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(: i i" #7“ . 4-.) 3 if?“ ”I“; This is to certify that the ~' 0‘ thesis entitled S$INW$€OLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK FOR , "ECONOMICS/HUMAN ECOLOGY: THE LINKAGE OF ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND ORGANISM AS FAMILY presented by , '} «I I ~ ABSTRACT AN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK FOR HOME ECONOMICS/HUMAN ECOLOGY: THE LINKAGE OF ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND ORGANISM AS FAMILY by Eleanore Lund Vaines Home Economics/Human Ecology from its formal beginnings at the Lake Placid Conferences has evolved conceptual frameworks to cflarify the central focus of the discipline (Lake Placid Conferences (wiHome Economics, l899-l909). To date some of these conceptual schemes have beenimplied and some have been abductivein nature (New Directions, 1959; Brown, 1967b and 1970; Quilling, 1970; $flflater, 1970; Lake Placid Conferences on Home Economics, 1973). Quflling has noted that Home Economics/Human Ecology in the seventies have reached an evolutionary point where they must consolidate know- ledge and theory for the sake of’clarity and " . . . reveal concrete (firectional tendencies and needs for the time, chart a c0urse of action that is grounded in realism, based on logic and founded upon Prtfielples that can serve as practical guides" (Quilling, 1970, P. 258). The objectives of this study were as follows: 1) Through a review of historical documents about the field, to define the evolu- tion of the central focus of the discipline of Home Economics/HUman 1 Eleanore Lund Vaines Ecology. 2) To define the need for making the central focus more explicit and precise as well as one of the contemporary issues facing the field. . 3) To clarify some of the changes that are presently taking place in Home Economics/Human Ecology in higher education. 4) Given a synthesis of the literature from objectives one through three which trace over time the development of the central focus of the discipline, to integrate this with a scientific revolution to :wopose the next stage in the evolution as an explicit deductive nmcro-map, referred to in this study as the Ecological Systems lfiamework (ESP). 5) To identify some reactions to the proposed ESF from the population of administrators of units of higher education oflkme Economics/Human Ecology. 6) And to clarify how the ESF can be used as a tool. The overall design of the study was planned as a means of fulfilling the objectives. The strategy was as follows: 1. To establish the need for this study two general sources of information were investigated. A review of some his- torical documents about the field was conducted. And from a limited sample of documents gathered from administrative units of Home Economics/Human Ecology in higher education, a content analysis was done to determine some of the organi- zational and name changes which are taking place. 2. These materials were synthesized along with information about a scientific revolution: General Systems Theory 2 Eleanore Lund Vaines applied to the Ecological Systems Approach. The proposed Ecological Systems Framework and a series of related propositions, were derived from all of these sources. The ESF is a deductive comprehension, therefore, of the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. 3. A survey of all the administrators of units identified as Home Economics/Human Ecology was conducted to ascertain some reactions to the proposed ESF. The population reviewed a thirteen page Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet and responded to a three page structured opinion- naire. 4. As a result of the data, refinements were made in the ESF and guidelines to use the ESF as a tool were developed. The ESF as proposed is an open system and an organizational representation of Level I of the intellectual hierarchy. It is a development that has the potential to be used as a tool to guide the growth of the dimensions of Level II of the intellectual hierarchy identified as a system of the field's philOSOphy, research, theory, curriculum and practice (Brown, 1967b; Blackburn, 1973). The ultimate goal is to define the organic whole of the central focus of the discipline in more precise and explicit ways which includes the qualitative and quantitative aspects. Eleanore Lund Vaines The major findings of the study were as follows: --The profession of Home Economics/Human Ecology is changing. --There is a need to make the central focus of the discipline more precise and explicit. --There is a need to move the comprehension of the central focus from abductive statements to deductive and then to inductive scholarly activities. --The Ecological Systems Framework is proposed as one feasible abstracted deductive conceptual framework that rETTects the central focus of the discipline. It has the potential to be used as a tool to guide the profession to systematically develop its scholarly base. --There is a need to clarify the operational and theoretical definitions that the applied science of Home Economics/Human Ecology uses to describe its central focus. --The reaction of the approximately 44% or l28 members of the p0pulation of administrators of units of Home Economics/Human Ecology in higher education who responded to the EcologiCal Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet's structured Opinion- naire ranged from 22% to 40% agreement on the sixteen state- ments. Agreement implied that the ESF reflects to some degree the central focus of the discipline and the ESF has potential to be a useful tool. Implications drawn from this study suggest that the value of the applied science of Home Economics/Human Ecology as a helping profession depends to a degree on the development of the central focus of the discipline as eXplicit statements and models on which the field is organized. Because the field is changing, there is an urgency to.consolidate the related internal and external components of the system into an organic whole and to identify these concerns as ongoing priorities to which the profession needs to invest human and material resources. If the central focus of the discipline is systematically develOped the following outcomes can be predicted: 4 Eleanore Lund Vaines l) The central focus of the discipline can be deductively and inductively explored and defined in precise qualitative and quantitative terms. 2) The theoretical and operational symbol language of the pro- fession can be defined and used more consistently. 3) The organic whole of Home Economics/Human Ecology can be congruently implemented. 4) The consensus of the profession's social system can be systematically tapped. 5) And as a result, the total resource bank of the profession can be better directed towards the growth and maturation of, all of the facets of this applied science. Home Economics/Human Ecology over time has demonstrated its' commitment to serving the individual and family in the near environ- ment. The practical strengths of the profession which were again clarified by this study, makes the urgency of attending to the development of the discipline's scholarly base a commitment to which the field needs to attend to assure a continued strong and growing future. AN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK FOR HOME ECONOMICS/HUMAN ECOLOGY: THE LINKAGE OF ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND ORGANISM AS FAMILY By Eleanore Lund Vaines A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Family Ecology 1974 Q Copyright by Eleanore Lund Vaines 1974 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am grateful to a number of peOple for the help that each has given to me throughout the course of this study. Without their' cooperation and aid this research would have been impossible to undertake and complete. To Dr. Norma Bobbitt, Assistant Dean, College of Human Ecology, inspirational teacher, visionary leader and chairman of my doctoral committee. Her counsel, loyal support and invaluable insights throughout all the phases of this study are gratefully acknowledged. Sincere appreciation is extended to each of the members Of my guidance committee: To Dr. Jane Oyer, Department of Family and Child Sciences, for her quiet, always constructive direction from the beginning when this research was taking form. To Dr. Beatrice Paolucci, Department of Family Ecology, for her rare and broad perspective of the profession and for the energy she has devoted to the development of this study. To Everett M. Rogers, School of Journalism, University of Michigan, for seeing me through to the end and whose enthusiastic and efficient feedback have been a constant source of inspiration. 1°11 To Dr. Jean D. Schlater, Department of Family Ecology, for her incisive insights and guidance, especially with regards to some specifics of the research design, at each step in this study. To Dr; Bernice D. Borgman, Department of Family and Child Sciences, who contributed to this study with her skills and talents before her retirement. To Jeannette Lee, Dean Emeritus, and the Jeanette Lee Dissertatidn Fellowship Committee who have contributed financial support toward my doctoral studies. To some seminal sources from which the initial ideas of this study inspired the pursuit of this research: Joan Quilling's study- and Dr. Beatrice Paolucci's course, Family Ecology 835, "The Family as an Ecosystem." Sincere appreciation is extended as well to others who have helped me with ordering my life to attain the many goals related to this research. To Dr. Melvin Lee, Director Of the School of Home Economics, University of British Columbia, who has taught me many important lessons about what it means to be a professional both directly and through example. His facilitating support throughout my graduate work has eased the way. Finally, a personal note of special thanks is due my colleagues, friends and family without whose understanding, abiding assistance and moral support, this project would never have reached fruition. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ......................... xi LIST OF FIGURES ....................... ‘ . . xiii LIST OF APPENDICES ....................... xiv GLOSSARY OF TERMS ........................ xv CHAPTER I. THE PROBLEM ....................... l The Background of the Study ............... l The Significance of the Problem ............. 3 The Basic Assumptions of the Study ............ 6 The Primary Objectives of the Study' ........... 7 The Overall Design of the Study‘ ............. 8 Limitations of the Study ................. 11 II. THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF HOME ECONOMICS/HUMAN ECOLOGY: AN HISTORICAL REVIEW ........... ' ....... 17 Introduction ....................... 17 The Evolution of the Central Focus of theDiscipline of Home Economics/Human Ecology ............ 18 The Roots of the Central Focus ............ l8 The Focus Takes-Form: The Ten Lake Placid Conferences (1899-1909) .............. 21 The First Conference--1899 ............ 22 The Second Conference--l900 ........... 22 V TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter III. Content Analysis: The Third Conference-~l90l ........... The Fourth Conference-~1902 . ......... The Fifth Conference--l903 ........... The Sixth Conference-~1904 ........... The Seventh Conference--l905 .......... The Eighth Conference--l906 .......... The Ninth Conference--l907 ........... The Tenth Conference--l909. . . ........ Summary of the Ten Lake Placid Conferences ..... The Syllabus of Home Economics-~1913 ........ The Central Focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology as Reflected in Publications from 1955-1973 ..... . .............. Studies on the Teaching of Home Economics in Colleges and Universities--l955-l956 . "Reviewing Our Orbit"--September 1958 . . . . I New Directions--l959. . ............ Home Economics in Land-Grant Colleges and Universities--l959 .............. "Higher Education in Home Economics: An Appraisal and a Challenge"--l960 ...... Home Economics Seminar--July, 1961 ....... Liberal Education and Home Economics--1963. . . "A New Look at Home Economics"--1964. . . . . . Focus--l966 . . . . .............. The Changing Missidn of Home Economics--1968. . "National Goals and Guidelines for Research in Home Economics"--1970. . . ...... The Eleventh Lake Placid Conference--l973. How Do the Historical Documents of HomeEconomics/Human Ecology Define the Central Focus of the Discipline? ..... . ......... THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE DISCIPLINE: A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE .................. The Content Analysis .................. The Findings ...................... vi The Method and Analysis ....... 49 53 54 55 59 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Inferential Pattern One: Frameworks or Models are Being Used .............. Inferential Pattern Two:‘ The Language Used to Describe Change is Used in Unique Ways for Each Institution ................. Inferential Pattern Three: The Use of Lan- guage Reflects a Naivete’About How Know- ledge is Generated ............... . Inferential Pattern Four: The Reasons are Usually Given for Changing or Not Changing the Administrative Unit ............. Reasons for Changing .............. Reasons for Not Changing ............ Conclusions ............ . ......... IV. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORKz. AN EVOLUTIONARY STAGE IN THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE DISCIPLINE .................... Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Integration of a Related Scientific Revolution in the Evolution of the Central Focus of the Field ........................ Explanations ................... General Systems Theory (GST). ............ The Ecological Systems Approach (ESA) ....... Systems Structures ................... A System.“ ..................... Subsystems or Components .............. Suprasystem .................... Boundary. .. .................... Environment. . . . ............... Levels of Analysis ................. Emergents or Synergy of Multidimensional Human Systems ..................... System Processes .................... vii Page 60 61 61 53 63 64 65 67 67 72 73 78. 79 79 80 81 82 84 84 86 87 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter The Living System ................. Morphogenesis--Morphostasis: Feedback Systems. . . Functibn: The Purposes or Consequences of the System's Process. ................ History ........................ Conceptual, Concrete and Abstracted Systems: Varieties of Systems ................. Defining the System Variety ............ The Logical and the Empirical of an Abstracted System: Two Developmental Processes ....... A Framework as a Means of Presenting the Ecological Systems Framework .................. How Frameworks are Used . . . ........... The Advantages of Using Frameworks ......... The Disadvantages of Using a Framework. . . . . .-. Summary ............. . ........ The Ecological Systems Framework ............ What the ESF Is . . ............. The Evolution of the Ecological Systems Framework for Home Economics/Human Ecology ......... Stage I: The Linear Framework ...... . . . Stage II: The Process Framework. . . . Stage III: The Ecological Systems Framework. The Characteristics of the Ecologiéal Systems Framework .................... The Structure of the ESF is Mapped ....... The Process of the ESF is Defined ....... The History of the ESF ............ The Abstract Arrangement of the ESF ...... Summary ............. . .......... Propositions: Statements for Consideration ...... viii Page 87 91 94 95 96 96 98 101 103 104 105 106 106 106 108 109 110 111 112 114 117 118 118 119 .121 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Pr0position 1.00: The Whol Proposition 2.00: The Stru Proposition 3.00: The Process of the ESF ..... Proposition 4.00: The Histor of the ESF, (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 284 ........... Proposition 5.00: The Component Concepts of the Abstracted System Referre Systems Framework ................ Proposition 6.00: The Qual the ESF ..................... Pr0position 7.00: The Quan the ESF ..................... Proposition 8.00: The Interaction of the Quanti- tative and Qualitative as V. THE REACTION OF A SELECT POPULATION TO THE VI. ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK ............. e ESF as a System. . . . cture of the ESF . . . . d to as the Ecological itative Aspects of. titative Aspects of Implied in the ESF. . . The Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet:> The Method ................. Analysis of the Data .................. The Findings ...................... What are the Overall Ratings Given the Sixteen Statements on the Opinion Are There Regional Differen to Objective 1 and 2? .............. naire? . . ....... ces in the Responses Is There a Relationship Between the Ratings Given on the Opinionnaire and the Geographical Region of the Respondent?. Are the Responses Influence Are the Respondents Consistent? .......... Conclusions ...................... THE USES OF THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK. ..... Introduction .......... Images1 and Perceptions:2 ix d by the Respondents?. The Senses at Work . . . The Organizational Context of the ESF ....... Page 123 126 127 129 130 134 137 139 141 141 144 145 145 151 153 154 173 179 181 181 183 188 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter -Page Level I of the Intellectual Hierarchy: The ESF as an Overarching Framework for Home Economics/Human Ecology ........ . . . . . 191 Level II of the Intellectual Hierarchy:~ Th Specific Dimensions of a Profession ....... 192< Common Features of Levels I and II. . . . ..... 195 A General Guide for Using the Ecological Systems Framework ...................... 196 Premises and An Orientation for Using the ESF . . . 196 Procedural Rules: Using the ESF as a Guide . . . . 198 Some Results that Might be Expected from Using the ESF . . . . ....... . ...... 200 Some Examples of How the ESF Can be Used ........ 202 Sims (1971) .................... 203 An Example of a Theoretical Application ...... 204 VII. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........ 208 Summary ........................ 208‘ Conclusions‘ ........ . ............. 209 Recommendations .................... 211 APPENDIX A .......................... 217 APPENDIX B ....................... l . . 227 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................... 308 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Some Related Events in the Evolution of the Central Focus of the Discipline of Home Economics/Human Ecology Over Time ................... 12 2. Opinionnaire Distributed and Returned .......... 143 3. ‘Reasons for Not Completing the Opinionnaire ....... 144 4. Responses to Statements that the ESF Reflects the Central Focus of the Profession, ............ 150 5. Responses to Statements that the ESF Can Be Used In Practice ...................... 151 6. SurVey of Regions: The States Included and the' Number of Respondents ................. 152 7. Opinionnaire Responses by Region ............ 152 8. Region of Respondents Answering SA/A to All the Statements ...................... 153 9. Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 6 Related to Question 1 ...................... 156 10. Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 2 Related to Question 3 ...................... 157 11. Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 5 and Question 4 ...................... 158 12. Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 7 and QuestiOn 4 ...................... 159 13. Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 10 and Question 5 ...................... 160 14. Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 2 and Question 6 ...................... 162 xi LIST OF TABLES (Continued) Table 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 6 and Question 6 ...................... Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 6 and Question 7 ...................... Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 10 and Question 8 ...................... Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 1 and Question 10 ...................... Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 8 and Question 12 ...... . ............... Bivariate Frequency Table for Statement 12 and Question 12. . . . . ....... . ......... Number of Respondents Giving the Same (SA, A) Response to the Statements 1, 2, and 16 and Statements 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13. . . . . . . . . Number of Respondents Giving the Same (SA, A) Response to the Statements 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 and Statements 10, 11, and 13 ............... Number of Respondents Giving the Same (SA, A) Response to the Statements 7, 10, 13, 14, and 15 and Statements 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12. . ....... Number of Respondents Giving the Same (SA, A) Response to the Statements 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, and 13 and Statements 1, 2, 12, and 16 .......... From the Linear to An Ecological Focus ......... xii Page 163 164 165 168 169 171 174 175 177 178 187 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Controlled Explanation: The Abductive, Deductive, and Inductive .................... l4 2. Dimensions of an Applied Scientific Profession ..... 69 3. One Life-style of the Family as an Ecosystem Illustrated as an Input-output System . . ...... 83 4. The Linear Framework .................. 109 5. The Process Framework ................. 109 6. The Ecological Systems Framework ............ 111 7. Level II of the Intellectual Hierarchy ......... 193 xiii LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix Page A THE CONTENT ANALYSIS Letter to the Sample (October 16, 1972) ........ 217 Content Analysis: List of Items Received ....... 