11 Discipliary Identity

11.2 Home Economics Roots

Edwards, C.H., Brabble, E.W., Cole, O.J., & Westney, O.E. (Eds.). (1991). Human ecology; Interactions of man with his environments. Dubuque, IA: Kenadall/Hunt. ISBN 0-8403-6651-5, 332 pages, $39.95.

Reviewed by M. Suzanne Sontag, Michigan State University

The publication of Human Ecology: Interactions of Man with his Environments, written by members of the former School of Human Ecology at Howard University, must seem bittersweet to the editors and contributors. In the same year of the book's publication, the School of Human Ecology was disbanded at the direction of the President of the university. The faculty's efforts to communicate the core of the philosophy, concepts, and principles of human ecology as taught at Howard are embodied in this work. They leave significant contribution to extant human ecology curricula. Its utility to other programs may depend upon the degree to match between the concepts published in this volume with those taught at other institutions. It may provide valuable direction for programs that are still in process of developing a perspective.
Human ecology was written for use as a textbook for undergraduate students enrolled in core courses in human ecology, home economics, or related areas. Source materials were lectures delivered in a core course (Introduction to Human Ecology) taught at Howard, position papers written by faculty, and papers developed by guest writers. The book contains twenty-two chapters organized in five parts: 1) Origins and Growth of Human Ecology as an Academic Discipline; 2) Concepts Germane to Human Ecology; 3) Quality of Life: The Concept and the Realities; 4) Human Ecology and Quality of Life; and 5) Man Interacting with His Environments. An Appendix contains a glossary of terms, authors of books and papers of special concern to human ecologists, and a description of selected human ecology organizations.
The philosophy of human ecology as presented in this text focuses on the development and actualization of human potential through interaction with micro- and macro-environments. A fully-functioning individual, capable of effectively managing one's life and life situations and contributing to society, is a desired outcome. Attention is given to quality of life and sustainable environments as additional desirable outcomes. Of particular interest are comparative quality of life data presented for black minority families and white families as a function of their economic, educational, health, social, physical, and political environments. Such information should sensitize students to the diversity of various family situations in the United States and provide a context for understanding the status and concerns of minorities.
Given the above focus, it is not surprising that human needs are a major focal concept employed in this book. Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs, clothing (in an early chapter) is conceptualized as a basic human physiological need, along with food and shelter. I have always found this interpretation of Maslow's hierarchy somewhat restrictive, since evidence exists that clothing meets higher order needs for safety, belongingness, and self-esteem. In fact, a later chapter devoted to "Man's Relationship to the Microenvironment" which focuses on clothing recognizes the importance of clothing for protection, group affiliation, identity, and status. If Maslow's hierarchy is defensible, it may be much more productive to view clothing as a need-satisfier than as a need in and of itself (Pederson, 1989). Thus, clothing could function to meet several needs sequentially or simultaneously.
Because of the broad scope of this book, the coverage of clothing content is limited to an overview of selected topics such as reasons for wearing clothes, theories about the spread of dress in society, dress as nonverbal communication, clothing and institutions, and design. While some mention was made in one chapter about the influence of the availability and conservation of natural resources in the macroenvironment on the microenvironments in which humans live, there is little to be found in the major chapter on clothing that links clothing practices with issues related to the quality of the biosphere. Admittedly, some attention is given to disposable diapers and hospital products as contributing to the solid waste problem. But ecological issues relating clothing and textiles production and consumption practices to air and water quality, natural resource depletion, biological diversity, and occupational safety and health are not discussed. There is opportunity for teaching students that individual actions with respect to clothing and textiles, taken in the aggregate, have an impact on the quality of the environment in which they live. And this in turn will have a direct impact on the quality of their lives.
A final comment concerns the use of "Man" in the title of the book and throughout its contents. At a time when policies related to nonsexist language have been widely adopted by most publication style manuals and journals, it is disconcerting and disappointing to see the retention of the "generic" noun on a textbook whose topic is human ecology. I could find no explanation or justification from the editors for its use. I can only plead for greater sensitivity in the future.

Pedersen, E.L. (1989). Clothing: A basic human need? Home Economics Forum, 3(2), 18-19.