Home Economics (HE) as discipline promotes holistic wellbeing across the lifespan and brings life-skills, literacies and logical reasoning to the various learners who experience it. This triadic approach is needed at all stages of life and in relation to myriad every day and one-off decisions we make to function well in our families, communities and the world.
"Life-skills" is a term used loosely and typically refers to a set of basic skills acquired through learning and/or direct life experience that enable individuals to handle issues commonly encountered in daily life in an effective and responsible manner. Life-skills are often equated to a suite of skills which are also being underscored as essential for employability. These include critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, creativity, the ability to communicate and collaborate, along with personal and social responsibility that contribute to good citizenship.
HE education is centred around achieving a dignified quality of life by managing available resources smartly and fairly. For example, a HE teenage student will often learn about planning menus within certain dietary, monetary or time constraints, seeking nutrient density for monetary cost. An adult participating in a HE community course may be facilitated to audit the energy efficiency of their home care practices and appliances and adopt energy-saving behaviours or explore options for subsidised energy-saving equipment. In both cases, "common sense" is augmented with the right knowledge for effective action.
"Literacy", on the other hand, is much more comprehensive as a term and has a vision beyond individual benefit. Although there is no universal definition, and it is an evolving concept, one can say it refers to three key competencies:
1. Accessing information: The ability to recognise information needs and then find and retrieve information efficiently, through identifying resources, understanding how to use search tools and asking the right questions in-person;
2. Assessing information: The ability to critically evaluate the quality and relevance of information found, through being able to differentiate between credible and non-credible sources, to interpret the meaning of complex texts, to synthesise the gist when multiple sources are used and to recognise which parts of the information can help answers one's questions; and
3. Applying information in different contexts: The ability to use information creatively, effectively and ethically to solve problems at home, work or larger contexts; or create new knowledge through doing research and gathering data to formulate new ideas.
UNESCO defines literacy as a tool for empowerment and meaningful engagement with society - "a means of identification, understanding, interpretation, creation, and communication in an increasingly digital, text-mediated, information-rich and fast-changing world".
In a similar vein, in recent years HE's emancipatory vision has come to the fore once again and this is because HE approaches its educational activities based on a set of inter-related literacies. These literacies help learners to consider various angles of a need, concern or problem, calling on different competencies to address the matter and strive towards a positive outcome. For example, a group of teenage students assigned a scenario to choose between sandwiches at a fast food outlet, would be expected to consider the source, production and nutritive value of ingredients, offers and cost, free accompaniments, packaging, wait time, payment mode, and how to get pertinent information about all these; plus peer influence, trends and cultural norms. The ultimate goal would be to choose an acceptable, tasty, healthy and sustainable sandwich-type snack. The teenagers would inadvertently be applying various knowledge and skills in a true multiple literacy, HE literacy approach.
"Logical reasoning" is fundamental to both life-skills and literacy. At its core, logical reasoning is about spotting problems, breaking down problems, identifying possible solutions and making well-reasoned decisions using rules and evidence in a sensible manner. It involves knowing how to give instructions based on a solid knowledge foundation; whether they are the correct steps for a particular recipe, the procedure for seeking redress on a faulty new kitchen appliance or the process for applying for a house loan. These examples of typical tasks in HE secondary lessons highlight how the practical, hands-on approach, which is integral to the discipline, provokes and strengthens logical reasoning. HE learners of any age are typically challenged to work through case studies, within a set of constraints, and describe how they will access the information about products, services, grants which will help them address a concern and choose the best action for a favourable outcome. Adults may be asked, for example, to discuss the value and feasibility of replacing or redesigning their kitchen as they approach retirement age and all the influencing factors which need to explored before a decision is made and implemented.
HE is a subject with lifelong application. Through strategically-integrating life-skills, literacies and logical reasoning, HE can help pave the way to harmonious living for individuals, families and communities. In 2026, HEiA will once again be running the sustainable lifestyles courses Għaqal id-dar, Ħajja Aħjar in various localities. These courses are available free of charge and build on HE's fundamental triad of competencies to promote improvement in quality of life. Follow HEiA's Facebook page or the Għaqal id-Dar page for announcements.
Home Economists in Action are full members of Malta Health Network www.maltahealthnetwork.org.
Prof. Suzanne Piscopo is the Project leader of Home Economists in Action (HEiA)