219 B THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK OPINIONNAIRE PACKET Letter to the Population (September 20, 1973) ..... 227 Reminder Postcards to the Population ......... 228 The Ecological Systems Framework: Opinionnaire Packet ....................... 229 Gross Categories for Regional Comparisons ....... 246 Master List of States. . . . . . . .......... 248 Survey Population ................... 250 Code Book (December 14, 1973) ............. 275 xiv GLOSSARY OF TERMS Abductive Anomie Biosphere Closed system GLOSSARY OF TERMS A syllogism or deductive reasoning whose major premise is certain but whose minor premise is probable. Processes of disorganization and disintegration of structures. (Buckley, 1967, p. 33) The envelope made up of the earth's waters, land crust and atmosphere where all organisms includ- ing man, live. A11 living organisms, both plantand animal, of- a region or period. The boundary of a system is that region which separates one region from another. Components within the boundary can be distinguished from components that are outside the boundary. A system that rejects any form of energy from the external environment. In terms of human behavior a ”closed" system may not reject energy from the external world but may filter or XV Comuni cation distort the incoming matter-energy and infor- mation. There are degrees of openness and closedness in any given system and at different times. A complex phenomenon defined through the follow- ing sequence: a. Matter energy: The relativistic concept that all forms of matter and energy are really the same phenomenon with the apparent differences attributable to the nature of the sense organs of the perceiver, rather than to the nature of the energy fbrm. Information (technical sense): The pat- terned structure of matter-energy. Communication: Information (pattern) for which the receiver and the sender sharg_a common experience with respect to the infor- mation. "Airplane" defines a fairly common referent situation in western society, "aoogk" is not. Information (communication sense): Pat- terned matter-energy for which there is a common referent experience, and an agreement that the information regularly denotes the same referent object or experience, with xvi Concept Constraint Consumers the additional provision that there is a corresponding reduction of uncertainty about the state of the perceiver's world. Comnunication may . . . be conceived as the dynamic process underlying the exis— tence, growth, change, the behavior of all living systens--individual and organiza— tions. Communication can be understood as the indispensable function of people and organization through which the organization or the organism relates itself to its envi- ronment, and its parts and its processes one to the other. Conmunication is fundamental to the living system--the individual or the organization-- as is ingestion and consumption of “food" and "fuel" to run its physical and physio- logical machinery. (Thayer, 1968, p. 17) A generalized cognitive notion. Concepts are regarded as abstractions from perceptual experi- ences linked by a single common factor, though it is not established beyond doubt that they originate in this way. To repress or restrain. Agents which use particular matter-energy fbrms in order to achieve particular goals. There is no longer an "away." One person's trash basket is another's living space . . . there are no consumers--on1y users. The user employs the product, sometimes changes it in_ fOrm, but does not consume it--he just discards it. Discard creates residues that pollute at an increasin cost to the consumer and to his community. Hook and Paolucci, 1970, p. 317) xvii Cope Cost Curriculum Cybernetics Deductive Discipline Ecological Sys- tems, JProach Behavior in a purposeful problem solving manner. The satisfaction or goods denied in the course of achieving or acquiring other goods or satis- factions. The experiences a learner has under the guidance of an educational institution. It is a sys— tematic arrangement of certain courses designed fOr certain students fOr defined purposes. The study of feedback and control; how systens maintain equilibrium through homeostasis or equifinality. Reasoning from a known principle to an unknown, from the general to the specific, or from a premise to a logical conclusion, also a con- clusion so deduced. (SEEz' Abductive and inductive) A branch of instruction or learning based on a body of theory. This approach is the application of General Sys- tems Theory to studying the human organism, popu- lations of human organism as environment, and in relation to the natural and man-made environment. xviii Ecology ' Ecosystem Emergents Energy The study of the relation of organisms or groups _of organismsand their environment. The term "ecology" refers to patterns of nutrients and informational relationships among organisms of a certain given ecosystem. A set of mutually interdependent organisms and their environment, whose mutual existence depends upon the presence of each other. . . a group of living organisms that are related to each other by their common access to some particular, well -defined energy flow (such as sunlight, which falls on an entire watershed, or the flow of food through the digestive tract, in the case of the intestinal ecosystem) and by their participation in a web of nutrient and infbrmational flows. ~(Blackburn, 1973, p. 1142) . refers to a community together with its habitat . . . is an aggregation of associated species of plants and animals together with the physical features of their habitat . . . (it is) any siZe or ecologic rank . . . the concept . . . emphasizes the interrelations between the group or organism that form a conmunity and . . . its environment. (HOok and Paolucci, 1970, p. 315) - SEE Synergy It is the interface and vitality of all living systems. The ultimate source of energy is the Sun.' Energy can be defined in two broad cate- gories: Matter-energy and infbrmation. (SEE Conmunication) Energy is related to human xix Energy cycle Environment Eguj final ity organizations: 1) Human organisms are con- verters of energy and 2) an organization is an ordering of energy. The process by which the energy of the sun is passed from one living organism to another or is stored, as in coal or oil. The opposite of information in the technical sense. If information is pattern or order, then entropy is the corresponding amount of randomness or disorder. The aggregate of surrounding things or condi- tions that surround a designated ecosystem; the totality of external influences on an orga— nism. The near environment are those conditions that are closest to the organism and therefore tend to have a more immediate daily effect. The distal environment is linked to the near environ- ment and in an abstract sense ferms concentric circles around it. The process by which an organism, family, or community alters its internal structure and processing or c0ping style in order to accom- modate to a new condition in the environment. XX Equilibrium Exchange Externalities Famil (Organism as) Open systems where the same final state may be reached from different initial conditions and in different ways is a-characteristic that is- termed equifinality. An arbitrarily defined point or condition about which an organism (or organism as family or community) maintains a steady state. One of two parties provide some good(s) to the other. (SEE Transaction) Matter-energy which has arbitrarily been defined outside of a system of interest in order to gain some particular convenience or advantage (e.g. children may be defined as externalities for the purpose of studying particular kinds of parent behaviors). It is a system of individual organismsthat is a complex organization with a history and rules. It is, therefbre, an identifiable unit of inter- acting organisms with some common goals, com- mitment over time and the sharing of resources and living space in an ecosystem. The ecosystem mediates between the organism as family, the near environment and the larger society. xxi Feedback A simple approach to viewing the family as an ecosystem is to consider energy flows. Adams has listed two major ways in which energy is related to human organizations: 1) an organi- zation is an ordering of energy and 2) human organizations are converters of energy. (Hook and Paolucci, 1970) Used here in the communication sense, as infer- mation returned to the sender of a message about the effect of the original communication. There are two kinds of feedback: Positive and Negative. (SEE Morphogenesis and Morphostasis) a) Positive feedback: Positive feedback pro- duces unstable behavior in the perturbations from the norm and can eventually result in collapse of the system. The effect of infer- mation returned which causes amplification of the original behavior so that it occurs more often or in larger amounts. Excessive positive feedback: The system comes to respond in a wild and unpredictable manner. b) Negative feedback: Negative feedback results in stable behavior, but little growth. The' effect of information returned which causes a reduction of the original behavior. Note: A technical term, not a synonym fer criti- cism. Excessive negative feedback: The' xxii Function General Systems Theo ry "Good" Heuristic view History system comes to behave as a closed system by appearing to reject external data. The purposes or consequences of the existence or Operation of a unit fer other units in a system or for the system as a whole. Berlo prOposes three functions of communication: 1) production--getting the job done, 2) innovation--exploring new alternatives, and 3) maintenance--keeping the system and its components Operating. (Berlo, 1970, pp. 9-11) The study of systems for the purpose of identi- fying comnonalities of systems found in dif- ferent applications. A science of organizing and organization. Any external thing that has utility. Serving to discover or reveal with the conno- tation of self-discovery. It emphasizes theory and interconnected conceptual schemata that are fruitful for fUrther research. (Kerlinger, 1964, p. 9) One of the three primary aspects of systems. (SEE Structure and Process) History is more than the passage of time. It involves also the accumulation in the system of residues or effects of past events (structural changes, memories, and learned habits). A living system carries its history with.it in the form of altered structure and consequently xxiii Home Economics Household Unit Human Ecology of altered fUnction. There is a circular rela- tion among the three primary aspects of systems-- structure changes momentarily with functioning, but when such change is so great that it is essentially irreversible, a historical process has occurred, giving rise to a new structure. (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 284) . . is the study of the laws, conditions, principles, and ideals which are concerned on the one hand with man's inmediate physical environment and on the other hand with his nature as a social being, and is the study specially of the relation between those two factors. (Lake Placid Conferences on Hone Economics, 1902, pp. 70-71) Home Economics is the study of the human and material fOrces affecting homes and families and the utilization of this knowledge for the benefit of mankind. (Byrd, 1970, p. 414) . . . home economics is the study of man as a total being, his near environment, and the interaction between them. (Creekmore, 1968, p. 95 (The goal of home economics) . . . controlling certain aspects of the environment fer the welfare of mankind . . . . (Brown, 1967, p. 772) A production and process unit. Human Ecology is, . . a search fer understanding and controlling the mutually sustaining relationships that couple man and his environment. (Hook and Paolucci, 1970, p. 316) The term connotes a complex conceptual systems framework. The fOcus of the framework is the organism as family in the near environment with the interface of energy. It represents a whole xxiv Inductive InfOrmation Information Processing Input system of parts which is greater than the sum of_the parts. The mission or goal of Human Ecology is to serve the organism as family to the ends of improving the quantitative and qualitative aspects of their ecosystem., Reasoning from particular facts or individual cases to a general conclusion; also a conclusion reached by such reasoning. (Kerlinger, 1964, pp. 14-15) (SEE Abductive and Deductive) . consider the movement of energy in a system . . . and that "energy" being moved can be exemplified by sound or light waves . . . or by some material equivalent, such as the printed message. As energy moves within the system, some of it may exhibit patterning; the remainder--that which is not patterned--i5' labeled "noise.“ Only when the system's mem- bers perceive the patterning is "infOrmation" possible . . . . Over time it is possible to specify how likely any given pattern is or what other patterns it occurs in conjunction with, and so on. This definition of infOrmation is highly dependent on the perceptual processes of the human observer. (J. G. Miller, 1965) Information may be: 1) environment, 2) instruc- tion, and/or 3) motivational. (Berlo, 1970) From the infOrmation processing viewpoint, the essence of the organism's interaction with the world is the identification and acquisition of: potentially useful stimuli, the translation and transfbrmation of the infOrmation received into meaningful patterns, and the use of these pat- terns in choosing an Optimal response. (Schroder and Suedfeld, 1971, p. 3) What is fed into a system. XXV Institutionalized Interaction Interdependence Interface Interrelationship Level of analysis Linkage Metabolism . . . they involve complex interpersonal, and often highly organized, networks of expectations, conmunications, normative interpretations, inter- ests, and beliefs, embedded in the same socioe cultural matrix as are "legitimized” structures. (Buckley, 1967, p. 161) To act on one another; act reciprocally. Mutually dependent. In the context of this study I am using the term to imply a relationship between two living sys- tems that is an abstracted space relationship greater than linkage. Interface is essential to the vitality of the two interacting open systems. Mutual relationship; interconnection. SEE Systems Level A term used to indicate that two or more sys- tems are connected to fOrm a greater system; it suggests a regularized pattern of interaction between the two systems which in a sense fOrms a bond between them. Open systems exist through continual exchanges with the environment. They maintain themselves through a continual inflow and outflow, a xxvi Morpho nic and MOrp os asis building up and breaking down of components. The process is known as metabolism. Two types of metabolism are basic to the functioning of all living systems: The metabolism of matter- energy and the metabolism of infOrmation. Living systems organize themselves only in and through these two processes. Some processes also involve both together. . modern science has shifted from concern fer relatively stable substance and "qualities" to analysis of a more shifting structure in the relations of parts, we fbcus on the particularly fluid nature of the structure of . . . systems and the thin conceptual line between this "structure" and what is called "process." The* perspectives of information theory and cyber- netics on structure and process are investi- gated in conjunction with an attempt to sketch the foundations fer a generalized model of the mgrphogenic or structure-elaboratigg process seen to Operate in complex adaptive systems, starting with conceptualization of the "act" and the basic interaction process. (Buckley, 1967, p. 5) Since its inception, cybernetics was more or less identified as a science of self- regulating . . . systems.‘ Thermostats, physio- logical regulation of body temperature, auto- matic steering devices, economic and political processes were studied under a general mathe- matical model of deviation-counteracting feed- back networks. By fOcusing on the deviation-counteracting aspects . .-. cyberneticians paid less attention to the systens in which the effects are deviation-amplifying. Such systems are ubiqui- tous: accumulation of capital in industry, evolution of living organisms, the rise of xxvii Multifinality_ Normative Niche Open system cultures of various types, interpersonal pro- cess that are loosely termed as "vicious circles" and "compound interests" . . . . (Maruyama, 1963, p. 164) Maruyama (1960 and 1963) termed these deviation- counteracting (negative) feedback processes, morphostasis. Deviation-amplifying (positive) feedback processes, he termed morphogenesis. These concepts differ from the less complex notions of negative and positive feedback pro- cesses in that Maruyama's terms describe rela- tionships which are mutually causal rather than one way. The option of moving from a given state to any one of a number of alternative possible states. What ought to be. a) A particular role of an individual organism in its community and its environment, including its position in the food cycle, its behavior and so forth. b) The specific space occupied by an organism within its ecosystem. A system so structured so that there is an unim- peded flow of energy forms into, and out of the xxviii Organism system. The energy can be in the form of matter-energy or information. . complex adaptive systems are open systems in intimate interchange with an environment characterized by a great deal of shifting variety and its constraints. (Buckley, 1968, p. 509) The typical response of open systems to environ- ment intrusions is elaboration or change of their structure to a higher or more complex level. Thus the environmental interchange is not and does not long remain random or unstruc- tured but rather becomes selective due to the~. mapping or coding or information-processing capabilities inherent in an open system. As the system becomes more involved in wider interchanges between the organism and the environment the system becomes more complex. This is a selective process involving the psychological dinensions of selective exposure, selective perception and selective retention. Open systems are "negentropic“--tend to decrease in entropy and tend to become more elaborate in structure. (Buckley, 1967, pp. 50-51) The human organism or human level (versus animal or insect levels) is a unique organized complex of properties and functions. The human system has prOperties and functions that are deter- mined not only by the properties and relations of its individual parts, but by the character of the whole which they compose and by relations of the parts to the whole. (SEE Systems Level and Synergy) xxix Organization Output PhilOSOphy Practice (Technology and Craftsmanship) Includes the fellowing five elements: 1) Two or more individuals, 2) who reCOgnize that certain goals can be better achieved through interdependent rather than individual action; 3) take in infOrmation and/or material from the larger environment; 4) operate on them in some fashion and ,5) return the modified inputs to the environ- ment. All of these processes occur and relatively stable and regular patterns develop and energy patterns can be observed and predicted. (Farace and MacDonald, 1971) The energy that comes out of a system that is usually transferred, delivered, or altered, the act of producing. The critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge; a system of principles-fer guidance in practi- cal affairs. Tends to be qualitative and con- concerned with ends. The use and production of technical knowledge which will enable the home economics profession to: . . . 1) diagnose intelligently the needs of mankind relevant to our professional goal and 2) to use techniques which will achieve the purpose of helping persons to control those XXX Probability Theory Process Producers Profession aspects of the environment necessary and desirable. (Brown, 1967, p. 772) In a systems context, procedure for estimating the level of certainty, information, or uncer- tainty (entropy) of a system in a given supra- system or environment. Never ending, never beginning, continuous through time; a series of events ferming a recognizable pattern that recurs often enough so that one may observe the pattern over and‘ over. It is one of the three primary aspects of systems. For heuristic purposes it is use- ful to "stop-action" of this continuous film and isolate certain elements in the process. Agents which render matter-energy into usable form for components of particular systems.