STIRRING THE POT: TOWARDS A CRITICAL SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE PEDAGOGY OF HOME ECONOMICS A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Education In the Department of Educational Foundations University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By JOCELYN M. DUPUIS © Copyright Jocelyn M. Dupuis, June, 2020. All rights reserved. PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis/dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis/dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis/dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis/dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis/dissertation. DISCLAIMER Reference in this thesis/dissertation to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the University of Saskatchewan. The views and opinions of the author expressed herein do not state or reflect those of the University of Saskatchewan, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Requests for permission to copy or to make other uses of materials in this thesis/dissertation in whole or part should be addressed to: Department of Educational Foundations College of Education University of Saskatchewan 28 Campus Drive, Room 3104 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0X1 Canada OR Dean College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies University of Saskatchewan 116 Thorvaldson Building, 110 Science Place Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5C9 Canada i ABSTRACT Home economics seeks to improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Having evolved to meet the changing needs of society, home economics internationally and nationally has shifted to address issues of sustainability. The extent to which this is true of Saskatchewan home economists is questionable. Climate change is the most pressing issue facing the citizens of today because human industrial processes are threatening the extinction of civilization, most species, and the planet itself (Bush & Lemmen, 2019; Foster, 2010; International Governmental Panel on Climate Change, 2019; United Nations, 2019; World Health Organization, 2016, and 2019). Environmental threats become issues of social justice when climate risks threaten the well-being of members of society: particularly the most vulnerable. Home economics can contribute to improving the well-being of individuals, families, and communities by developing students as engaged citizens who can critically analyse the status quo and bring about positive change through social and political action. Using historical analysis through a critical feminist lens, a theoretical framework for a critical social and ecological pedagogy of home economics is established. Building on Smith’s (2017a) home economics pedagogical braid model, the work of Kumashiro’s (2015) anti-oppressive education, Westheimer’s (2015) citizenship education, and eco-justice models from Bowers (2002), and Edmundson and Martusewicz (2013), I illuminate one such pathway to help home economics education reach its full potential to improve the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. A critical social and ecological pedagogy of home economics requires provincial curricula renewal that includes the participation of home economics specialists grounded in current home economics research. Higher order thinking outcomes based on Bloom’s ii Taxonomy (Bloom, Englehart, Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, 1956) are needed in updated provincial curricula. This research recommends that careful thought must be given to ensure critical social and ecological pedagogies of home economics are employed to revitalize the home economics certificate program at the University of Saskatchewan. The voices of home economists should be heard in places where decisions are made about home economics and must be advocated for by provincial home economics professional associations to ensure the continued legacy of home economics in the province. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to acknowledge the vital guidance and contributions of my supervisor Dr. Dianne Miller in the process of developing this thesis. Dianne’s support, encouragement, knowledge, and experience are gifts that she freely shared with me. Her gentle approach made the vulnerable process of editing easier. I am forever grateful for the relationship we have cultivated. Many thanks to Dr. Paul Orlowski for his early consultations around the direction my research should take. I am appreciative to Paul and Dr. Lynn Lemisko who provided invaluable feedback and recommendations as members of my thesis committee. Thank you to my external examiner, Dr. Kerry Renwick, who provided important insights of this work from a home economics perspective. Thank you to Dr. Shaun Murphy for his work as the Graduate Chair overseeing my proposal meeting, and as the chair of my defense. I would also like to acknowledge the resources and support provided by the University of Saskatchewan. Special thanks to my family who stepped up to pick up the slack: This was a team effort and your contributions made it possible. Thank you to my partner, Nathan, for doing your share (and then some) and never making me feel guilty about it. I am grateful to my big son, Tyson for being a terrific big brother; and to my little son, Alton, for making me laugh. Finally, thank you to Ron, Diane, and Cheryl for spending extra time with their grandchildren, allowing me to work. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PERMISSION TO USE ................................................................................................................. i DISCLAIMER................................................................................................................................ i ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1 NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT .......................................................................................... 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 Home Economics: Where are we now? ............................................................................... 3 My Learning Journey ........................................................................................................... 8 A Call for Renewal ................................................................................................................ 9 Another Step in My Learning Journey ............................................................................. 11 Aligning to the Broader Discipline: Missing the Mark ................................................... 15 The Fragmentation of Home Economics: What is Lost? ................................................ 18 Outline .................................................................................................................................. 23 CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS 29 Theoretical Framework: A Critical Feminist Lens ......................................................... 30 Methodological Considerations: Feminist Historical Analysis ....................................... 31 Historical Context ............................................................................................................... 41 Interpretation ...................................................................................................................... 43 Contemporary Analysis ...................................................................................................... 46 Contemporary Context ....................................................................................................... 49 Interpretation ...................................................................................................................... 51 CHAPTER 3 THE EMERGENCE OF HOME ECONOMICS IN NORTH AMERICA ...................... 53 Freeze Frame ....................................................................................................................... 53 The Nomenclature Debate .................................................................................................