Home Economics Story, The (Part I) (1951)
1951 · Ephemeral film · 12 min
- Documentary
Synopsis
This high-school educational film describes the benefits and opportunities available to young women who go to college and major in home economics. The film follows Kay, Helen, Louise, and Jean throughout their college years, as they take a variety of interesting and useful classes and eventually accept job offers in their chosen specialties. Nevertheless, the traditional middle-class ideals of marriage and stay-at-home motherhood are reinforced.
Synopsis from TMDb
Details
- Studio
- Iowa State College
- Released
- 1951-01-01
- Running time
- 12 minutes
- Language
- English
- Collection
- Prelinger Archives
Subjects on the Internet Archive
- Gender roles
- Home economics
- Colleges and universities
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★★★ · The Home Economics Story (Full Film) · Christine Hennig · 2002-11-02
I have a special affection for this film, meant to encourage 40's teenage girls to study home economics at Iowa State College. Since it's for both the girls and their parents, it tries to make college life look like a swell time while reassuring the parents that it will properly train their daughters to assume their proper roles as wives and mothers. There's a large implication that convincing parents to spend money on college for girls will be a tough sell. They don't make 'em like this anymore (thank goodness!). Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *****. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****.…
★★★★★ · Wrong school · geniusmrx · 2022-04-06
This film is from Iowa State College, not Iowa State Teachers' College. The description correctly lists it as Iowa State College, now Iowa State University. ISU is the ag/mechanical school within the Iowa university system. Iowa State Teachers' College is now the University of Northern Iowa, and is no longer specifically a teachers' school. ISU is in Ames (my hometown!), and UNI is in Cedar Falls.
★★★ · MST3K · HamsterGeek · 2003-02-28
The film isn't terribly interesting as an ISU recruiting film. But the dated social stereotypes are amusing. Mystery Science Theater 3000 spoofed this film at some point and it's a riot.