~ A vocation requiring knowledge of some depart- ment of learning or science., The profession referred to in this study is Home Economics or Human Ecology. The practitioner of the pro- fession is referred to as a home economist. (SEE Home Economics and Human Ecology) xxxi Professional PrOposition anlitative Quantitative One who practices a profession after going through the prescribed recognized initiation. A person who belongs to one of the professions. The professional referred to in this study are those persons who have graduated from a recog- nized College or University in some version of Home Economics or Human Ecology and perceive their professional identity as'a home economist committed to the definition and mission of Home Economics/Human Ecology. A problem to be solved, a subject to be dis- cussed or a statement to be upheld. The' expression is usually one in which the predicate affirms or denies something about the subject. The qualitative aspects of the profession are those attributes that have been acquired and determine the nature and behavior of the per- sons and the things with which the profession is concerned. These attributes are such qualities as values, beliefs, attitudes, moral and ethical concerns. The quantitative aspects of the profession refers to determining and expressing exact amount or measures of a particular attribute xxxii Quality Life Reciprocal Research Science Sociocultural Smeres of man of persons or things with which the profession is concerned. (SEE Walker, 1973, fer example) In this study refers to a standard of living above the survival level. Quality life may or may not be a function of resources but human and material resources are either directly or indirectly related to a quality life. (Andrews, 1973) Mutual A systemized effort to discover or revise facts, theories or applications that usually start with a question. The scientific method is used as a means. Controlled explanation. An activity designed by man to increase the reliability and verifi- ability of the assumptive world. Conant defined science as "an interconnected series of concepts and conceptual schemesJ' (Compton, 1972, p. 9) . . used to make explicit the difference between the human level of organization and lower merely "social" level of certain animal and insect species. (Buckley, 1967, p. 1) In an abstract sense these are like concentric circles: From the largest to the sphere closest to man: 1) Lithosphere, 2) hydrosphere, xxxiii Steady State Structure Subsystems Symbiosis Supra-systems S ne (Energents) 3) atmosphere, 4) biosphere, 5) sociosphere or the sphere of man. The dynamic behavior of a system over time, in which there is the free input and output of infOrmation in response to the state of external systems. One of the three primary aspects of systems. (SEE Process and History) The basic concepts of structure are systems, boundary, environment, level of analysis and synergy. . . one sort of unit, each of which carries out a distinct and separate process and another sort of unit, each of which is a discrete, separate structure. The totality of all the structures in a system which carry out a partic- ular process is a subsystem. (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 288) The association of two or more organisms-fer mutual benefit. SEE Systems Level The advantage gained by the operation of a. rsystem that is not possible to gain by adding the separate contributions of the systems, sub- systems or components: The WHOLE is greater than the sum of its parts. xxxiv System Systems Level Technology Theory An arbitrarily defined set of interdependent parts working together toward a connon purpose such that the parts can be labeled, their boundaries defined, and their functions specified. Systems level in human living systems ranges from the individual organism in the context of the organization through the simplest inter- personal system (the dyad), to the group (which could be fermed on the basis of work rela- tionships, communication relationships or in other ways), the organizational division, or the entire organization. A set of techniques employed by a population to gain sustenance from the environnent and to facilitate the organization of sustenance pro- ducing activities. Technologv has the potential ' fer redefining the environment. A theory is a more or less verified or estab- lished explanation accounting fOr known facts or phenomena. Theory is also a term used to mean general principles which seem to predict or account fer an event with an accuracy so XX XV Tool (Scientific Tool) Transaction Transferm much better than chance that we say the prin- ciple is "true." Theory is a unified system of definitions, postulates and observations organized in such a way-as to most simply explain the interrelationship between variables. Any concrete or abstract cOntrivance designed or used for a particular purpose. Anything used in doing certain work or producing a certain result especially such as requires accuracy or- precision. On the other side of, to the other side of, over, across, through (negotiate), to succeed in crossing, surmounting, moving through. Transactional patterns (codes and rules). A complex exchange. Transactions nay involve three or more organisms. To bring about some change of state in the environment. xxxvi CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM The Background of the Study Joan Quilling investigated, "The Nature of the Family Pro- jected by the Home Economics Profession, as Evidenced Through Exam- ination of the American Home Economics Association Literature" (Quilling, 1970). The findings of this study areincluded in her, unpublished doctoral dissertation completed at Michigan State Uni- versity. She noted that home economics has reached an evolutionary point where it must consolidate knowledge and theory for the sake of clarity and " . . . reveal concrete directional tendencies and needS' for the time, chart a course of action that is grounded in realism, based on logic and founded upon principles that can serve as prac- tical guides" (Quilling, 1970, p. 258). The advent of the seventies brings an urgency to deter- mine the fundamental concepts upon which the field of home economics is based. Neglecting such examinations can only breed vague and ill-defined theoretical foun- dations which in turn lead to incoherence among the fielg's practicing professionals (Quilling, 1970, p. 2 . ~ The present study was inspired by this thorough and thought- provoking work as well as the important contributions of predecessors who have also been cOnsistently urging the profession to formulate a scholarly base as a firm foundation for growth (for example, Budewig, 1957 and 1964; Brown, 1964, 1967a, 1967b, 1970). In the past it has been customary to approach the creation and dissemination of knowledge in a linear fashion that connotes a direct cause-effect relationship in an essentially static vague juxtaposition. The traditional approach to the study of the family and the near environment of the family have tended to reflect this attitude. It has meant that the emphasis is on the parts of the system and as a result the central focus of the discipline is per-. ceived as fragmented and circumscribed. We are asking many of the same questions and posing some of the same problems that were discussed at the Lake Placid Conferences with no clearer notion of the answers than were expressed then (Budewig, 1957, p. 36). Has Home Economics/Human Ecology responded to the needs of the time? Has it continued to reSpond with a unified focus? Has it charted a unique and complementary course with other helping profes- sions? Have clear statements of the nature of the field been made concerning the applied science of home economics? The Lake Placid Conferences on Home Economics met for ten consecutive years from September 1899 to July 1909. These meetings clarified the central focus of the discipline. From this foundation the field has sought to integrate the ideal of studying man in inter— relationship with his environment as an organic whole. In practice this holistic view has been implemented either in the main as the practical or the ideal. According to Marjorie Brown: Home Economists have concentrated on the physical and, social systems as independent variables (cause) isolated from dependent variables (effect). These impose both logical and cognitive restraints on environmental deci- sion making which are rarely overcome. The problem is not one of simply "redefining terms" but of evolving an entirely new taxonomy of problem formulation (Brown, 1970, p. 10). Home Economics/Human Ecology is defined as the study of the relationship of man in his near environment and as a social being. The organism as family in an ecosystem is pictured as a system which can realize a quality life through rational means (Hook and Paolucci, 1970). The home economist perceives the mission of the profession as helping all families realize a quality life. This involves a. value or qualitative shift from man as master to man in interdepen- dent relationship with nature. These are not exclusive views but reflect a total framework. "Home Economics broad and encompassing nature cries for organization that will provide a systematic approach to the concept of 'family'" (Quilling, 1970, p. 264). The Significance of the Problem The proposed Ecological Systems Framework (ESF) represents the deductive stage in the evolution of the central focus of the discipline of Home EcOnomics/Human Ecology and seeks to reflect the organic whole of this theme. Used in context, the ESF is an elabo- ration of the central focus of the discipline and offers guidance as an abstracted conceptual tool. One of—the substantive questions is how this tool can be used. Frameworks do have limitations as well as advantages. Just like any map, it is important to understand these. It is not meant to substitute for the real trip but to be a means for the profession to share meanings and a consensus about the field. Information is not a commodity but a potential. A communi- cation symbol does not transport an idea, it elicits an idea from the receiver of the message. The implications are that the probability of perfect communication is zero; that there are some pre-requisites to meaningful communication relationships; the meanings that you want other peOple to have must be ig_them before you communicate; and that all knowledge gained through communication should be accepted only tentatively (Berlo, 1970). There will, therefore, never be a perfect way in which the profession can explicate its central focus. Given the state of pres- ent knowledge and the means for understanding the interrelationship of man and the environment, how can cognitive tools such as frame- works be developed that reflect the central themes and are more pre- cisely communicable to a great number of professiOnals, from a vast array of locations and backgrounds, with varying degrees of judgment, responsibility and education? The proposed ESF is an attempt to meet some of these needs and to view some of the concerns of the field as an organic whole. 4 The ESF is presented as an explicit model representing the next stage in the evolution of the basic interrelated concepts of the field. It is a synthesis of a series of related materials'and represents Level I of the intellectual hierarchy and is a macro-map of the discipline's central focus (Blackburn, 1973). Its key use is in the sequence Of planning and the framework provides for the order— ing of the data that can give structure and context to the thinking and operational style of Level II of the intellectual hierarchy which consists of‘a field's philosophy, theory, research, curriculum and practice. The ESF insures that the process of planning is‘rooted in the realities of the social system of the profession and the contin- gent 1ife-support systems. In addition, it more adequately reflects the constant and mutually interdependent processes of the organism and the environment as a whole and as a result the short-term and long-term consequences of rational decision-making can more easily be perceived and projected. I (then) . . . home economics can inform instead of sermonize, postulate instead of admonish and reason instead of idealize. As the field enters the 1970's, it can reveal concrete directional tendencies and needs for the time, chart a course of action that is grounded in realism, based on logic and founded upon principles that can serve as practical guides. Thus the field's outlook becomes more flexible, com re- hensive and perceptive (Quilling, 1970, p. 258 . By making the central focus of the discipline explicit, the field can make a commitment to the concepts to which the profession attends, explore ways to implement the concepts in consistent ways and reach a consensus about the discipline as a distinct applied science. The Ecological Systems Framework is seen as a superior explanatory tool and it defines the abstracted boundaries of the profession as an open ecosystem that is always in relation to other- Open systems. From General Systems Theory applied to the Ecological Systems Approach the Ecological Systems Framework includes the basic characteristics of a system: Structure, process and history. The field can then move beyond the study of the family as an institution of a particular culture and/or as a vested interest to the study of the organism and organism as family as a concept of scientific study. As a result other related issues such as defining the qualitative and quantitative concerns of the family as an ecosystem can be defined in more precise ways. The'Basic Assumptions of the Study There are ten basic assumptions that are fundamental to the overall design of this study. The logical-deductive reasoning pro- ceeds from these premises which are synthesized from the review of‘ literature and the content analysis (Budewig, 1957; Brown, 1964, 1967a, 1967b, 1970; Quilling, 1970). 1. From the beginning the discipline of Home Economics/ Human Ecology has had a central focus. 2. The implied central focus has not been congruently implemented by the profession. 3. The social system of the profession, therefore, does‘ not hold a consensus about the central focus of the disoipline. 4. The present implied focus is a partial reflection of the disCipline of Home Economics/Human Ecology as a unique applied science. 5. The value of the applied science of Home Economics/ Human Ecology depends to some degree on the develop- ment of the scholarly base as explicit statements and models on which the field is organized. 6. The ESF is a develOpment that can facilitate the evolution of a scholarly base by presenting the basic concepts of the discipline as an explicit abstract organization of concepts. 7. The ESF is a macro-map of Level I of the intellec- tual hierarchy of the disCipline that can facili- tate the comprehension of the dimensions of Level II of the intellectual hierarchy: The field's philosophy, research, theory, curriculum and prac- tice. It is a means whereby the assumptions of the central focus of the disCipline can be brought under conscious control. 8. The ESF represents the deductive stage in the evolu- tionary develOpment of the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. 9. Home Economics/HOman Ecology is changing and these develOpments need to be rooted in systematic soien- tific clarification of the field's scholarly base. 10. There is a critical need for Home Economics/Human Ecology to invest human and material resources to continue the scientific study of the discipline's scholarly base. The Primary Objectives of the Study. The objectives of this study are prOposed as a means of clarifying the central focus of the disCipline of Home Economics/ Human Ecology. The specific objectives were as follows: 1. Through a review of historical documents about the field, to define the need for making the central focus of the discipline more explicit. 2. To define this need as one of the critical issues facing the field today. 3. To clarify some of the changes that are presently taking place in HOme Economics/Human Ecology in higher educatiOn. 4. Given a synthesis of related literature from objectives 1 through 3 and other scientific developments, to propose an” explicit deductive abstracted macro-map of the central focus of the discipline, referred to in this study as the Ecolog- ical Systems Framework (ESF). 5. To identify some reactions to the proposed ESF from the pOpulation of administrators of units of higher education of Home Economics/Human Ecology. 6. To clarify how the ESF can be used as a tool. The Overall Design of the Study The overall design of this study seeks to build another link in the evolution of the central focus of the discipline through the synthesis of related parts to form a whole. The fragmentation of Home Economies/Human Ecology's central theme has been defined as one of the critical issues facing the profession (for example: Mannino, 1971; Marshall, 1973). The The This study is, therefore, a synthesis of the following: Need A review of some of the existing historical documents about Home Economics/Human Ecology. Chapter II summarizes some of theSe in chronological order. Descriptive data were gathered to determine some of the changes that are happening in the profession. A qualitatiVe content analysis of some of these existing documents was done to determine to a limited degree some of the trends of organiZational and name change taking place inxa small sample of administrative units in higher education. See Chapter III for this information. Development of the PrOposed Ecological Systems Framework (ESF) Chapter IV reports how a synthesis of existing literature about the field is integrated with the related scientific revolution of General Systems Theory (GST) applied to the Ecological Systems Approach (ESA) to develop the proposed Ecological Systems Framework (ESF). Out Of the literature and the development of the ESF, a set of propositions have been deriVed. The prOpositions have the potential to move the central focus of the discipline to the inductive- empirical stage. 10 b. A glossary of terminology Because this study prOposes that the ESF represents a new stage in the develOpment of the central focus of the diSci- pline, the language used to describe this stage is part of the organization that is being prOposed. Language represents an expreSsion of behavior and is shaped by the images of the world. Thus the language of the ESF is part of the new para- digms of science (Kuhn, 1970). The language of the ESF is an important part of the proposed elaboration as a means to bridge the vague, circumscribed and static perceptions that are at present reflected in the abductive stages of the com- prehension of the discipline's central focus. Reactions to the prOposed ESF were polled A survey of all the administrators of units identified as Home Economics/Human Ecology was conducted (Chapter V). The population reviewed a thirteen page EcologiCal Systems Framework OpiniOn- naire Packet and responded to a three page structured opinion- naire. As a result of this synthesis of-parts, a new organic whole was refined and is proposed. The ESF as a tool Chapter VI clarifies some guidelines to facilitate the use Of the ESF as a tool. 11 The ESF is the result of cumulative history from within and about the profession related to external forces that have been inte- grated._ Table 1 summarizes some of these influences oVer time.’ Limitations of the Study The limitations of this study are related to the speCific objectives. The critical need for the field to make the central focus eXplicit is a limitation because this has already been stated 56 many times and so much energy has been devoted to defining the mission. This study, therefore, may seem like another such abductive statement. Because this study represents only one of many stages in the evolution of the central focus of the diScipline, it is incomplete and leaves many important questions yet to be answered. A comple- mentary experimental-inductive series of studies will be important links in the process of the development of a schOlarly base for Home Economies/Human Ecology. The ends of science is controlled explanatiOn. This goal can be attained by approaching the study of man and his environment so that there is a balance between an inclusive versus an exclusiVe view. This means that knowledge or explanation is cumulative and builds on information gathered from abductive, inductive and deductive methods. This system is visually mapped in Figure 1. Limitations are inherent, therefore, in every objective of the overall design of this study because of the ways in which 12 Table 1.4-Some Related Events in the Evolution of the Central Focus of the Discipline of Home Economics/Human Ecology Over Time (Major Events in the EvOlOtion Some Related Events and Sources of-the Central Focus of the of_Change: Social, Economic, Discipline Technological and Educational 1899- The Ten Lake Placid 1909 Conferences 1909 The American Home Eco- nomics Association is organized 1913 The "Syllabus" (AHEA) World War I The Depression 1926- The Ecosystem Theory in‘ 1938 Sociology by Park and Burgess (SEE Karl W. Deutsch, et. a1., 1971) 1941- 1945 1950 General Systems Theory- (Ludwig von Bertalanffy) 1952 The Second Sex (Beauvoir)' 1958 Sputnik launched by: Russia World War II' 1959 New Directions (AHEA First Half Century) 1960 Max Lerner: American Woman's'Five'Adaptive Revolutions (SEE Paul Miller, 1960, p. 7) 1961 Home Economics Seminar (French Lick Conference) 1963 Liberal Education and Home Economics’lLee and’Dressel) 1964 CompilatiOn of approaches to the study of the fam- ily (Christensen, 1964) Table l.--Continued Major Events in the Evolution of the Central Focus of the Some Related Events and Sources of Change: Social, Economic, Discipline Technological and Educational' 1965 "Living Systems," J. G. Miller (1955, 1965, 1971) 1968' ,The Changing Mission of Home Economics (McGrath and Johnson) 1970 National Goals and Guide- The Structure of the . lines . ; . (Schlater) ' ScientiTic Revolution "The Family as an Ecosystem" (KUhn) (Hook and Paolucci) 1970's Computer simulation of multi-lOOp interrelated social phenomenon (for example, Forrester, 1971) The "Energy Crisis“’ 1973 The Eleventh Lake Placid Conference 1974 The Ecological Systems Framework Proposal (E. Vaines) 14 Abductive Indu/tive VésT Deductive Fig. 1.--Controlled Explanation: The Abductive, Deductive and Inductive controlled explanations are evolved. Further, the range of available literature, the human and material resource restrictiOns of this. writer and the present state of man's knowledge were constraints. The boundary of this study is also affected by the images of language which tend to connote the two dimensional aspects of time and space in a static world. The Opposite has been the intention and care has been taken to alleviate some of this bias. The fact that Home Economics/HUman Ecology has a limited bank of historical materials concerned with the scholarly base of the field from which to select, is a disadvantage and as a result puts many of the questions posed in this study in the realm of the eso- teric. That would appear to be the fate of previous related reports, articles, and research. This may, in itself, be a phenomena of the‘ profession and is an area in need of systematic examination. Marjorie Brown, for one, has alluded to this in some of her writings. 