Get college credit for loading the dishwasher (but only if you're a girl)

by Susan Wagner (Subscribe to Susan Wagner's posts) Aug 24th 2007 1:28PM

Categories: Just For Moms, Money & Work, In The News, Education

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, is offering a B.A. degree in humanities with a concentration in homemaking. The course, which will include two years each of classical Greek and classical Latin, as well as courses in fashion design and budgeting, will be open only to women.

Evangelical Christians believe that the decline of the traditional family--a Dad who works, a Mom who cooks, and kids who behave--is the direct cause of many of America's social woes. Giving women the tools to be good homemakers, they argue, is a step in the right direction. The president of Southwestern Baptist argues that, "It is the basic unit to all social order ... It is a course of study whereby a woman can prepare herself intellectually and in her basic skills to be a better homemaker."

Hmmm.

I don't really know how I feel about this, honestly. On the one hand, I could totally use a class in How To Clean The Bathroom (seriously, the mold in the grout? is there some trick for getting that out?) and I could probably stand a couple of cooking classes. And yes, it would appear that Americans in general might need a refresher course on budgeting and responsible use of credit. But I'm uncomfortable with the idea that only women need to know these things. Don't men participate in the family economy? Is the rise in the divorce rate really the result of Daddy cooking dinner once in a while?

What do you think--are homemaking courses a step back in time? Or are there some valuable skills out there that we are losing? Should homemaking courses (and the material taught in them) be limited to women?

And how do I get the mold out of that grout?

Comments (170)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)

Caelligh 8-24-2007 @ 1:47PM

The seminary president Paige Patterson also said women shouldn't be pastors and they should "graciously submit" to their husbands.

This is absolutely a "step back in time." This degree has nothing to do with helping families manage their lives and everything to do with enforcing old-fashioned gender roles. Not that cooking and making a budget aren't important skills, but unless you're studying to be a chef or an accountant, these classes don't belong in college.

My guess is that these folks would just as soon women not attend college at all, but if they're going to go, they might as well treat it as a place to meet their husbands and prepare to graciously submit to them in the meantime.

Amanda 8-24-2007 @ 1:57PM

First of all...the comment about rising divorce rates because of daddy cooking dinner once in a while? that one could be true, my darling hubby and I both work full time, he gets home 30min before me and I'll be damned if he doesn't get pissed at me if he cooks dinner more than 2x's in a month (ooh if you could only see the steam coming out of my ears now)
Secondly...I agree with the last paragraph in Calleigh's statement and
Lastly... don some thick dish gloves, get a bucket of hot water and some bleach and an old toothbrush (or your husband's if he had to cook dinner that night) and put some elbow grease on that moldy grout! that's the only thing that has ever worked for me. and you gotta stay on top of that pesky stuff. get you a spray bottle and put 1/2 and 1/2 water and bleach and spray it as soon as you start to notice the funk
:)

Neural Chick 8-24-2007 @ 1:59PM

Hmmmm... interesting. Doesn't sound like anyone's being forced to take it so I don't have a problem with it really except it should definitely be open to male students, as well.

Amanda 8-24-2007 @ 1:59PM

on the grout that is...not your husband, there is a different spray bottle for that funk...its called mace
ha ha ha ha ha

http://prettybabies.blogspot.com 8-24-2007 @ 2:12PM

I second the toothbrush and bleach idea. You can get a gel bleach, for laundry, that's thicker and might stay on better, but bleach is bleach.

My mom won the Betty Crocker Future Homemaker Award (I am not making this up) in high school, and after raising us 3 kids, largely on her own, she went on to start her own wedding consulting business, which became a bridal shop, which became a ballroom with an attached bridal shop - where you can literally plan everything for your wedding but the dresses in one place, which became a ballroom/shop/and now they've just built a chapel on an adjacent lot so they can do non-denominational weddings, too - bring your own preacher (although my uncle is a JOP and will do the service for you, too).

She owns two houses in town, two empty lots (residential) behind their business, the building where the receptions and shop are, the chapel, and a condo in Florida. She's a regular tycoon. The chapel was over $1M to build, and the ballroom/shop was probably $1.5M.

Those homemaker skills are nothing to sneeze at.

The thing that offends me is that the classes are NOT open to men. But giving those classes in general, I see nothing wrong with "homemaking" as a major.

Diane 8-24-2007 @ 2:41PM

Homemaking as a college major is nothing new. I know someone who graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Home Economics from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. She got this degree in the early 1990's. The problem at Southwestern Baptist, as most people have stated, is the fact that it is only open to women. That is sexist and discriminatory.

Nicole 8-24-2007 @ 3:00PM

"Evangelical Christians believe that the decline of the traditional family--a Dad who works, a Mom who cooks, and kids who behave--is the direct cause of many of America's social woes. Giving women the tools to be good homemakers, they argue, is a step in the right direction."

Please change to SOME Evangelical Christians. There are those of us who are women, who are entering the pastorate, and who think that SWBTS offering this only to women is inane and antiquated.

