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yy United States Department of Agriculture
Science and Education Administration
Miscellaneous Publication Number 1401
Highlights of
"A Comprehensive
National Plan for
New Initiatives in
Home Economics
Research, Extension
and Higher Education"
HUM
FAS.
iv. of Florida'
New Initiatives
for Families
American families have the
task, vital to the Nation's well
being, of caring for their
members, promoting individual
growth and development, and
meeting their needs for food,
housing, fuel, and other
requirements essential to
health and safety. Problems
facing families during the
decade of the eighties will be
serious and will affect every
family in the Nation. To handle
these problems, families will
need new information and
skills. The diversity of families
and of their value systems
requires a similar diversity in
both content and delivery of
education to them.
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Congress in 1977 called for
new initiatives in home
economics, human nutrition,
and family living to respond to
these challenges. The research
and education initiatives *^
proposed here in response to £ » "c £ -h* "IJ
management decisions a ™ ® 15 £ Of
family makes early in its life D E Q) c ^
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... to enable the family to "^ £ .— " —
optimize its real income ^ C CO > IT
through home-provided goods q UJ ~ m »2
and services, home-based — 5 ii
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... to assess the benefits and 2 &* 5 (/) Z
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... In Energy and
Environment . . .
Focus
Families making
decisions on
housing, transporta-
tion, and life style
Forecasting and
planning agencies
Agencies developing
resource policies
Families who are
moving or whose
housing require-
ments are changing
Families
Families
Costs and supplies of energy
for household use, potential
water shortages, and disposal
of residues from the
production and consumption
of consumer products will
continue to be issues in the
eighties. Rapid increases in
energy costs are contributing
to inflation nationally,
burdening family budgets, and
creating further hardship for
low-income and elderly
families.
Research and education
are needed
... on replacing household
practices that are inefficient
and wasteful of resources
with safe and healthful
alternatives that conserve
resources.
... on use of environmental
resources by types of families
in their everyday living.
... on implications of
alternative resource manage-
ment policies for the home
environment: the tradeoffs
with family nutrition and
health, home safety and
sanitation, family economic
and social well-being, and
other aspects of family life.
... on housing choices
(structures and location) in
which resources are used
efficiently and family needs
and activities related to
employment, the community,
and sources of essential
goods and services are
considered.
... on managing expenses
resulting from rising energy
prices in a manner that
safeguards family nutrition
and health, safety and
sanitation, and long-term
economic security.
... on coping with emergency
situations caused by energy
or water shortages, or other
interruptions to supply.
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. . . In Food,
Nutrition, and
Health . . .
Focus
Families as
consumers
Schools, food
industry, families
with special
resource-
management needs
Ethnic and cultural
minorities
Families as
consumers
Urban residents
Nutrition affects the health of
every individual from the time
of conception to death.
Health care costs are rapidly
escalating, and the realization
is growing that Americans'
major physical and mental
health problems are chronic
and not able to be quickly and
easily treated. These two
factors are stimulating
families to want to avoid the
high cost of health care by
preventing illness.
Research and education
are needed
... on adaptation of dietary • \ CD
standards and recommenda- -C .^ ■—
tions to family and individual — C 2-
needs and problems, house- 5 2
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. . . In Family
Strengths
and Social
Environment
Focus
Child-care providers,
single parents,
teenage parents
Affected families
Multigenerational
households,
geographically
mobile families,
transient families
Community and rural
development
planners
Family composition and life
cycle significantly influence
how families will handle their
tasks. Families in the eighties
will cope with the cumulative
effects of several decades of
change — as more young
adults postpone marriage, go
to work, and establish
separate households ... as
incidence of child abuse, child
runaways, and children in
trouble continues ... as more
married couples separate,
divorce, or experience death
of the spouse ... as more
adults live alone.
Research and education
are needed
... on parenting skills.
ment outlook), changes in
family structure (divorce,
death of spouse, retirement),
and other critical life events
... on identifying and q O"
managing, as a family, the C S.
problems associated with C
changing social and economic O .2
conditions (inflation, employ- .— ™
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unemployment). O -2
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... on the role of the
community and relatives in
helping families plan for and
adjust to changes through the
life cycle.
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... on the place of ^
communities, institutions, and
to serve families — that is,
more effective needs
assessment, more effective
use of communication
technology, and more
effective program evaluation.
. . . expanded professional
education to train family and
consumer research scientists
and educators.
Detailed proposals have been
developed for work to be done
by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, land-grant
colleges and universities,
cooperative extension
services, and other
cooperating institutions with
programs in the food,
agricultural, and family
sciences.
Background
The Congress, in the National
Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977, called for
new Federal initiatives to
improve and expand research
and extension programs in
home economics, human
nutrition, and family living. In
1979 the Science and
Education Administration of
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture established a
national steering committee,
with representatives from the
land-grant college and
university system, other
institutions, professional
groups, and user organiza-
tions (groups that use
research results and
extension information). The
steering committee, after
reviewing reports,
recommendations, and issues,
identified a few
high-priority initiatives
representing areas needing
significant amounts of
research, extension, and
higher education. The
proposed initiatives were
assessed and accepted by
400 users, professional
persons, and administrators.
This brochure highlights
findings and recom-
mendations of the national
study. A complete report of
this study and a plan for
action will appear as "A
Comprehensive National Plan
for New Initiatives in Home
Economics Research,
Extension, and Higher
Education." Obtain a copy of
Miscellaneous Publication No.
1405 from the Science and
Education Administration, U.S.
Department of Agriculture,
Washington. D.C. 20250.
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
3 1262 08864 8737