15 In order to attain a humanistic science in homeleconomics and to provide services which are.morally responsible, it is necessary for the profession to meet certain conditions in the preparation and continuing education of its mem- bers . . . there are implications for the objectives of professional education, concerning the specializations in which home economists are prepared, and concerning person-A nel admitted and retained in the field (Brown, 1970, p. 23).‘ Most of the helping professions recognize that not eVery one has the qualifications to master the complex concep- tual structures of knowledge required and/or to practice. the moral and ethical principles of the profession. .There is a danger in any profession that the kinds of persOns who enter it and who remain may use the field for ego- centric needs. Such persons are not likely to obtain the conceptual competence needed or to practice the use of moral judgment'(Brown, 1970, p. 26). If home economists are to contribute to the welfare of . families and individual family members and of the society" generally, it would seem that they need to have certain qualities as persons . . . . The conceptual requirements of a home economist who would fit the model of home eco- nomics presented earlier are highly complex . - . . Cog- nitively complex persons are more likely to define and to cope with "practical" problems in abstract and theoretical terms, moving back and forth between the concrete situation and complex, abstract knowledge related to it with-greater ease than the cognitively simple person who defines "prac- tical" problems only in terms of the concrete and perhaps trivial manifestations. If the problems of families and the concerns of home eco- nomics generally are to be approached creatively and adap- tively, these qualities are needed in members ofvthe pro- fession (Brown, 1970, p. 28). The objectives of this study are only some of the many that need to capture the imagination and concern of Home Economics/Human Ecology.‘ It is the interdependence ofaa number of such interrelated studies rather than any one study as a distinct entity that needs to be stressed. There is no one right answer or answers to the many isSUes concerning the scholarly base of the field. The formulation' of research problems that reflect the holistic complex nature of 16 these issues which include both qualitative and quantitative aspects is needed. This study is presented as part of that process and enters the arena to be refined, added to and changed as the overall organic whole of the discipline is developed. CHAPTER II THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF HOME ECONOMICS/HUMAN ECOLOGY: AN HISTORICAL REVIEW Introduction The purpose of this review of historical documents is to clarify the development of the central focus of the discipline. “Over time Home Economics/Human Ecology has a history of statements con- cerning the central focus of the field. The first of these is found in the Proceedings of the Ten Lake Placid Conferences (1899-1909). In 1913 the American Home Economics Association published a Syllabus of Home Economics which represents the beginning of a number of re- lated publications that reflect a quest to define the discipline and the role of home economics in higher education. Marjorie Brown in 1970 noted that: We have a ritual in home economics which we go through periodically and which is called "defining the mission.“ We go through a ceremony in which we reassure ourselves that the mission of home economics is to contribute to the im— provement of homes and then we go about life as usual with- out concern for the commitment we have made . . . . I firmly believe that this situation is due to the failure to recog- nize the basic concepts, like other concepts such as "health," "alleviation of pain," "moral develOpment," etc. to which value is attached (and) may be defined in terms of empiri- cally determined correlates and descriptive theory: (Brown, 1970, p. 13). 17 18 Written records are at best abstract descriptions of real events. This review of pertinent documents about Home Economics/ Human Ecology has an inherent limitation because only written sym- bols have been used. Interpretation of the same records may be difL ferent from reader to reader. Primary and secondary sources have been used to facilitate a broader more objective approach to achieve the goal of this chapter. The Evolution of the Central Focus of the Discipline of Home Economics/Human Ecology_' Both peOple and events contributed to first the slow, then the more rapid, evolution of Home Economics/Human Ecology toward the end of the nineteenth century (Budewig, 1957, p. 250). The fact that the idea crystallized as a self-contained entity and not as an off- shoot of some other movement, however, is due in large measure to the efforts of the extraordinary Mrs. Ellen H. Richards. The Roots of the Central Focus The beginning of home economics has been traced by Caroline Budewig (1957) to Francis Bacon (1561-1626). It was his belief that knowledge should be pursued for the purpose of helping man better his environment and that nothing must be disdained merely because it aPpears vulgar or familiar. He is attributed with opening the way TOT‘ the study of everyday life such as food, clothing and shelter. 19 These became the cornerstone of the body of knowledge of home eco- nomics in the nineteenth century. It is also significant because the notion that prevailed in the 16th century that such matters concerned with man's everyday life were not worthy of study still prevails to some degree today. In the eighteenth century Count Rumford (1753-1814) is cred- ited with bringing this idea to fruition in a number of concrete forms. He was a theoretical scientist whose development of what he termed, "domestic economy," is important to home economics because he laid the foundation for an art and a science of the household (Budewig, 1957, p. 147). His sole aim was to advance the general welfare of his fellow men. It was Rumford's interest that led him to his most practical pursuits in ”domestic economy":4 The construc- tion of kitchen fireplaces, the preparation of food, the economy of fuel, the warmth of clothing, the construction of kitchen utensils, and the general improvement of kitchens. These are all the more important because Rumford was an accomplished and able scientist. Equally important as his practical pursuits was his philosophy of "domestic economy." Until an idea is made explicit, until the result of a work can be shown to be related to human welfare, it can pass unnoticed in the course of events. Rumford's theories regarding the application of science to the details of the household give his writings universality and timelessness and make them worth studying even today. Most worthy of note is the consistent harmony between all the contributions of this man as pure scientist, practical inven- tory humanitarian and eti“osopher. ”What he found out in his job of 20 clothing, feeding, and housing his charges in the House of Industry for the poor forms the basis of a body of knowledge for what later became known as home economics" (Budewig, 1957, p. 130). One of-Rumford's theories which he put into practice in his work . . . was that the food, clothing, and hous- ing of peOple had a definite and direct relationship with their happiness and indirectly with their virtue (Budewig, 1957, p. 135). Rumford, like Bacon, saw the real and the ideal as one. Science is not a thing apart from living but should be used together in perfecting the details of man's daily existence. Through the work of . . . Count Rumford, home eco- nomics came to have a philosophy, a method, and the beginnings of a body of knowledge all its own. From this time forward, the story of home economics is that of a gathering of forces which was to become known as the home economics movement (Budewig, 1957, p. 159). Following Rumford's work a definite movement to educate for home and family living became recognizable. Influential personages such as Catherine Beecher (1800-1878), Edward L. Youmans (1821-1887), and Justus von Liebig (1803-1873), as well as the Land Grant Act of 1862, helped lay the groundwork for the First Lake Placid Conference in 1899. The Ten Lake Placid Conferences on Home Economics (1899-1909) were organized through Ellen H. Richards being inspired by Melvil Dewey who "overpersuaded" her to crystallize her convictions (Lake flacidfConferences on Home Economics, 1908, p. 54). All over the Country people were working individually and in groups for the better- meot of home living. What was evident to Mr. Dewey is that there 21 was a need for someone to coordinate some of these fragmented efforts into a combined force. The Focus Takes Form: The Ten Lake Placid Conferences (1899-1909) Certainly the most important event in the history of the profession of Home Economics/Human Ecology was the Ten Lake Placid Conferences on Home Economics. This series of ten consecutive meet- ings from 1899 to 1909 resulted in the organization of the American Home Economics Association. What follows are some of the highlights of the Conferences that bear directly on the objective of this chap- ter. It is not surprising that some of the statements and decisions of the early years of Home Economics/Human Ecology are still with us. Many questions that were posed then are still with us today. At the First Lake Placid Conference the first order of busi- ness was to select a name that would reflect the full scope of the work. "Home Economics" was agreed upon with "Domestic Economy," "Domestic Science," and other related labels rejected as inappropri- ate. This issue persisted, however, throughout the Ten Conferences. (See Lake Placid Conferences on Home Economics for the 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th meetings.) Other alternatives were discussed and voted on such as "euthenics," (7th Conference) but in the end the organi- zation was officially christened home economics. The profession's name and the rationale for it, is one of the persistent contemporary concerns of the field. 22 Defining the central focus of the field is another basic 1 The language that has been used to describe and define the issue. focus, has tended to make the meaning vague and Open to many inter- pretations. There are some reappearing threads, however, and the following are brief excerpts from the Lake Placid Conferences that are of importance to.this study. The First Conference--l899 The name "Home Economics,‘ was agreed upon by the ten con— ference members. Ellen H. Richards: The cost of living is a mental rather than a material limitation. The Second Conference--19OO Home Economics is seen in a sociological context and, there- fore, this subject is an important foundation for the profession. The question of the material (or useful) and the liberal (or educa- tional) qualities of home economics came to the fore almost from the beginning. Mrs. Henrietta Goodrich also noted the essential unity, the organic interdependence of all the work that the conference was doing: that the home is the organic unit of society, that to raise the stan- dard of life in the home is to elevate the whole social system (pp. 26-27). ‘— 1I am using the term focus in this context to mean the center 0f activity and attention of a discipline. 23 The Third Conference--190l Caroline Hunt in her paper on "Revaluations" calls for man to be viewed as rational and in control of his environment and rela- tionship to man's values. "Good" values make man's freedom, " . . . approach its maximum" (p. 81). "If we have unnecessarily complicated a single life by perpetuating useless conventions or by carrying the values of one age over into the next, just so far have we failed. If we have simplified one life and released in it energy for its own expression, just so far have we succeeded" (p. 89). The Fourth Conference--1902 Nomenclature was a constant theme throughout this Conference. Specific references to the focus of the profession are as follows: Home Economics is seen as . a study of connections and relations between certain phases of man's nature." And Home Economics is the study of both the conditions and ideals of man's physical environ- ment as well as his social relationships . . . (and) the relation between an individual or family and the physical environment . . . the goal is to synthesize all related knowledge and relate these to the goals of home and family living (p. 71). The real significance of home economics lies in its rela- tional aspect between the material and immaterial. A fact that to this day has caused misunderstanding and confusion within the pro- fession as well as the image projected by the profession. 24 The Fifth Conference--1903 This meeting stressed the relation of man and his environ- ment and it was frequently used by these early leaders in the home economics movement as a frame of reference. At this conference some examples of the pervading theme have been identified: a) b) Sarah Louise Arnold's paper on the training and certification of teachers of home economics stressed the view of home eco- nomics in relation to other subjects: " . . . the sciences, literature, history, human life . . . " are the foundation of a household economics teacher and will enable her to see relations, the relation of sciences to the everyday house- hold arts and to lead the way to a better and saner practice (p. 11). Some of Dean Arnold's statements concerning the relation between theory to practice and science to art have a "syse tems" ring to them. For example, she saw that no part was complete unto itself and that the goal was to " . . . yield a necessary part of the perfect whole" (pp. 11-12). Further, that the parts are interdependent with each interpreting the other; to each equal honor belongs. Mrs. Mary Hinman Abel amplified the relation between home economics material and humanistic values. " . . . we are not disembodied spirits, we can only express ourselves through 25 our environment, and this material environment in turn reacts on us and affects mental and moral growth" (p. 29). c) Mrs. Richards' writings and discussions throughout the ten conferences also reflect an understanding and concern for the effect of environment on the develOpment of man. Some exam- ples of this orientation follow. I There can be no question of the place in a liberal curriculum of a study of man in rela- tion to his environment (p. 65). It must be assumed . . . that a study of the material things which react on man's intel- lectual and moral nature is a legitimate and, indeed, an essential part of his education. The moment it is acknowledge that man "reacts" to his environment, the study of these reactions is not only allowable but‘ imperative (p. 65). The Sixth Conference--1904 One of the more significant and often quoted pieces of the Sixth Conference is Ellen Richards' "creed": Home Economics Stands for The ideal home life for today unhampered by the tradi- tions of the past. The utilization of all the resources of modern science to improve the home life. The freedom of the home from the dominance of things and their due subordination to ideals.- The simplicity in material surroundings which will most free the spirit for the more important and permanent interests of the home and of society p. 31 . The question of the name again appears. Mrs. Richards encour- aged the label of “euthenics” (p. 63). Her rationale is enlightening: 26 Euthenics connotes a science of controllable environment. Her pre- sentation was apparently so convincing that the conference voted to accept the name to represent the work in colleges and universities. The Sixth Conference (1904) adOpted the following nomen- clature at the national level: ”Handwork in elementary schools, Domestic Science in Secondary schools, Home Economics in normal and professional schools, Euthenics in colleges and universities" (Lake Placid Conferences on Home Economics, 1904, p. 64). The question of the material (or useful) and the liberal (or educational) qualities of home economics came to the fore almost from the beginning of the deliberations. Unfortunately, the application of the home economics idea planned and recommended by participants in the later Lake Placid Conferences were not always consistent with the basic ideals expressed at the earlier conferences. Early cur- ricula, for example, showed a preoccupation with practical, specific points of the home and the central whole issues with their coherent structure appear to have been forgotten, rejected or inadequately understood. This was recognized by several of the Lake Placid partici- pants themselves who spoke of "moving too fast" and of having much which still needed to be done in determining the focus before the field could be implemented. An instance of the lack of recognizing the integrating theses to which they had given a commitment is the recommendation that home economics might be divided among different‘ already existing disciplines in some situations although this is in direct contradiction of an earlier commitment that this should be a 27 new field with a new approach, and a new set of questions concerning the home and family (Lake Placid Conferences on Home Economics, 1904, pp. 38 & 77). The Seventh Conference--l905 The subject matter of home economics as it was to be imple- mented in elementary and secondary schools in colleges and univer- sities dominated the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth Lake Placid Conferences. It is a kpy_link in the develOpment of the foundations of the profession and the root of the duality between the disci- pline's focus and practice that is still part of the profession. All of the broad understanding that had been given home economics in the previous conferences seem to be forgotten in the efforts to get the work accepted as a manual training subject in the schools (Budewig, 1957, p. 227). It is not surprising then that home economics soon became stereotyped as "cooking and sewing" to justify it as hard work and thereby a part of the manual training movement (Budewig, 1957, p. 227). Even then, some were concerned and this can be noted in a remark made by Dean Marion Talbot: , . . make out of this work in high schools, not courses in cooking but courses in home and family making. This is what I think is needed more than chemistry and cooking (p. 67). 28 The Eighth Conference-~1906 The main concern of this conference was to differentiate between home economics at the elementary, secondary schools and in the higher education levels, as well as the curriculum that should be included in the trade schools. In terms of the focus of home eco- nomics, it is worthy to note some remarks by Ellen H. Richards. In context the remarks are with regard to the meaning of "euthenics" program, or the name accepted at the Sixth Annual Conference to con- note the education for home and family living in institutions of higher learning. Euthenics is the practical application of well known laws (p. 33). (there is a need to) accept the one really impor- tant idea of organic evolution so far as man is con- cerned namely, that of modification by environment (p. 34). Power must be had today. Culture may well be added. But power must be underneath whatever is to survive . . . . Euthenics or its equivalent* must form a part of the educational equipment of all live institutions (p. 35). The Ninth Conference--l907_ The proceedings of this conference explicitly spell out some of the implicit concerns of these meetings: mainly an awareness of the psychological and qualitative concerns of home economics. Dr. Benjamin R. Andrews noted the humanistic as well as the technical factors present in the profession and called the attention of the 29 conference to this matter in a presentation entitled: "Psychic Factors in Home Economics" (pp. 152-153). I wish to point out . . . the great extent of the mental in family life . . . (and) every province of the material as conquered by the individual, becomes a vehicle for the spiritual . . . . We must remember that there is a science of the personal and the spirit- ual for itself, and when psychology. ethics, sociology and other sciences of the personal are directly applied to the home, then home science will have entered into new regions of influence. Then, immediate attention will be had to what we all value, as among the things of highest human worth, the fine art of family living (pp. 152-153). The Tenth Conference--1909 The Tenth and final Lake Placid Conference dealt mainly with the training of teachers for home economics. In keeping with the identification of the threads of the focus of the discipline Josephine Berry commented that: "The aim of the whole work is the bettering of conditions for the peOple" (p. 60). Mrs. Richards and the early leaders in home economics recog- nized that there was both a l'law" and a "spirit" in their subject and that the "spirit" was often lost sight of in adhering to the "letter of the law." It could be taught merely as a technique, or as a vital subject with great human value. Mrs. Richards reiterates this in her meaning of the name of home economics: . home economics: home meaning the place of shelter and nurture for the—Ethdren and for those personal qualities of self— sacrifice for others for the gaining of strength to meet the world; economics 30 meaning the management of this home on economic lines as to time and energy as well as to mere money (p. 20). When our possessions acquire an intrinsic value, when all the work of the house which cannot be done by machinery is that of handling beautiful things and has a meaning in the life of the individual and the family, service will not be required in the vast majority of homes: Then we may approach to the Utopian ideal of the nobility of labor (pp. 24-25). This leads to the most important service a teacher of domestic economy can render, a giving to the peo la a sense of control over their environment (p. 23) It was evident in the discussions at the Tenth Annual Con- ference (1909) that the training of the professional home economist and the homemaker were not always compatible. How to balance pro- fessional and liberal, practical and theoretical experience and at the same time relate these to the intangible values of life is still a question before the profession (Marshall, 1973). Whereas there had been general agreement on philosophical questions, the picture changed when the ideals were interpreted in concrete ways. The many-sided nature of the subject presented difficulties from the beginning. The American Home Economics Association was organized as the official body of the profession and the implementation of that was planned for later in 1909 (p. 189). Summary of the Ten Lake Placid Conferences The Lake Placid Conferences on Home Economics met for ten consecutive years from September, 1899 to July, 1909. These meetings 31 represent the forging of the foundation of the focus of the disci- pline. For the first five years the questions concerning the focus of home economics were discussed and included statements about‘pur- pose, definition, scope, and the relation of the new subject to existing curriculum in schools and colleges. The ideas and ideals seemed to have unanimous backing from the participants. Home Eco- nomics as a subject matter was dedicated to man in interrelationship with his environment as an "organic whole."