Kelsey 8-24-2007 @ 3:39PM

If this was open to men and women, I would support it. "Homemaking" should be a required class so that everyone will know how to do laundry, cook edible food, clean, manage a budget and the basics of childrearing (diapers, childproofing, what NOT to give a baby.) No matter who you are, one of these skills is bound to come in handy sometime.

My dad was the one who taught me how to bake and grill. His grandmother taught and gave him all the family recipes we use to this day. Mom taught me how to do housework her way. (She hated clutter, which my dad created so he wasn't the ideal housekeeper.) My parents did not follow their sterotypical gender roles but insted figured out which household duties best fit them. That is how families should be structed not around what your gender is.

caitlin 8-24-2007 @ 4:34PM

I am kind of wondering if the lack of "homemaker" skills is more of a class divide issue. I think I'm the only in my group who keeps a grocery spreadsheet, clips coupons, and watches the circulars (and deal rss feeds) for bargains. A few of my friends had no clue what a grocery circular was. Considering that the average age of marriage is now mid twentyish, I would think young men would also benefit from "homemaker" skills.

I grew up poor, and we only had one car. Both of my parents worked. Everyone in the family was responsible for taking care of things around the house. I've been cooking for my family since I was 8. My mom taught me how to budget, use a grocery notebook to spot trends, and how to tell if a coupon was a good deal when I was about 10 or so. When you're poor, thriftiness is a virtue, but it's something to be made fun of once you hit middle class.

I find that we still expect SAHMs to completely devote themselves to their homes and give up their right to want something for themselves if it doesn't involve the home. I've been looking at going back to school, and with being able to meet most of my general education requirements online, and only need to be in a classroom more than 3 hours a week once my son hits kindergarten. But even though I've waited until my son would already be in school, I've been called selfish for -wanting- it.

Since the degree is only for women, I think it would encourage more SAHMs being treated as selfish for needing something outside of the home.

smdryad 8-24-2007 @ 4:44PM

Come on over to my website and you can learn how to clean the bathroom, including that grout, LOL. And it's nontoxic to boot! http://www.squidoo.com/safecleaning

Kelsey 8-24-2007 @ 4:51PM

Caitlin-
I would call you selfless for waiting until your son enters school. It is wonderful that you are persusing your education. Good Luck!

Kelsey 8-24-2007 @ 4:52PM

*perusing your education.

SKL 8-24-2007 @ 5:43PM

I don't really care if they have a homemaking college course. They could open it to men but I doubt many would take it anyway - though wasn't that Forrest Gump's major?

I have to put in a plug for home ec for everyone. I live with two women whose parents never made them do any housework. As the oldest daughter in a family of six, I developed plenty of practical skills at home and also was forced to take "home ec" for 9 weeks in the 8th grade (the boys were, too). Today, nobody I live with has a clue about anything. Obvious things like how to hold a broom or that you can't run the dishwasher with a fork handle blocking the movement of the spinning water shooter thingy. The finer points of changing a light bulb. The ability to recognize the difference between clutter and decoration. Forethought vs. boobytrapping the high-traffic areas with shoes in the dark. Again, forethought vs. announcing to the resident "maid" that you have invited a bunch of people over to your pigsty and they will be arriving in an hour.

Please people, I don't care if you want your daughters / sons to be doctors, engineers, lawyers, whatever. You can still teach them how to be domestic. Do yourself and them a favor and teach all your kids domestic skills.

Nancy Toby 8-24-2007 @ 7:05PM

You mean a lot of grout lines between individual tiles are stained? That's tough.

But if you mean the sealant around the tub or sink is mildew-stained, the best way is to just cut it out and replace it.

And these evangelicals are whacked.

Mitch 8-25-2007 @ 4:35PM

Has anyone considered the Pastor might be right? I see no comments even considering the idea before it is ridiculed.

When all the moms go to work, who is left to supervise the kids? When both parents work, who runs the house?

When work it more important to you then your kids.... well the saying goes "You reap what you sow"

...and we are seeing the results everyday on the news.....

Amy 8-25-2007 @ 12:39AM

I took 2 courses in high school I use to this day: Home Ec and Typing. What more should a person need? I know how to cook, clean, raise kids and type to support my family if I were forced to go back to work. I am very happy as a SAHM. It was my choice. Kids are my job. When they move out on their own, I'll consider teaching. I will continue to cook, clean and be Suzy Homemaker - and teach my girls AND my son how to take care of themselves and their own homes.

Jessica 8-25-2007 @ 10:55PM

Welcome to the real world, Mitch. Sometimes both parents have to work. Who runs the household? Hmmm, let's make a guess?....Most likely the Mom.....after getting home from work, that is.

Sara 8-28-2007 @ 12:20PM

I'm an evangelical Christian, and even I think that men being barred from this very useful class is absolute hooey.

Angie 8-28-2007 @ 8:03PM

Maybe they should have How to be a responsible father or How to raise a family on one income classes for the men!!

AJ 9-03-2007 @ 2:14PM

Tilex for the mold. Seriously this stuff is amazing. Open your bathroom window, spray it on, leave the bathroom and close the door, and leave it to sit for as long as you can stand it (I let it sit all day if I can). It's awesome I promise.

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