Careers in Home Economics and Importance of Home Economics

Careers in Home Economics

A career is defined as an occupation undertaken in a person's life for a significant period of time, giving rise to opportunities for progress.

Careers in home economics are grouped into three areas. These are:

1. Food and Nutrition

Careers in food and nutrition include the following:

• Dietetics: Dietetics deals with diet and its effects on health. A dietician is a food and nutrition expert who uses diets (food) in the maintenance of good health, alongside the treatment and prevention of diseases.

• Nutrition: This is the science that deals with the interaction of nutrient and other substances in food for a healthy living. A nutritionist is a person who helps to improve nutritional habits in people. They often work in the health department of schools, football clubs, industries and other organizations.

• Food Services: These are jobs which are related to meal preparation, trasportation of food and selling of food. Personnel involved in food services will often work in hotels, hospitals, schools, airlines industries, restaurants, companies, etc. Please read on microorganisms causing food, water and air borne diseases here.

• Catering: This is a profession which involves cooking and serving of food. A caterer is a person who cooks, and will often work in boarding schools, hospitals, hotels, offices, etc.

• Hotel Management: This is an area of study that deals the operational aspect of hoteliers. A hotelier is a person who runs or owns a hotel. Hotel management is closely related to hospitality management.

• Teaching: This area of study involves training people on the importance of food and nutrition. Please on the aims and objectives of home economics here.

• Research: This profession involves the process of carrying out examination on food, leading to the discovery of the nutritional content of food, alongside its chemical content, and the problems associated with the food content. The people who work on this field are called food researchers.

• Food Technology: A food technologist applies the principles of science and engineering in the development, production, processing, packing and distribution of food.

Please read on the introduction of home economics and areas covered in home economics here.

2. Clothing and Textiles

Careers in clothing and textiles include the following:

• Designing: This study deals with the process of making patterns and creation of new designs on garments.

• Pattern illustration: This area of study involves the development of paper pattem for sale. The people involved in pattern illustration are called pattern illustrators. You can read motivational quotes for students here.

• Dress Making or Tailoring: This is a field that deals with designing, cutting, fitting, repairing and finishing in clothes.

• Dry Cleaning (Laundering): This is a process of washing clothes and textiles using soap and water, while also ironing them after they are dried. A dry cleaner (or launderer) is a person who dry clean clothes.

• Modelling: This deals with the process whereby someone wears newly designed dress styles for the public to see and buy. The people who showcase these designer dresses are called models. You can read interesting facts for students here.

• Fashion Merchandising: This field involves selection, buying and selling of textiles, apparels and other clothing accessories.

• Weaving: This is a method of fabric production where two sets of distinct yarn or thread are interlaced at right angles. The people who weave fabrics are called weavers.

• Fabric Dyeing: This is the process of applying pigments on textile marterials with the aid of achieving colours with desired features.

• Research: This field deals with carrying out intensive investigation on textiles. The researchers find out the malleability, chemical content, texture, and flexibility of various textile marterials.

Please read on the structure, functions and care of the hands in home economics here.

3. Home Management

Careers in home management include:

• Interior Decoration: This is the process of making the internal part of a home more pleasing and functionally useful for the occupants.

• Institutional House Keeping: This is the upkeep and maintenance of cleanliness and orderliness in homes, hotels, lodges, resorts, hostels, etc. You can read on the teeth, its functions and care in home economics.

• Advertising and Promotion: This is the process of marketing and communication in order to create awareness to people. Please read on the concept of marketing in commerce here.

• Child Care and Development: The refers to the sequence of physical changes, alongside changes in language, thought and emotions that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood.

Note: The term "babysitting" refers to the act of taking care of children in absence of their parents.

Please read on the harmful traditional practices in Nigeria here.

Other careers under home management include home making, home extension, journalism, family living, social welfare, etc. Meanwhile, understand that social welfare workers provide help to troubled individuals and families.

Career Requirements In Home Economics

Career requirements are the training needed for jobs, cccupations or professions in home economics. These will require basic education, knowledge and skill acquisition respectively.

Basic education refers to the knowledge to read, write, communicate and calculate. This is necessary for any career.

Knowledge and skill involves a good understanding of the job done by a person.

You can read on pedicure and care of the feet in home economics here.

Importance of Home Economics

• It teaches how to live a healthy life through proper eating habits, e.g balanced diets, and the management of personal and family health.

• It prepares people to effectively and efficiently use the available family resources to satisfy needs. Please read more on scale of preference and opportunity cost here.

• It prepares people for job opportunities.

• It teaches people to be prudent with time and other resources. In this regard, it assists in making sound economic decisions.

• It reduces the incidence of unemployment by opening doors to careers in nutrition, dietetics, fashion design, interior decoration, and so on. You can read on conflict management in organizations here.

• It provides information on family planning.

• It teaches practical skills for daily living; e.g cleaning, cooking, sewing, etc.

• It promotes effective family living, childcare, and an understanding human of behavior.

• It fosters cultural awareness by exploring different traditions through food, clothing, etc.

Please read on home economics week 3 topic for JSS1 here.

Please read home economics scheme of work for JSS1 first term here.