‘ And the study of man's personal and family life included both the material and spiritual aspects. The remaining five years were spent with the tasks of for- mulating a body of knowledge, gaining acceptance in schools and' colleges and seeking financial backing for the implementation of the idea. This practical aspect of the develOpment of the profession seemed to suffer a gap between the "ideal" and the concrete. Either the practical or the ideal values were emphasized to the detriment of the holistic view of personal and family living. This confusion was further complicated because at that time there was little exact knowledge to support the big organizing conceptual idea. It is of importance to note this-as a crucial issue before Home Economics/Human Ecology today and it is more complex as well as unanswered. Seeking agreement has met with confusion because the end goals and values have not been clarified (Brown, 1967, p. 775). On January 1, 1909, the American Home Economics Association with a nucleus of professionals from the teaching section of the Lake Placid Conferences was made official and the new association stated 32 for its purpose: "The improvement of living conditions in the home, the institutional household and the community . . . ." and welcomed to its membership, . all who are actively interested in home problems" ("Announcement," Journal of Home Economics, 1909, p. 1). The home economics movement was a part of the larger democratic and humanitarian movement which had gradually evolved out of the great Christian tradition. Coupled with the spirit of inquiry inherited from the Greeks, the cultural milieu was formed in which science in both its theoretical and practical aspects could develop. The home eco- nomics movement was the result of interest in the application of the principles of science to the details of the home environment (Budewig, 1957, p. 204). The Proceedings of the Lake Placid Conferences indicate two large areas of need: 1) the social need to incorporate, at all edu- cation levels, organized areas of study which would contribute to and improve the quality of life of individuals and families in sOciety and 2) the necessity of differentiation by name among those educa- tional levels. The Syllabus of Home Economics--l913 A syllabus was adOpted by the American Home Economics Associ- ation in 1913 that indicated "family" application was a criterion for deciding the boundaries of home economics content: Home Economics, as a distinctive subject of instruction, is the study of economics, sanitary, and aesthetic aspects of food, clothing, and shelter as connected . with their selection, preparation, and use by the family in Zhe home or by other groups of peOple (Syllabus, 1913, p. . 33 (It) . . . proposed that the subject of Home Economics be divided into four main divisions, (1) food, (2) cloth- ing, (3) shelter, and (4) household and institution man- agement (Syllabus, 1913, p. 5). *And this Syllabus is a classified list of topics from which courses can be made up (Syllabus, 1913, p. 7). The "Syllabus" is of interest because it is an extension of statements recorded at the Lake Placid Conferences. From 1935, con- tinuing through the 1940's there were other official and unofficial attempts to clarify the focus of the discipline (Riatt, 1936, p. 267; Spafford, 1940, p. 41). The following are a resume of some of the more recent attempts. The Central Focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology as Reflected in Publications from 1955-1973 Each of the twelve documents that is reviewed is written for a specific systems level. The audience that is most written to and about is home economics as it is found in the settings of secondary and higher education. Studies on the Teaching of Home Economics in Colleggs and Uni- versities--1955:1956 Spafford and Amidon reported in their government sponsored publication, Studies on the Teaching of Home Economics in Colleges and Universities 1955-56, that they wished, . to make more readily available findings and tech- niques from home economics studies which have implications 34 for the improvement of college programs . . . . Mate- rials for the publication were drawn primarily from master's and doctoral studies related to college teaching in home economics, which were completed dur- ing 1955-56 (Spafford and Amidon, 1959, p. v). Fifty-two studies which dealt with some phase of the college program, form the basis of this report and represents studies of wide and varied sc0pe as well as methodology. One important out- come of this compilation was the recommendation that college home economics departments need to extend their research programs and the results of research completed are in need of being made more readily available. It is implied throughout this publication that there are a number of focuses in the home economics program in the context of higher education. Some of the objectives of the professional's education that are identified are summarized as follows: 1) . . to prepare an ever- increasing number of men and women for family living and homemaking (p.14). 2) . . to prepare individuals for the world of work today 3nd the kind of life most meaningful to them p 14 3) . . . help students achieve basic values, satis- fying to the individual and acceptable to societ , to use as guides in their everyday living (p. 25). 6) A program planned to encourage, provide the con-‘ ditions for, and prepare students to take ever- increasing responsibility for their own living and continued learning (p. 42). 8) A teacher education program designed to meet the conditions of life and teaching today (p. 64). 9) An educational program that fosters the kind of family life desirable in a democratic society such as ours (p.77). 11) A program of education for marriage and family life at the college level that draws on and interrelates the resources of the college in 35 setting the goals, and in planning, carrying out, and evaluating the program (p. 77). From these statements of some of the primary purposes of home economics in higher education there appears to be confusion between professional preparation and personal ''life" preparation. These two aims are not necessarily exclusive goals of higher edu- cation but most of the items listed in this document deal with per- sonal "individual" development to the exclusion of preparation for a profession (Marshall, 1973, pp. 9-10). The central focus of home economics implied in this report centers on the student's and in some instances the faculty's egocentric need to be a "good" indi- vidual and a "good" home economics teacher in the secondary school. It is assumed that there is some kind of cause-effect relationship between these statements and the behavior of the initiated pro- fessional. Challenged to implement these eleven purposes, it would be a difficult task to find some reliable and valid means to make these inspirational statements concrete realities for a college program. The vagueness of these speak either to the research from which these were extrapolated or the authors' biases. The value of the report lies in the attempt to synthesize and disseminate research findings to professionals and to encourage better research in home economics. It does not, however, appear to add to the clarification of the central focus of the field. 36 "Reviewing_0ur Orbit"—- September'l958 Around the time of the first half century of the American Home Economics Association, the impact of the launching of the first space satellite Sputnik, by Russia, was being felt. The Journal of Home Economics reflects this and one example was-an article by Beatrice Paolucci entitled, ”Reviewing Our Orbit" (September, 1958). It is of importance to the objective of this chapter because the central focus of the discipline is recognized in this quote:. The family remains as the center of our universe-— it is the pivot point without which we have neither purpose nor destiny. Our satellite must be so constructed so that it continues.to provide the foundation for programs of education and social action . . . . To keep in. tune, the home economics satellite must be in an orbit that remains near enough to families so that it can realistically analyze their needs--both imme- diate and potentia1--and, in light of these, synthe- size information, knowledge, and skill which will effect a positive stimulus for helping families to realize their potentials (Paolucci, 1958, p. 499). Another important contribution of this statement is that it stresses the need for home economics to recognize and anticipate the impact of outside influences on the shaping of the central focus of the discipline. New Directions:;l959 New Directions, published in 1959 is a statement prepared by the Committee on Philosophy and Objectives of Home Economics of the American Home Economics Association. It states that the central 37 focus of home economics is to " . . . improve the lives of families and individuals" (p. 4). . Home economics synthesizes knowledge drawn from the physical, biological and social sciences and the arts and applies this knowledge to improving the lives of families and individuals (p. 4). The emphasis that it (home economics) gives to vari- ous aspects of living are determined by the needs of individuals and families in the social environ- ment of their time (p. 5). It talks about managing resources, . . . so that values and goals of the individual, the family, or of society may be attained (p. 5). Home economics . . . can be effective only as it alleviates the stresses and promotes the satisfac- tions brought about by new situations (p. 8). McConnell states that this document particularly stresses some of the following as focuses of concern for the profession that are at once vague yet stimulates thought (McConnell, 1965, pp. 105- 107): 1) . . . human values that are inherent in the con- cept of the family as a basic unit of the American democratic society and as the environment for indi- vidual human growth . . . . Personal and social values are interacting elements of the value focus (pp. 105-106). 2) The applied nature of the field and the functional definitions of home economics bring action and process to the fore . . . both ends ana means ecome important . . . instrumental values . . . merit careful attention. Without this emphasis, there could be no "application” and therefore no home economics (p. 106). 3) Home economics integrates complementary values without necessarily needing to make either-or choices . . . . Interrelatedness of factors is a characteristic of home economics (p. 106). 4) As a society-serving profession dealing with the family as a social group, home economics takes its values and its priorities from the society within 38 which it Operates . . . . It expresses . . . the relatively stable values of the American democratic society; it also expresses some of the uncertainty present in a rapidly changing society where persons and social groups may not always be sure of their roles (pp. 106-107). New Directions represents another link in defining the central focus of the discipline. It is a thoughtful document that took three years for the Committee to prepare as part of the fiftieth anniversary of the American Home Economics Association. Although the statements tend to be broad and inclusive, it is a means whereby home economics sharpened its perception of the challenges and Opportunities for the future. Home Economics in Land-Grant Colleges and UniverSities--l959 Home Economics in Land-Grant Colleges and Universities is a statement of objectives and future directions prepared by the Home Economics Development Committee, Division of Home Economics of the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and State Universities. It followed and built on New Directions and there are many similar- ities between the two documents. The central focus of the discipline is that which is given in New Directions. The importance of this account is that the profession as: represented by these two groups, was presenting at that time the cerrtral focus of the discipline as a united commitment. 39 "Higher Education in Home Economics: An Appraisal and’a Challenge“:-1960 Paul Miller presented "Higher Education in Home Economics: An Appraisal and a Challenge" to a meeting of the Division of Home‘ Economics of the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and State Universities in Washington, D.C. on November 15, 1960. This paper is of importance for many reasons. For one, he challenged the profession to reconcile the revolutions that women were engaged in and the pivotal shifts in a new kind of world to home economics as it was manifest in the university environment. As a university administrator he defined the central focus of the discipline as follows: I believe that the heart of home economics is the relational system of the family . . . in home eco- nomics the relational system is studied with refer- ence to the physical, esthetic, social, economics, and process variables which, singly or together, converge to implicate its function . . . . (P. Miller, 1960, p. 18). Home Economics Seminar--July, 1961 The objectives of the French Lick Conference included: . . . as a first step in meeting the need, identified by college staff, for defining responsibilities at: different levels of teaching in order that each suc- cessive experience of the study will build on the pre- ceding experience. The second step . . . will deal specifically with articulation and differentiation of teaching at the various levels, secondary, college and adult. Tlie central focus of the week's deliberations became arr exploration of the "concept" approach as a possible 40 way of identifying, organizing, structuring, and unifying the significant subject matter content of the field (Home Economics Seminar, 1961, p. 3). The project was initiated by the Home Economics Division of the Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. The task of identifying the subject matter of home economics was one of establishing meaningful relationships among the disciplines con- sidered part of the field. The root disciplines-were considered as one of the unique problems associated with the identification of the content of an applied field. Home Economics is an applied field. It draws upon fundamental knowledge in the basic sciences-~physical, biological and social-~as well as in the arts and humanities . . . . In an applied field, concepts of the basic fields are used but also new concepts with orientation to the special field will develop; new principles will arise; analysis leading to new syn- thesis of knowledge will emerge (Home Economics Seminar, 1961, p. 22). ' ' This seminar was exploratory in nature and there were no definite conclusions drawn (Home Economics Seminar, 1961, p. 4). Recommendations for Post-Seminar follow-up was included in the pro- gress report and suggested a coordinating committee be appointed and a large coordinated study at the national level be organized and funded (Home Economics Seminar, 1961, pp. 48-49). The central focus of the profession's beliefs are not specifically discussed. The con- cept approach for dealing with subject matter is one of the impor-' tant outcomes of this conference and implies some insights into an approach for defining the field's central focus. 41 Liberal Education and Home Economics--l963 This monograph, Liberal Education and Home'Economics, is concerned primarily.with the curricula of undergraduate professional schools in home economics and dwells on the balance between liberal arts subjects and professional courses in the total undergraduate experience. The study traces in some detail the changing emphasis in home economics education from a practical preparation for the activities of homemaking, to a broader concern for professional activ- ities (Dressel and Lee, 1963, pp. 20-41). These changes and others“ cited are often attributed to external forces and circumstances rather than internal planning. Home Economics in higher education as a contentarea can be viewed in three essential ways: 1) the single field; 2) the unified field; and 3) the collection of disciplines or specialties banded together as an administrative unit on the grounds of historical ties and expediency (Dressel and Lee, 1963, pp. 89—94). In the beginning, home economics was a single field and all students took the same courses. As the profession grew and knowledge developed the home economics program at many institutions of higher education moved toward the unified field concept with some areas of home economics basic to other areas. Emerging as the profession grew was the col- lection of majors or discipline Specialties. There are now in many home economics institutions of higher education three or four identi- fiable sets of specialties: Foods and Nutrition, Clothing and 42 Textiles, Child and Family Development, and Applied Art and Housing (Dressel and Lee, 1963, p. 93). Home Economics in the present era may be regarded as made up of (these) four relatively distinctive disciplines or groups of majors . . . . In a series of statements Dressel and Lee stress with some urgency the need for home economics to define its central focus. The most critical problem now facing those involved in home economics . . . seems to be the lack of a con— sensus concerning what ought to be if it is to have an integrity of its own and a program different from the instruction offered by other related departments (Dressel and Lee, 1963, p. vii). It is clear . . . that a more comprehensive study is needed . . . to clarify the mission or missions of the whole home economics enterprise within the academic community and in the larger sphere of American society (Dressel and Lee, 1963, p. ix). The claim to an "anchor of relevance" in the family is‘ at present primarily a value commitment and is, there- fore, a tenuous one to support. It is not evident in some home economics . . . curricula . . . . . if home economics is to emerge as a strong uni- fied field and recognize as such by other disciplines, its claims must be buttressed by high- -level research, by development of systemized bodies of knowledge and theoretical constructs, and by systematic application of these in the attainment of better solutions to problems involving food, clothing, and shelter, human needs and the relational aspects of family life (Dressel and Lee, 1963, p. 106). This publication represents a more systematic and saphis- ticated look at matters related to the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. It is also an important work because it' is sponsored by an agency outside the vested interests of the pro— feSSion and is, therefore, presumably a more objective report. 43 While Jeannette Lee is identified with the home economics profession, her role is defined as under the direction of Dr. Paul L. Dressel, Director of the Office of Institutional Research at Michigan State University and affiliated with the Institute of Higher Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. "A New Look at Home Economic§“--l964 “A New Look at Home Economics," was the theme for the December, 1964 issue of The Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (pp. 3-97). There are ten articles in the collection, nine of which were written by home economists who were involved with either home eco- nomics in the secondary schools or in higher education. The overall impression is that the writers were attempting to spell out what this group felt were the important pglps_of home eco- nomics subject matter in the secondary school. Home Economits-is "improved family living" (pp. 15-27), education for employment (pp. 28-37), a subject for students with Special needs (PP. 39-44), a force in home-school relationships (pp. 45-50), and a worthy con- cept based curriculum subject (pp. 51-65). The strength of the sub- .Iect is through evaluation and continued research (pp. 66-72). The central focus of home economics in this context emerges as a concern for the welfare of the family and the individual's homemaking role (pp. 13-14; 15-16; 39; 41-42; 51-52; 70-72; 80; 95-96). 