in school. There are many benefits that

home economics can have on someone’s life. This can be through teaching life skills such as

quilting or in sewing. Learning to sew can create help with many things around the house. For

example, when a button falls off a brand-new shirt, most people would throw that new thirty-

dollar shirt away. Sewing can provide an easy fix with a needle and thread. In home economics

class, it would be taught how to sew different material together. It would also show the different

types of sewing a person could use. If a button fell off, it can easily be fixed because of the home

economics course that a person took in high school. This could save a person a lot of money and

time.
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There are health benefits associated with quilting and sewing. Quilting is “a form of

group work and health promotion that may foster resilience towards stressful transitions” (The

Quilt World and the Academic World ). Being in a quilting group allows people to socialize and

get out into the world. Sharon was able to “teach the ladies at church” (Thiemann). This allowed

her to get out into her local community and socialize with other people. Sewing and quilting

have been proven to relieve stress and proved a sense of “entertainment” (Thiemann). These

benefits are good for a person’s health and can easily be accomplished.

There are many things people can make with a needle, material, and thread. People can

make blankets, quilts, personal designs, and more. Quilting allows people to express what they

like and show off their own personality. It allows them to leave a part of themselves within

everything they make. These steps can teach life skills just like sewing can. It can teach people

how to personalize their belongings by putting initials on clothes or other things they do not want

to lose.

Quilting and sewing can teach many life lessons. It gives people a sense of worth because

they are able to help others. Some people make quilts “as gifts, for themselves, or for the

missions” (Thiemann). People are able to lend a hand to help those who are in need. Even though

quilting seems like the same thing over and over again it is not. Even though Sharon is seventy-

three years old she told me “I’m still learning new things every day, whether it is from the ladies

at the church or myself” (Thiemann), “It never gets old because there are many different

patterns, materials, and shapes to work with” (Thiemann). All of the different material can be

arranged into different places, patterns, and shapes. There are many different fabrics and thread

to choose from. Each one can have multiple combinations that can be arranged in many ways.

There is an endless possibility to work with.

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Another life lesson that can be seen through quilting is making mistakes. In life people

make mistakes. “As long as people go back and fix their mistakes, it will not even look like it

happened” (Thiemann). Through sewing and quilting there are many life lessons that can be

taught. It is important to see those mistakes and realize there is a way to fix them. Since these life

lessons can help a person it can leave an impression on themselves and others.

Home economics should be a required class because of all the benefits it has to offer.

Home economics can leave a lasting impression on people. It leaves them with further

knowledge to better their homes, themselves, and others. For some people it gives them

“entertainment, joy, and a lifetime of satisfaction” (Thiemann). These benefits better a person's

math, reading, writing, and vocabulary skills. Home economics also allows people to help others

and themselves. It can teach life lessons in various of ways and leave an impression on

everything a person does.

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Work Cited

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Taylor & Francis Online . 27 September 2011. 21 February 2018.

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Mann, Albert. Mann Library Hearth Cornell University. January 2005. 22 Febuary 2018.

<http://hearth.library.cornell.edu/h/hearth/about.html >.

Minnesota Department of Education . 2017. 22 Feburary 2018.

<http://education.state.mn.us/MDE/fam/grad/>.

Quilting in America. n.d. 21 February 2018. <https://www.quilting-in-america.com/History-of-

Quilts.html>.

Robertson, Kirsty. The Handbook Of Textile Culture . Ed. Diana Wood Conroy, Hazel Clark

Janis Jefferies. Bloomsbury , 2015.

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"The Quilt World and the Academic World ." The Quilt Journal 3.2 (1994): 1-16 .

Thiemann, Sharon. Interview. Kiara Boeck. 25 February 2018.