Home sweet home’ – yes we all have a home a where we live with our family and enjoy the feeling of belongingness. Our family consists of father, mother, brother (s), sister (s) and at times other relatives who live under a common roof to form a household. In a household the woman – a wife or mother plays the major role of homemaking by managing the household activities. But the perception of homemaking has gradually changed. Today, the man and the woman jointly share the responsibilities of home and family. It is for this reason that both men and women should have knowledge regarding family well being and make attempts to improve the living standard of the family. In this context the subject of Home Science caters to the needs of both boys and girls.

This lesson brings to you the meaning, aim, importance and scope of Home Science and the job avenues that it can open before you.

OBJECTIVES

After seen this video you will be able to:

• define the term home, family and Home Science;
• explain the meaning, aim, importance and misconceptions about Home Science as a subject;
• discuss the various areas of Home Science in terms of skill development;
• list various vocational opportunities for wage and self-employment.

Home, family and home science Nios Chapter 1st ( Part- 1st)

MEANING OF HOME SCIENCE

Home Science consists of two words, that is, ‘Home’ and ‘Science’. The word ‘home’ refers to the place of residence where the family lives. The word science refers to knowledge based on facts, principles and laws. By combining these two words the meaning of Home Science can be derived as ‘application of scientific knowledge in a systematic manner towards improving the quality of home and family life’.

Let us see how Home Science serves as the art and science of living. In Home Science you will learn about nutrients, food groups, balanced meals, etc., that will improve your scientific knowledge. When you use this knowledge for preparing nutritious food then it is science but when you serve the food in an attractive manner then it is art. Similarly, when you learn about textiles, fibre, fabric, etc, along with their properties and care, that will be called science but when you design and stitch garments and do embroidery to beautify the garment then it is an art. You will use this combination of science and art in many spheres of daily living.

AIM OF HOME SCIENCE

• Career: A chosen profession or occupation for self-advancement
• Vocation: A regular occupation for which an individual is particularly suited or qualified
• Wage employment: Earning salary or wages by working for someone or some organization
• Self-employment: Income earning activity by being owner of the activity
• Entrepreneurship: Small scale innovatrie business to earn a profit.

IMPORTANCE OF HOME SCIENCE

Home Science gives knowledge for facing new challenges, to cope with knowledge explosion, technological advancements, new developments and growing needs of individuals for successful living in society. Home Science is one such subject that trains you to face with confidence, the challenge of changing times for attaining satisfaction and harmonious living.

MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING HOME SCIENCE

For a lay person Home Science seems to mean cooking, stitching and decorating the home. But in reality Home Science is much more than these. It is a subject that teaches you the science and art of performing homemaking tasks and attending to household chores. At the same time it also prepares you for various vocations.  

Despite the significance of the subject there are many misconceptions. There is a need to eliminate these. Let us consider the facts related to misconceptions.

Fact: We can not deny the fact that food, shelter and clothing are the basic needs of daily life. Home Science includes these aspects with an emphasis on building scientific knowledge. For example, we do not eat food just to satisfy our hunger but we eat food to meet the nutritional requirements of our body that contribute to promoting growth and development, provide energy for doing various activities and for regulating various body functions. This we learn in one of the areas of Home Science. The aspect of cooking that is taught under the subject of Home Science deals with principles and methods of cooking for preventing loss of nutrients and adding variety, balance and nourishment in the diet. So the fact is that though Home Science teaches cooking, it is based on the science and art of cooking

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AREAS OF HOME SCIENCE

Home Science is a composite subject that deals with daily life situations. Accordingly, it consists of those areas that are related to our life. Home Science has five different areas but at school level only four areas are taught. Each area of Home Science along with its sub-components that you will be studying, is listed as under:

JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN HOME SCIENCE

In section 1.2, you have already learnt about the terms that are used in a job market. Before we study about different job opportunities, let us try to understand the terms that are related to job opportunities. You will be called an entrepreneur when you undertake income earning project as a small scale business. After studying Home Science at school level you will find many opportunities to be a wage earner or selfemployed or an entrepreneur.