44 Focus--l966 Eggps.was prepared by the Home Economics Subcommittee of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy of the American Association of Land-Grant Colleges and State Universities. It is designed as a guide for Extension home economist and as a challenge to that group to design meaningful programs for specific clientele' (fpggs, 1966, p. 5). The central theme of Home Economics/Human Ecology is both implied and referred to directly in this publication. The best sum- mary of how this organization perceived the central theme in this publication is found in the last statement of the text: "Extension's Focus is-- THE FAMILY in community and nation." (Focus, 1966, p. 25) The Changing Mission of Home Economics--l968 Earl J. McGrath, Director of the Institute of Higher Edu- cation, Teachers College, Columbia University, along with Jack T.” Johnson, Associate Dean of Arts and Science, Indiana State University, were commissioned in the mid-60's to undertake a study of home eco- nomics by the National Association of State Universities and Land— Grant Colleges. This study was aimed primarily at defining the future role and sc0pe of home economics in member institutions. It was at a time when there was some question concerning the continuing existence of home economics as a professional educational 45 unit which prepared practitioners for specific occupations. This was given some support by members of the professidn and was a view that asked whether home economics had exerted the leadership necessary to keep the profession abreast of the emerging needs of society.‘ While the questions both from within the profession and with-1 out were valid, the facts uncovered by this report indicated a demand for home economists that will, they predict, increase indefinitely. The existing and prospective employment opportunities of primarily teachers, dietetics, business and extension personnel will be trans- formed by the major social trends of internationalism and expanded social welfare. Again, as in the Dressel and Lee document of 1963, there is a sense of urgency conveyed that extensive expanSion and/or reorgani- zation of education in the field of home economics is unavoidable. The message throughout the McGrath report is: new ideals and goals need to be pursued that fit present and future needs. These alone will not assure a flourishing future. "Only a searching review of the purposes of home economics, its teaching functions, its research programs and its public services in light of the social conditions of our time will fill the present requirements" (McGrath, 1968, p. 507). The central focus of the discipline is approached from the standpoint of the instructional aspects of home economics in higher education as mainly professional preparation and expanded employment Opportunities. The curriculum, according to McGrath's findings, should seek to be more general rather than specialized. 46 Home EconOmics must decide whether it wishes to be a field with a common core of professional education . . . or whether it wishes to be a collection of disparate specializations with little in common and clustered around the rather nebulous concept of "home and fam- ily life" (McGrath, 1968, p. 508). Research as part of home economics in higher education was“ found to be extremely limited and concentrated in a few institutions. Forty-two per cent of the 533 research projects under way at the time of this study were in the area of foods and nutrition (McGrath, 1968, pp. 58 & 60). This imbalance has complex meanings and is one of the impediments for the development of a broad scholarly base and tends to cloud the clarification of a central focus for the field. Stating that home economics serves the home and family as have other reports up to this time, is too vague, according to McGrath. While this nebulous value focus may be a unique one, it is not sufficient to meet the demands of defining the profession's philOSOphy, theory, research, curriculum and action strategies with quantitative and qualitative precision. According to this study, the purpose and mission of home economics should be re-examined in the light of the changing conditions of modern life brought about by sci- entific and technological advance and a global outlook that includes service to all manner of families. A broader and higher level of service in cooperation with other disciplines should be a top prior- ity. Home Economics should be viewed as " . . . a systematic and comprehensive understanding of the family and community . . . . (MCGrath, 1968, p. 90). 47 "National Goals and Guidelines for Research—in Hbme Economics“--197O The most recent formal report on home economics sponsored by the Association of Administrators of Home Economics is "National Goals and Guidelines for Research in Home Economics" (1970). Under the direction of Jean Davis Schlater the " .‘. . primary purpose of, this study was to establish major goals which would indicate the scope and strengthen the research base in home economics" (Schlater, 1970, p. 7). Five mission-oriented goals are delineated:‘ I. Improve the conditions contributing to man's psychological and social develOpment. II. Improve the conditions contributing to man's physiological health and development. III. Improve the physical components of man's near environment. IV. Improve consumer competence and family resource use. V. Improve the quality and availability of com- munity services which enrich family life (9. 7). ‘ The project goals "reflect the continuing commitment of home economics to the family and to the interaction between man and his near environment" (Schlater, 1970, p. 7). The McHale Ecosystem model was used as a framework to clarify three task forces whith were to‘ define broad research goals and related problem areas. The three systems are: Bio-Physical, Psycho-Social and Technological. This report represents a leap forward in clarifying the cen- - tral focus of the discipline. The terminology attempts to view the family in the near-environment and related to the global ecosystem in .a moreprecise manner. One of the many important contributions of ‘the study is its encouragement to professionals in the field to 48 engage in research to develop a sound theoretical base for Home Economics/Human Ecology. It is also a statement that reflects the crucial concern to make the profession more relevant to the present and future needs of the family as an ecosystem. The Eleventh Lake Placid Conference--l973 In October, 1973, the American Home Economics Association sponsored the Eleventh Lake Placid Conference at Lake Placid, New York. The inVitational meeting is summarized in a twenty-one page~ report published by the AsSociation. The queStions and statements indicate that, to name some of the major issues reported: the defi- nition, focus, role, name and values are as important as were these concerns in the original ten Conferences. The following are some excerpts of importance to this study: Home economics needs to clarify its scope and goals. Home economics can be defined as the science of deal- ing with the individual and how he practically manip- ulates his social environment, or his domestic space (p. 2). We should reaffirm Ellen Richards' definition of home economics . . . . Our focus should be on the family in its broader definition and on the relationship of the family to the environment. The focus of home economics is on the relation of man to man, man to things, and man to the environment (p. 2). The goal of home economics should be to mature as'a profession with a sense of identity that is built around meeting human needs, finding unity with diversification, and seeking a common core of values, competences, ways of articulation (p. 3). 49 It is essential that we define and clarify the scope of home economics in order to interrelate with other disciplines (p. 5). 0n the content-process continuum, we should move from the content end toward a meshing of content into an integrated core which will be, in truth, a new disci- pline . . . . The ecological systems approach could provide the integrating framework for developing (organizing) the content of knowledge underlying edu- cational services . . . . Unlike most other disci- plines which are defined by boundaries within which. its practitioners must work, home economics is multidisciplinary and incredibly SOphisticated in design. By trial and error we have developed inno- vative interdisciplinary administrative structures. We should be aware of our impressive achievement in this (p. 6). In the Category of the DISCIPLINE, These Actions are Thought To Be Important: Identify our unique body, of knowledge; develOp clear conceptual framework; "finish the French Lick start;" show the philOSOphical coherence between home economics concepts; adopt an ecological systems conceptual frame; develop a model' showing interrelatedness and commonalities in home. economiCs; set priorities for concepts to be taught; identify different levels of attainment (p. 15). The Conference again clearly states that the profession has many important tasks to which the energies of the social system should be directed. And the central focus of the discipline is stated as a concern for the family and the individual in the near environ- ment. Summary: How Do the Historical Documents of Home Economics/Human Ecology Define the Central Focus of the—Discipline? Home Economics/Human Ecologychas a series of published official and unofficial statements concerning its central focus. A 50 selection of the publications available have been reviewed. The question of what is the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology is a fundamental issue that is in need of resolution to facilitate the progress of the field's maturity. Marjorie Brown has observed that a field of study is con-A cerned with sound comprehension of reality and rational means are’ sought to understand all the elements. Rational maturity is sought in the development of the field in the following ways: Analysis of areas of inquiry indicates that there are several characteristics, not mutually exclusiVe, which seem to be associated with rational maturity in a field: 1) clarity regarding the central focus of the field, 2) coherence in the conceptual structure of the field, 3) definition and analysis of the basic elements of the field, 4) use of well-defined methods of study appropri- ate for comprehending reality in the field, 5) reliability of the products of workmanship in the field, and therefore,' general agreement among competent students in the field and 6) avoidance of absolute claims to reality and exclu- sive ways of comprehending reality (Brown, 1967a, pp. 1-2). Therefore, it is important that the scholarly base of the field be made explicit and that some degree of agreement within the profession be reached as to what constitutes the central conceptual organizing focus of the discipline. Traditionally, home economics is one of the applied fields and has sought to make its unique focus the family in the environment and the family as an environment. Home Economics/Human Ecology syn- thesizes knowledge from the physical, biological and social sciences‘ to that ends. The interaction of the three (the family, indi- vidual members, and the society) needs to be viewed in defining the valued ends of the field of home economics (Brown, 1970, p. 13). 51 This represents a highly sophisticated study of the synthesis and application of a number of interrelated concepts. The key to the comprehension of this focus is as a synergy or an organic whole. At the beginning of the century a group of far- seeing men and women . . . took a long and searching look at families and their needs and became convinced that knowledge and understanding of the basic needs of families should be acquired, and that this knowledge could be directed toward implementing changes that would result in improved family well-being. They be- lieved that through the application of science it was possible to control the physical and social environ- ment of the home in such a fashion that mankind would be benefited. Although the basic definition of the nature of the field remains essentially the same, emphasis today is placed on the "reciprocal influences (interaction) between human behavior and the material substances." The approach is ecological--a search for understanding and controlling the mutually sustaining relationship that couples man with his environment (Paolucci, 1970, pp. 1 & 3). There is evidence of contradictions in the present content of home economics and in the technology-craftsmanship of the field as it- is practiced (Lee and Dressel, 1963; Brown, 1967b, p. 772; McGrath, 1968). There are also areas of Content in home economies which appear to be irrelevant to the historical stated central focus} Acceptance of an explicit central theme may mean, therefore, a reor- ganization of content and a repudiation of some concepts that are now held. New questions need to be asked to gain fresh insights in order to develOp a sound foundation and to meet the field's claim as a unique discipline and profession. Further, the implicit as well as the explicit statements about home economics represent an organi- zation which has not yet gained consensus among the members of the 52 social system of the profession. The problem of interpretation is one concrete way to judge the effectiveness of a field's focus gpg_ the commitment of Home Economics/Human Ecology to an organized syn- thesized whole. The world is changing at a pace that man has not experienced before. Common sense is changing. Cognitive and technical tools are also changing (Kuhn, 1970). Man's orientation to and relationship with the environment is changing because there are environmental changes. These are never in a social vacuum. To look at man in a fast-moving world, cognitively complex persons are needed (Brown, 1970, pp. 4-5 and 26-27). The goal of the profession, to create and disseminate know- ledge for the welfare of the individual and the family, must be looked at in relation to the long-range consequences as well as the short-term expediencies. The willingness and ability to re-direct one's energies toward more productive approaches when previous ones are unproductive are necessary for those who are concerned with prac- tical applied problems. The willingness to take the psychological risks in order to gain new perspectives, to admit less than certainty, and to conceptualize and try new schemes are necessary for those whose performance is grounded in something other than mere habit. CHAPTER III THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE DISCIPLINE: A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE In Chapter II the central focus of the discipline of Home Economics/Human Ecology was clarified through a review of a series of historical documents. The focus has been defined as follows: Throughout the history of home economics, education and research programs have focused upon man's well-. being, with special emphasis on the family (Schlater, 1970, p. 2). The family as a life support system is dependent upon the natural environment for physical sustenance and upon the social organizations which are related to man's humanness and give quality and meaning to life. Home economists for some time have emphasized the social- emotional environment. It is necessary for the field ‘ (as it focuses on the family) to link both the natural environment and the social environment. Therein lie_ its uniqueness and strength (Hook and Paolucci, 1970, p. 316). The next link in seeking to clarify the central focus of the field in more explicit and precise ways was to identify some of the changes presently taking place in Home Economics/Human.Ecology. The first phase of the empirical procedure was an analysis of some recent documents from fifteen institutions of higher education offering Home Economics/Human Ecology. These writings were examined to determine some changes taking place in the profession. This aspect was con- ducted from October 1972 to February 1973. For details concerning the content analysis see Appendix A. 53 54 The Content Analysis The primary objective of the content analysis was to criti- cally review some examples of recent develOpments in the profession by examining some selected documents. Fifteen institutions of higher education offering Home Economics/Human Ecology that appeared to have undergone name change and/or organizational restructuring were iden- tified.1 The criteria for selecting the institutions polled were: 1. Units that appeared to have undergone or were undergoing change as indicated by the name of the administrative unit. 2. Size of the institution was considered to include units of- varying enrollments. To identify some of the major themes that are emerging in organizational restructuring and name change, a letter sOliciting such information was sent in the Fall of 1972 to each of the fifteen' universities identified as the sample (See Appendix A). The docu- ~ ments forwarded were systematically reviewed and the contents were coded (See Appendix A for a summary of documents). Ten sets of docu- ments were received. 1U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare, Office of Education, Bureau of Adult, Vocational, and TechniCal Education, Division of Vocational and Technical EducatiOn, Washington, D.C. "Heads of Home Economics Teacher Education in Institutions Approved by State Boards for Vocational Education for the Training of Voca- tional Teachers of Home Economics“ (Revised Summer of 1972). 55 For the purposes of this study, the content analysis focused on statements which reflected philosophical and organizational con- cerns of the institution. Berelson's comments are appropriate: In the communication process a central position is occupied by the content . . . communication content _ is the what . . . . Since the content represents the means through which one person or group communicates with another, it is important for communication re- search that it is described with accuracy and inter- preted with insight . . . a scientific method has been developed . . . (it) is called content analysis (Berelson, 1954, p. 488). (Content analysis can be used) to identify the inten- tions and other characteristics of the communicators . . . This has been a major use of content analysis; The baSic . logic of this application of content analysis-is this:‘ The content has such-and-such characteristics, therefore, the commungcators have such-and-such intentions (Berelson, 1954, p. 498 . Content Analysis: The Method and Analysis Berelson identifies three basic steps in content analysis: a) Define the unit of analysis (Berelson, 1954; pp. 507-509). b) Definition and categorization of the universe (Berelson, 1954, pp. 510-512). c) Evaluation through quantitative and/or quali- tative statements concerning the central com- munication process (Berelson, 1954, pp. 512-518). The specific objectives of this content analysis were: a) To review the available documents forwarded from the insti- tutions of Home Economics/Human Ecology that have undergone 56 name and/or organizational change to facilitate the identi- fication of some conceptual ideas or themes. b) To ascertain on the basis of the sample of materials if there is evidence of some consistency in the emerging ideas and themes identified. The Code and instructions can be found in Appendix A. Berelson cites four problems of content analysis as'a re- search method: The problem of counting, the problem of reliability, the problem of sampling and the problem of inference (Berelson, 1954, pp. 512-518). This content analysis represents one source of infor- mation of the overall design of this study. The sampling was neither large nor representative enough to justify careful Counting of the coded materials. The results are meaningful only in relation to the total design of the study. The findings of the content analysis, while found to be reliable between two coders, was not of sufficient quantity to produce clear objective and precise results. The mater- ials analyzed, therefore, do not meet Berelson's criteria necessary for counting. The results have been used to identify-four inferential patterns about the central focus of discipline of the field. The reliability of the coded materials was checked by an objective cOder. The dependability of these results refers to the accuracy specific to the sample of documents being evaluated but not necessarily to the purpose for which the evaluation was done. 57 Therefore, the reliability check means that given the instructions for coding the results between coders is consistent. The validity or truthfulness of the coding is implied because the coding that was defined appears to have served the purpose for which it was intended: to determine if there are some consistent patterns, concepts or themes that are emerging between administrative units offering Home Economics/Human Ecology in higher education. The outside criterion on which the implied validity is based is the results of the Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet Questionnaire (See Chapter V). The inferential patterns found in the content analysis were found to be consistent with that survey data. The independent coder was chosen using the following guide- lines: 1) The independent coder should be an initiated professional with a Ph.D. in an area of study considered to be Home Economics/Human Ecology; 2) a professional familiar with some of the changes taking place in Home Economics/Human Ecology; 3) and a professional recommended by two or more initiated pro- fessionals. Dr. Nancy Harries, Researcher, Consumer and Food Economics Institute, Agricultural Research Service (USDA), Federal Building, Hyattsville, Maryland was chosen as the independent coder. The 58 objectives, the code, the instructions and the materials forwarded from the ten institutions were given to her in the fall of 1973. The results of the reliability check indicated that in relation to the objectives of this content analysis, there was consistency between coders approximately 95% of the time. The purpose of this survey of documents of colleges and uni- versities offering Home Economics/Human Ecology undergoing changes was viewed as one link in clarifying the central focus of the disci- pline. The content analysis was not intended to be a comprehensive survey of the available materials. While this is identified as a worthy study for the future, the problem of sampling for this study does represent a small, tentative