These three incidents, which could be multiplied in kind
indefinitely, are illustrations of the somewhat contradictory but
current opinions regarding the mutual relations of education and
household affairs. It is apparently the common belief, first, that
educated women never marry; second, that if they do marry, their
education is wasted; third, that if such women marry and do not
consider their education wasted in the household, the education
received has at all events given evidence of nothing either useful or
practical.
It is not surprising that the mental agility involved in reaching
these somewhat diverse conclusions finds its parallel in the remedy
usually proposed for alleviating so distressing a condition. If
college women never marry, but find when they do marry that their
education is wasted because they have not learned in college how to
bake bread, then, it is argued, let us have compulsory teaching of
domestic science in the public schools and send our daughters to
private schools.
The beneficial results of the introduction of domestic science into
the public schools would undoubtedly be very great, did any one
understand very clearly what is included under the head of domestic
science, were any one at present prepared to teach it, and were it
quite evident who should study it. At present these difficulties
would seem to militate against the widespread introduction of this
subject into our educational system.
If it is asked what is meant by domestic science, there is a
temptation to make the irrelevant reply that historians, economists,
political scientists, and sociologists are still attempting to
delimit their respective fields, each claiming that its territory
includes that preëmpted by the other three. It is as difficult to
define the domain of domestic science as it is that of sociology.
Does it include the architectural construction of a house? May it
perhaps go back of the construction and include the selection of a
site? Does it even involve the principles in the choice of a suitable
residential city? Is it possible that behind this lies the question
of selecting that state of the Union that is most advantageous?
If the problem is to be worked backwards, it must also be worked
forwards, and it must be decided whether the interior decoration of a
house comes within the jurisdiction of domestic science. Would this
comprise instruction in wood-carving, pyrography, china painting,
and basketry? But it seems reasonable to pass from the house itself
to the activities carried on within it. Should these activities be
separated into different classes, such as those pertaining to the
care of the house, the preparation of food, the making of clothing,
the physical care of children, the instruction of household helpers,
the entertainment of guests, the training of husbands and wives? If
this or any other classification is made, should domestic science
consider one, all, or any combination of these classes?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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