MEANING AND SCOPE OF HOME SCIENCE

MEANING AND SCOPE OF HOME SCIENCEAccording to the layman, Home Science is a subject about household chores meant to be studied by girls only. Actually Home Science is a well developed discipline of study. It does not limit itself to the mastery of home related skills of cooking, laundry, decoration, stitching etc. Being fairly broad based, a closer look will reveal that it prepares the students not just for taking care of their homes and family, but also prepare them for a large variety of careers and vocations both in wage employment and self employment. Home Science is an interdisciplinary field of knowledge with focus on Food & Nutrition, Fabric & Apparel Designing, Human Development, Resource Management and Communication & Extension. A study of home science opens up a large numbers of employment opportunities and avenues both by the way of wage employment.

Wage employment means that one works for another person or organization and receive wages or salary for services.

Self employment means that the individual is the owner of the enterprise. Lets us now take a look at the various job opportunities available under each of the vocational areas related to home science.

• Teaching: In almost all schools, Home Science and Home Science related activities are taught for which teachers with educational background of home Science are required, Home Science teachers are required in schools and degree colleges. Besides this Home Science education background also required for polytechnics, Industrial Training Institutes, Institutes, Institutes, Institutes of hotel Management and Catering etc. Training centers of anganwadi workers and other community workers also require teachers from field of Home Science. To run hobby classes or teach small groups in all vocational areas of home Science.
• Preschools and Creches: Women participating in income generation activity outside the home has led to the need of child care outside the family. Children usually require care by adults till they are are 12 year of age and should not be left alone at home with the basic knowledge of Child Development, the Home Science graduates can run childhood care units like day-care centre, creches, nursery school and after school centres.There are a large no of jobs in his area.

Wage Employment Anganwadi worker/Supervisor

• Balwadi worker/Manager
• Nursery or Preschool Teacher
• Nursery school supervisor or principal

Self- Employment Creches or day care centre

• Nursery Schools or pre Schools

• Catering: Catering could be provided to fulfill needs of the society. Service could be extended for parties arranged at home. The trained professionals can also undertake catering services for people who are working in factories, offices and do not have time or arrangement to cook meals, particularly unit day meals.

Wage Employment Cook

• Waiter/ Waitress
• Manager

Self- Employment Canteen

• Cafeteria
• Restaurant
• Tea Shop
• Contact Catering Services
• Mobile Catering Service
• Food Preservation: Preservation of vegetables and fruits in the form of pickles, jams jellies, marmalades etc. could be undertaken. It is a one of the major areas for employment and it offers the following jobs:

Wage Employment Production Supervisor/Manager

• Production Assistant
• Quality Control Assistant
• Instructor of the community Canning centre
• Incharge of the community Canning Centre
• Laboratory assistant in the community Canning centre

Self- Employment Production unit of processed foods

• Hobby Classes
• Bakery and Confectionery: The Home Science students can set up confectionery, Ice-cream Parlours and Bakery. They can use innovation skills to develop new product with high nutritive value. It offers following jobs:

Wage Employment Worker in a bakery

• Supervisor in a bakery

Self- Employment Owner of a bakery

• Hobby Classes
• Social Work: Home Science students study a subject Extension Education which creates new oppurnity of employment in social work and community programme. They can be social workers, research assistant. They also work with any institute which are working for women, child, old people, youth, drug addicts and alcoholics welfare.
• Interior Decoration: Home Science students also study a subject Resource Management which undertakes the study of managing the home economically and effectively. Its also cover the interior decoration. Its gives a training to students about it. It offers following jobs.

Wage Employment Interior Designer

• Furniture Designer
• Furniture maker

Self- Employment Interior Designer

• Furniture Designer
• Furniture maker
• Textile Designing: Textile Designing implies weaving, dyeing, printing etc of textiles. Wage employment can be carried out by a person in his own factory/ shop/ production unit or he may be employed by someone. Organizing hobby classes in tie and die, batik, fabric painting etc is an avenue of self-employment.
• Garment Designing and Making: It is also broad area of Home Science for employment opportunities. It offers following jobs:

Wage Employment Manager

• Production Assistant
• Pattern maker
• Cutter
• Supervisor
• Dress designer

Self- Employment Tailor

• Dress Designer
• Finisher
• Boutique owner
• Garment decorator
• Hobby Classes

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-Ms. Gauri Pandey, Aligarh.
M. Sc. (Home Science doing P. hd.)
Research Scholler, AMU