and to some degree, static picture of what_appears to be a fast moving multidimensional multiloOp scenario. The universes Berelson notes should be relevant consider- ations of a content analysis and these have been met to a limited degree by the sample size. In summary, since the most important outcomes of-this content analysis were the qualitative statements extrapolated from the ten' sets of materials, the four problems of content analysis are dealt with to some extent by the consistency found between the content anal- ysis and the results of the Ecological Systems Framework Opinion-' naire Questionnaire. The inferences derived from these two parts of the descriptive data are amenable to further testing by other methods that directly apply to the data. 59 The Findings The profession is changing. The content analysis gave some clear evidence that both major and minor transformations are taking place. The inferential findings of the content analysis indiCated some of the substance of the changes that are taking place with regards to the organization of the administrative unit, the organi- zation of the curriculum and the underlying philosophical changes, some of which were implied and some explicitly stated. It should be noted that what is not published may be as important as what is printed. What information is chosen to be dis- seminated by members of the social system can, therefore, act as a mediating force for a profession. A well planned and analyzed survey has an important place in the research efforts of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The principle contribution then is in describingcurrent practices or beliefs with the goal of using the present to prediCt and make long range plans. This study illustrates the need for such systematic descriptive studies about what is happening to the profession gs_it is changing. What degree of consensus does the profession need in order to be identified as Home Economics/Human Ecology? Is there a conceptual consistency between the different members of the social system of the profession?. How much human and material resources should the pro- fessiOn devote to these kinds of issues? Four general patterns were identified from the coding. Two ideas that emerged that could not be categorized included the 60 observation that one unit did not consider their college a college of home economics; Another respondent was concerned that Home Economics appears to be an institutional construct rather than a conceptually based discipline. While implied in some of the documents forwarded, these views were specifically mentioned in correspondence. Inferential Pattern One: Frameworks or Models are Being Used Abductive models are implied in many of the documents. The most highly refined are evident in the materials forwarded from the University of Maryland, Michigan State University, Cornell Univer- sity, the University of Guelph and Pennsylvania State University. From the materials available, the models did not appear to be consis- tent between these institutions. The abductive stage of develOpment“ would seem to imply a hierarchy with regards to the way the social 'system is ordered and the concepts that are considered to be the 'central focus of the discipline. The implication of a hierarchy may or may not be intended but from the available documents it is dif- ficult to sort out whether the social structure of the Specific uni- versity is different from the social structure perceived of as the profeSsion and then how this ordering of the organization of the administrative unit and the curriculum affects the interpretation of the discipline and the profession. Since these institutions are ini- tiating new professionals it would seem to be an important issue with 61 regards to the identity of the macro-view of the total social system of Home Economics/Human Ecology. Inferential Pattern Two: The Language Used to Describe Change is Used in Unique Ways for Each Institution The language used to talk about the organizational and philo- sophical changes is the heart of the content analysis. When coding the available documents it was apparent that the language used appeared to be interpreted and defined by each administrative unit in unique ways. The meaning to this writer was that the terms that were being used had shared meaning only in the immediate social system and, therefore, one of the subtle barriers for Home Economics/Human Ecology to deal with is the way language is being used. The language does reflect the changes that are being wrought in the institutions of higher education and would seem to point out the urgency for the. profession to clarify Operational and theoretical definitions so that meanings of symbols within the social system are precise and used in consistent ways. Inferential Pattern Three: /The Use of Language Reflects a Naivete About How Knowledge is Generated There are a number of examples that could be used to illus- trate how the documents coded used language in a way that reflects a naivete’about how knowledge is generated and used in an applied 62 scientific enterprise (Gouldner, 1969, pp. 85-98). Further, this comes through in the image or map that is implied by the stated goals of the institution and the implied consequences of these on the larger social order of the profession. One unit states that it is organized around "thought" and discipline orientation and reflects the struggle to categorize the complex ideas from "National Goals and Guidelines . . . .” (Schlater, 1970). These goals are to be the model of the institu- tions organizational and philosophical bases. The central ideas appear to be there but a question is raised about the level of the enterprise from which this is taken as well as that being talked about and the cognitive tools to consistently implement these be- liefs (Blackburn, 1973). Is it feasible or reasonable to take a report like, "National Goals and Guidelines for Research in Home Economics," and implement it as the basis of an administrative unit's total organization (Schlater, 1970)? Are such decisions based on abductive, deductive and inductive research? Another illustration of this is the way that the client is depicted in some of the materials. The picture is one that, for example, shows the consumer as in need of being protected and the language connotes that this is the ends of the scientific study of the consumer for the profession. Rather than viewing the consumer as a user in the multi-loop system, the "life" of the product is seen to end when the consumer purchases an article and the consumer as a per- son appears to be a manipulated defenseless irrational ploy. The role of the professional home economist is to save them. How does 63 such an image affect the way that the profession initiates profes- sionals, generates and uses knowledge in the scientific enterprise as well as defines the central focus of the discipline? Inferential Pattern Four: The Reasons are Usually Given for Changing or Not Changing the Administrative Unit Reasons are usually given by an administrative unit for chang- ing the organizational and/or philosophical orientation. The diver- sity of these is of importance for this study. While they represent only an indication of what may be happening on the broader horizons, the reasons coded are thought provoking. Reasons for Changing_ There seems to be four kinds of reasons given for changes in the administrative unit: a) Pressures from the immediate academic community; b) Pressures from the alumni and/or community at large; c) Pressures from the students and/or faculty of the adminis- trative unit; d) for image purposes that include the audiences in (a), (b), and (c). 64 Reasons for Not Changing Reasons for not changing the organizational or philosophical orientation are not as clearly stated. "A department should not pre- sume to include as extensive a program and the same kind of divisions as a larger administrative unit" (Code 2, page 2). And the same administrative unit indicated that since the departments essentially were a cooperative unit of peOple and since it all seems to be work- ing, why change (Code 2)? The tentative statements implied from an examination of the ten sets of available documents indicated, therefore, that organi- zational changes are not necessarily made with regards to conceptual or philosophical considerations. The reasons for change are usually a complex of pressures from a number of sources and the motivation for investing human and material resources of the unit to the task of change are primarily political and economic issues. The reasons cited for changing are not consistent between institutions and the inferential pattern that emerged is that there is fragmentation between units as well as within institutions. The most important body to confirm and approve of the profession's con- tribution is the immediate academic community and thus some of the units are highly individualistic in their orientation and interpre- tation of Home Economics/Human Ecology. Given the pressures on the administrative units of higher education for changes, how indi- vidualistic can the reasons and the changes be and still be considered as part of Home Economics/Human Ecology? Have the individualistic 65 changes taken place because the profession has not stated the focus of the discipline clearly? Conclusions Because the ten institutions which sent materials for the con- tent analysis provided such a diversity of materials and the sample size was limited, the coding results yielded four inferential pat- terns. The value of this aspect of the study is to provide an infor- mational link to facilitate the continued evolution of the central focus of the discipline as a contemporary issue facing the profession. In 1972 the American Home Economics Association formed a com- mittee to assess the changes in home economics units of colleges and universities in the past ten years. A summary of their findings was recently reported in the Journal of Home Economics (Weis, East, Manning, 1974, pp. 11-15). Some of the efforts of this committee complement the review of historical documents as well as the content analysis of this study. The value of the Weis et. a1. research is that the empirical results of their survey provides sOme different and related statistical information. It is hoped that additional StUdies concerned with ascertaining the state of change in Home ECOriomics/Human Ecology will build on these studies to provide a more C13flnt3rehensive view of the state of all the dimensions of the profes-l“ SEOn. 66 The questions raised by the content analysis are important for such continued efforts. 1. What is the consistent theme, focus or concept of Home Economics/Human Ecology in the 1970's? 2. Why is the literature about Home Economics/Human Ecology not being systematically produced and disseminated in order to explore the many issues related to the macro social system of the profession? 3. Why is some of the literature that is produced appear to be defensive in tone and primarily geared for the uninitiated student, academic community and/or for public relation pur- poses? 4. Why are some of the reports produced of a quality that reflects a profession with a low standard of excellence? The most consistent theme of these materials was the incon-l sistencies between the institutional units surveyed. From the con- temporary documents coded from the ten units of higher education of Home Economics/Human Ecology which appeared to be undergoing changes,“ the central focus of the discipline that is evolving appears to be an abductive comprehension and emphasis on the individual and the family in the near environment. This focus is in need of being made explicit in more precise ways. CHAPTER IV THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECOLOGiCAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK: AN EVOLUTIONARY STAGE IN THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE DISCIPLINE Introduction Having a central focus of attention delimits a field of . study, provides a basis upon which the conceptual structure is organ- ized and clarifies the unique contribution of a field in relation to other professions; It is an assumption of this study that Home Economics/Human Ecology has a central focus that is evolving and that this central focus is in need of explication in a more precise way. In the past this has meant that there has been uneven attention to component parts, minimal attention to the concept of the family as a whole system and the central focus has been viewed in an essentially static format (Brown, 1964a, 1967b, 1970; Quilling, 1970). The objective of this Chapter is to build on the synthesis from Chapter II and III to propose the next evolutionary stage in the development of the central focus of the field. Complementary devel- Opments in science are integrated to move the comprehension of HOme Economics/Human Ecology's focus from the abductive to the deductive level of logical reasoning. This study is viewed as one link in a 67 68 series to which the profession needs to commit resources to assure the systematic develOpment of the field. The end goal of an applied science is to seek to systemati- cally investigate a phenomenon for the purpose of revealing its true nature. It is interested in both the properties of the phenomena and the relations existing among these properties which explains the action or behavior taking place. Primary attention is given to each 'part and the relations among the properties since it is from these that the scientist is able to achieve his ultimate goal: prediction of bOth short term and long range consequences. The phenomena must be studied objectively so that the generalizations spring from data and not from personal bias. Thus over time a body of theory, research and technology of the applied science emerge (Brown, 1967, p. 772). In the case of an applied science the ends of each one is uni- ‘ que but there is a common structure to the intellectual organization. This can be viewed as an open system of integrated and interacting parts that consist of the profession's philoSOphy, research, theory, curriculum and practice (technology-craftsmanship). It is assumed that the person being initiated into the profession understands each of the parts as well as the image of the whole of the system. One way the dimensions of the profession can be pictured can be seen in Figure 2.1 This model will be used in this study. Sigmund Nosow defined all established professions as having evidence of the following community attributes: lSee also Figure 7 in Chapter VI. 69 PHILOSOPH ESEARCH OUTPUTS INPUTS PRACTICE PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARY AS AN OPEN SYSTEM Fig. 2.--Dimensions of an Applied Scientific Profession 70 1; Its members are bound by a sense of identity. 2 Once in it, few leave, so that it is a terminal or continuing status for the most part. 3) Its mem- bers share values in common. 4) Its role defini- tions vis—a-vis both members and non-members are a reed upon ana are the same for all members. 51 Within the areas of communal action there is a common language, which is understood only partially by outsiders. 6) The Community has power over its members. 7) Its limits are reasonably clear, though they are not physical and geographic but social. 8) Though it does not produce the next generation biologically, it does so socially through its con- trol over the selection of professional trainees, and through its training processes it sends these recruits through an adult socialization process. In the case of home economics Marjorie Brown has noted that it is a profession in the sense of a folk concept of "profession." "This indicates that it is field where practitioners in the profes-' sion draw from areas of complex knowledge to provide practical ser- vices which society needs" (Brown, 1970, p. 2). The assumptiOn is‘ that the practical services that are needed are services to families. Since service to families is different from dis- service to families, I am assuming that home eco- nomics is a "helping" profession and that the end product of this helping is that identified in the constitution of the American Home Economics Associ- ation: " . . . the attainment of the well-being of individuals and families, the improvement of homes, and the preservation of values significant in home life" (Brown, 1970, p. 2). . basic scientists are not as scientists con- cerned with the practical use of’their field of knowledge. On the other hand, home economists are concerned as home economists with the practical uses of scientific knowledge to control limited parts of the environment for the welfare of human- kind. This is analagous to the practical use of' scientific knowledge in other professions, such as medicine, social work, engineering, teaching, and counseling (Brown, 1967b, p. 772). 71 The discipline of a profession is its center of theoretical and empirical activity which, in essence, is a profession's central focus. The family, as the primary focus of study in earlier stages of home economics, embodied in its rural ori- entation and traditional setting a series of func- tions performed through well established traditional roles. Home economics in its intellectual efforts was primarily concerned with the traditional roles of women (Nosow, 1964, p. 7). Home economics has shifted in intellectual and empirical focus from a complete identification with the traditional functions of the family to continued interest in the family within the wider frames of reference presented by the behavioral sciences, and to an interest in a wide number of institutionalized areas which are only peripherally related to the individual and the family. The results have made it difficult for home economists to relate their entire professional membership to one intellectual focus and have created problems of identity for all within the profession. This brings us to the question of just what a home economist is (Nosow, 1964, p. 9).‘ The discipline of Home Economics/Human Ecology manifest as a profession represents a social system. It is a kind of culture. Rogers' has defined such a system as follows: A social system is a collectivity of units engaged in joint problem-solving with respect to a common goal .‘. . . To the extent that the units in a system are differentiated from each other, struc- ture exists in the system. So social structure is the degree of differentiation in a social system on the basis of social status, power, or other variables . . . . Because communication occurs between a source and receiver who are members of'a system, the communication process is affected by the system's structure . . . . (Rogers, 1971, p. 10). Home Economics/Human Ecology as a field is manifest in its disciplinary focus, professional services and as a unique social sys- tem. The Ecological Sy-tems Framework, hereafter referred to as 72 ESF, is being prOposed as the next evolutionary stage in the devel- opment of the central focus of the discipline to guide the profes- sion's social system toward its goals. It is an elaboration of the comprehension of the history of the field and seeks to move the scholarly base from the abductive to the logical-deductive stage. Such a refinement can then facilitate the empirical-inductive devel- Opment of the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The ESF, therefore, represents one of many stages in this process. Home economics is a recognizable profession with certain rights and prerogatives accorded the pro- fession by the community. It has a history, a culture, a common membership, a procedure for entrance into the profession, and some control over this entrance. It has an organization and through it and its sub-organizations articulates with related professions. What is lacking in home economics is a common‘ focus or definition which will continue to strengthen the bonds of membership. The centripetal forces engendered in increasing Specialization and the seg- mentalization of the profession suggest that there are a number of diverse focuses which are tending to fragment the profession into various sub-professional categories (Nosow, 1964, p. 12). The Integration of a Related Scientific Revolution in the Evolution of the Central Focus of the Field“, Thomas Kuhn has recently noted that when a radical change takes place in science there is a change in paradigm (Kuhn, 1970). And that the fundamental change is a movement from one model to another. A paradigm is a symbolic abstraction and like a map, one level of reality. Once adOpted, therefore, it has an immense 73 influence on the quality of the work done with it. It is a highly significant underlying foundation of science. Explanations Explanations entail a patterning of variables and their logical relationships such that given the stated ihteractional rules, the phenomena to be explained would reasonably result when the vari- ables are given assigned values. The lesson is to seize on the intui- tion of patterning in a phenomena and turn these insights into test- able and tested theory. The theory or explanation provides a logi- cally related set of variables entailing a whole phenomena. Its interest lies in its power to predict outcomes when properly loaded and its logical cohesiveness is a relationship that can be specified. The applicability is bounded by the range of phenomena for which it has explanatory power. A discipline or profession viewed this way is a set of patterned variables of elements whose logical relationship entails the phenomenon whose explanation is its central focus of con- cern. One of the assumptions of this study is that the present para- digm of Home Economics/Human Ecology is a partial reflection of its' explanation. When a framework or paradigm of the central focus of a dis- cipline is complete it is a superior explanatory tool and implies that the conception of explanation is compatible with an evolution- ary view of human knowledge. The quality of the explanation about 74 Home Economics/Human Ecology is being prOposed in relation to new insights about scientific explanation. General Systems Theory (GST) When one thinks of ”revolutions" in contemporary North America what comes immediately to mind are the social and political struggles being waged by various oppressed groups. It is not gen- erally recognized that a parallel revolution is occurring; this one in the scientific realm and is equal in sc0pe and implications to the social revolution described in the daily press. This scien- tific revolution is associated with various terms: cybernetics, information theory, communication theory, simulatiOn, game theory and so forth. While each of these terms refers to a specific and distinctive orientation or method, they are all related to a branch of research and theorizing commonly called General Systems Theory (GST). The GST orientation is a tool. It is a science of organizing and organization and a way of thinking about living systems. The focus of attention is on the metabolism of matter-energy and the metabolism of information. It is a movement from looking at phe- nomena in a linear cause-effect model to a process, structure- elaborating, multidimensional view of man and man in his environment. GST has a rich and lengthy heritage. Aspects of it can be traced to Aristotle who stated in Politics that a state is composed of villages, which are in turn made up of households, which contain 75 families (Kim, 1969). Conceiving of things in terms of wholes and interrelated parts is a basic concept in the GST framework. The modern systems approach dates back little more than twenty or thirty years to the early work of Ludwig von Bertalanffy (1950, p. 256-258), Norbert Wiener (1948, 1967), and Shannon and Weaver (1949). Of these, only Bertalanffy was directly concerned with system theory pgypsgg but all shared an interdisciplinary ori- entation and a concern for organization and communication. GST has been greatly influenced by develOpments in related fields. Bertalanffy, a theoretical biologist (1950); was joined by Kenneth Boulding, an economist (1956); J. G. Miller, a psychiatrist and psychologist (1955); Ashby, a bacteriologist (1958); Rapoport, a mathematician (1956) and a growing list of persons representing a' diversity of formal training and academic affiliations. The devel- Opment of GST has profited from concurrent theoretical elaborations in cybernetics, information theory, game theory, graph and network theory in mathematics to name but a few of the sources from which stimulation has been drawn and to which GST has made contributions. GST is essentially a shift in the study of man and his envi- ronment from a concern for the relatively stable substance and qual- ities, to analysis of a more shifting structure. The focus has moved to view the particularly fluid nature of the structure of a system and to differentiate between the thin conceptual line of "structure“ and what is called “process" (Buckley, 1967, p. 5). This new approach is seen as significantly more appropriate and adequate than previous models dominating scientific thinking. 76 The mechanical-equilibrium school of thought views man and the environment in which he lives as likened to an elaborate machine. Analogies appropriate to such a premise have served to limit and distort reality (Sorokin, 1928, pp. 3-62; Buckley, 1967, p. 5). The organismic-functional model of man and his environment draws analogies in social thought from organic metaphor. This approach was inspired during a period when there were advances in biology (Spencer, 1897; Buckley, 1967). The functionalist's appeal to the organismic analogy further drives him to overemphasize the more stable, over-determined, and supported normative aspects without which dynamic analysis is impossible (Buckley, 1967, p. 15). In essence, the model is inadequate to deal with and to reflect the realities of the human sector. Other models have found a place in the history of scien- tific social thought in the western world but for this discussion the next significant one is the "process" model. It is an early 20th century phenomena under the leadership of the so-called "Chicago School." Essentially it is congenial to and even anticipative of, basic principles of cybernetics. It " . . . views society as a com- plex multifaceted, fluid interplay of widely varying degrees and intensities of association and dissociation" (Buckley, 1967, p. 18). The insights of this abstract construct have been to conceptualize the sociocultural systems as inherently structure-elaborating and in the process of change. The "process school" is a bridge to the present revolutionary view of man. Studying the physical and living world by studying 77 systems, sub-systems and supra-systems is an established method. GST is a distinct focus of study, however. Of the so-called global theories the one initially stated and defined by Ludwig von Bertalanffy in 1947 under the title GST, has taken hold. Since that time the approach is constantly being refined, modified and applied (Bertalanffy, 1968). The natural environment is a prime example of GST. To sys- tematically observe the process of ecological succession of a ter- restrial/aquatic pond ecosystem is to become aware of the intricate and interwoven cycles that consist ofla series of stages from a pioneering community to a climax community. Man is increasingly creating the environment around him and in the process upsetting these natural cycles. Because the feedback systems.are so complex and mutually causal, man is not yet fully cognizant of the total consequences of his present or past actions. ' For example, Odum states that: We may summarize the story of man and nature by looking ahead. The future can be divided into alternatives according to energy supplies. There is the future ofppower expgnding, the future of power constant, and the future of power receding, National and international planning task fOrces should be assigned to each of these three con— tingencies. We are not now sure which future will be next: Perhaps they will follow each other in a step-by-step sequence. These energy alternatives concern survival and should probably demand far more of our national attention than the status symbol of space travel . . . . We have energy now to plan for the future, but later there may be no excess calories (Odum, 1971, p. 304). 78 The sociocultural-human world that man has created is an interwoven fabric of interdependent connecting strands. Neither is nature to be compartmentalized nor is man a simple list of categories. Consequently, it is not farfetched to assume that in spite of our current fragmented sciences, there are generalizations that over- arch the conventional categories connecting what is now often uncon- nected (J. G. Miller, 1965 & 1971). The Ecological Systems Approach (ESA) GST applied as a means for studying the human organism, popu- lations of human organisms as environment and in relation to the nat- ural environment is defined as the Ecological Systems Approach (ESA) (Auerswald, 1968). It is a unique way of viewing the world and it is an approach that presents a unifying, holistic model that means that all sciences have the potential to be included in order to present an accurate picture of an ecological system (Auerswald, 1968). The ESA . . . changes the vantage point of the data collector. It focuses precisely on the interfaces and communication processes taking place there. It begins with an analysis of the structure of the field, using the common structural and operational properties of systems as criteria for identifying the systems and sub-systems, it insists that the structure, sources, pathways, repository sites and integrative functions of messages become clear in addition to their content ... . this, plus the holistic nonexclusive nature of the approach, mini- mizes the dangers of excessive selectivity in the collection of data and allows for much more clarity in the contextual contributions to analysis. And the steps which follow, including prescription and planning of strategies and techniques, gain in 79 clarity and are more likely to be rooted in con- crete realities (Auerswald, 1968, p. 204). In addition: At the level of theor . . . the ESA, by clarifying and emphasizing t e 1nterfaces between systems, allows for the use of a variety of theoretical models which have to do with interactional processes and information exchange. These models form bridges between the conceptual systems of single disciplines. Information theory, crisis theory, game theory, and general communication theory . . . represent some. of the bodies of research and knowledge which be- come useable in an integrated way (Auerswald, 1968, p. 204). There is, of course, the danger of expecting too much of this "new" cognitive tool. Systems theory and theorizing about issues having only metaphysical consequences even if cloaked in metalanguage of mathematics, for example, can be used foolishly.. On the other hand, unless the exploration is attempted we may not be able to ver- ify even its most obvious possibilities. System Structures A System Since the GST/ESA orientation is a reaction against viewing man in a fractional or simple additive way, the concern is with the general, the aggregate, and the organized backdrOp in which events occur. The key assumption is that every part of the system is so related to every other part that any change in one aspect results in the dynamic change in all other parts of the total system (Hall and 80 Fagen, 1956). The term system implies wholeness and is considered to be some whole form in structure or Operation, concepts or functions, composed of united and integrated parts with some common properties in continuous activity (Bertalanffy, 1956, p. 3; Grinker, 1967, p. 370; Churchman, 1968, p. 11; J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 281). These arbitrarily defined sets of interdependent parts work together towards a common purpose such that the parts can be labeled, their boundaries defined, and their functions specified. According to J. G. Miller: The structure of a system is the arrangement of its subsystems and components in three-dimensional space at a given moment of time. This always changes over time. It may remain relatively fixed for a long period or may change from moment to moment, depending upon the characteristics of the process in the system. This process halted at any given moment, as when motion is frozen by a high-speed photograph, reveals the three- dimensional spatial arrangement of the system's com- ponents as of that instant (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 284). The relationships that tie the structure of the system to- gether makes the notion of system useful in that the relationship to be considered in the context of a given set of objects or concepts depend on the problem at hand. Subsystems or Components The components of a whole system can be conceptually divided. Subsystems are defined by J. G. Miller as . one sort of unit, each of which carries out a distinct and separate process and another sort of unit, each of which is a discrete, separate 81 structure. The totality of all the structures in a system which carry out a particular process is a subsystem (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 288). And to identify a subsystem's structure the process it carries out needs to be analyzed. There is no one-to-one relationship between pro- cess and structure. One or more processes may be carried out by two or more components . . . The concept of subsystem process is related to the concept of role used in social science . . . Certain processes are necessary for life and must be carried out by all living systems that survive or be performed for them by some other system. They are carried out by. . . critical subsys- tems . . . . (J. G. Miller, 19 971. pp 288- 289) Suprasystem The suprasystem of any living system is the next higher sys- tem of which it is a component or subsystem. Therefore, every sys- tem has a suprasystem except the universe. The suprasystem is differentiated from the environ- ment. The immediate environment is the suprasystem minus the system itself. The entire environment includes this plus the suprasuprasystem and the sys- tems at all higher levels which contain it. In order to survive the system must interact with and adjust to its environment, and the other parts of the suprasystem. These processes alter both the system and its environment. Living systems adapt to their environment and in return mold it. The result is that, after some period of interaction, each in some sense becomes the mirror of the other (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 288).‘ -..i _ lllll 82 Boundary The boundary of a system is the region separating one system from another whose function it is to filter or select inputs and out- puts (Buckley, 1968, p. 433). It can be distinguished by some dif- ference in the relationships existing among the components yithig_ the boundary compared with relationships which occur across the boundary. Some boundaries are linked with other boundaries to form a greater system. Systems whose boundaries are interfaced implies an abstracted space relationship that is greater than linkage and a source of vitality for the systems that transport inputs and outputs from one boundary to another. The conception or image of the family as an ecosystem is an example of defining the boundaries of this grouping and its environ- ment in a more precise structure. The ecosystem is a set of mutually interdependent organisms gpg_their environment, whose mutual existence depends upon the presence of each other and thus implies a particular region that when functioning normally selectively filters, admitting desired inputs and blocking out excessive, dangerous or unwanted inputs (See Figure 3). All Open systems have many gaps in them through which matter-energy and information can pass as inputs and outputs and the family perceived as an ecosystem is an example of this (J. G. Miller, 1965, p. 342; Hook and Paolucci, 1970). l 83 Desired States: Personal develop- ment, quality life, Out ut Information In-uts p and 5° forth. 1. I C. 6;:;:é5 Material inputs: Food, water Outputs: Wastes, garbage, Energy. Fuel, household chemicals, Clothing, Cleaning sewage, dirt, heat, Products and so unwanted articles, forth. and so forth. Fig. 3.--One Life-style of the Family as an Ecosystem Illustrated as an Inpyt-output System 84 Environment Systems, subsystems, and suprasystems are embodied within physical, spacial, temporal and sometimes symbolic sets of conditions called environments. The characteristics of the environments affect the system which interact with them and are in turn affected by those systems. Churchman (1968, p. 63) has noted that some environments constitute a set of conditions that can be relevant but not neces- sarily directly under the influence of a system. Some suprasystems and suprasuprasystems would thus be described. The immediate (or near) environment is the supra- system minus the system itself. The entire envi- ronment includes this plus the suprasuprasystem and the systems at all higher levels which con- tain it (J. G. Miller, 1965, p. 218)., So the near environment are those conditions that are closest to the organism and, therefore, tend to have a more immediate daily effect. The distal environment is linked to the near environment and in an abstract sense forms concentric circles around it. Levels of Analysis Systems level ranges from the individual organism in the con- text of the organization through the simplest interpersonal system (the dyad), to the group (which could be formed on the basis of work relationships, communication relationships or in other ways), the organizational division, or the entire organization (Farace and Russell, 1971, p. 3). The level of analysis at which an investigator 85 enters a system is arbitrary and dictated primarily by perception(s) and goa1(s). Upon entry into a system, clarifying the level of analysis is a crucial aspect of using the GST/ESA as a tool. Suprasystems are composed of systems, systems composed of subsystems composed of sub- subsystems and so on ad infinitum. Alternately the levels of analysis can be conceived of as a hierarchy of encompassing systems ranging from the simple to the complex (Boulding, 1956b, p. 60). Viewing a whole system from one point of view may be useless from another so that explicitly defining the appropriate level of analysis is a critical aspect of the structure of the system under study. There is no single level that is right for all purposes and each level of analysis highlights some phenomenon and obscures others. What are the criteria for distinguishing any one level from the other? They are derived frOm a long scientific tradition of empirical obser- vation of the entire gamut of living systems; This extensive experience of the community of scientific observers has led to a consensus that there are certain fundamental forms of organization of living matter energy (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 285). Examples are as abundant as one can think of them. Studying the organism as a family in the near environment can be seen from a number of different perspectives depending on the level of analysis that is chosen. The organism as family can be viewed as a whole aggregate group, from the perspective of each organism, from the vantage point of an institution of society, as affecting and being affected by the near and distal environment. Each level has a 86 concept of the system that is appropriate for some purpose based upon the organized images of the meaning of the whole (Boulding, 1956a). So the way a system, subsystem, boundary and environment are defined depends upon the level of analysis that is selected and that decision depends upon how the goal or situation is conceived of in the first place. This is an extremely important point and one that draws upon systems thinking to explain systems thinking and involves the codeterminacy between the individual's mind and his reality. One procedural rule in systems theory is that every discus- sion should begin with an identification of the level of reference and this should be a consistent constant throughout the discourse unless specifically stated. To summarize: Systems at the indicated level are called systems. Those at the level above are suprasystems, and at the higher level, suprasuprasystems. Below the level of reference are subsystems, and below them subsubsystems (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 285). Emergents or Synergy of Multidimensional Human Systems Emergents (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 287) or synergy (Buckley, ' 1967, p. 13) is a characteristic of the structure of more complex systems to manifest qualities more than the sum of the individual units or components. Significant aspects of living systems at higher levels, such as human systems, are neglected if described only in terms and dimensions that are used for simple and two dimensional 87 systems: in essence, the whole of the structure is greater than the sum of its parts. §ystem Processes The Living System Living open systems are units of living things and their openness is a matter of degree at any given moment in time. These open systems exist through continual exchanges with the environment (Bertalanffy, 1968, p. 32). And they maintain themselves through a continual input and output, a building up and a breaking down of the parts (Bertalanffy, 1968, p. 39). This process is known as metab- olism. J. G. Miller (1965, p. 338; 1971, pp. 307-308) classifies the critical subsystems whose processes every living system must have if it is to survive as follows: those involved with the metabolism of matter-energy, those involved with the metabolism of information and those involved with both. An Open system's boundary is permeable to matter-energy and information flows. "An untold variety of such transmissions, following many paths and controlling a multitude of variables, are needed for even the simplest living cell" (J. G. Miller, 1965, p. 340). All change over time of matter-energy or information in a system is process . . . . Process includes the ongoing function of a system, reversible actions suc- ceeding each other from moment to moment. Process’ also includes history, less readily reversed changes 88 like mutations, birth, growth, develOpment, aging and death; changes which commonly follow trauma or disease; and the changes resulting from learn- ing which are not later forgotten . . . there 15‘ a circular relation among the three primary aspects of systems--structure changes momentarily with functioning but when such change is so great that it is essentially irreversible, a historical pro- cess has occurred, giving rise to a new structure (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 284). A system is gp§p_if some exchange of matter-energy and infor- mation takes place between the organism and the environment. The exchange, transaction or flow process can occur without disrupting what the organism experiences as coherence. In other words, the organism interacts with and is influenced by the environment but not always in ways which destroy the stability or equilibrium of the organism.' A closed system, on the other hand, is self-contained and is not influenced by the environment. Matter energy and information do not penetrate from the outside. Since no actual living system is completely closed, systems are either relatively open or relatively closed. The living systems are a special subset of the set of all possible concrete systems, composed of the plants and animals. They have the following char- acteristics: a) They are open systems. b) They use inputs of foods or fuels to restore their own energy and repair breakdowns in their own organized structure.- c) They have a certain minimum degree of complexity. d) They contain genetic material . . . (and) is the template--the original "blueprint" . . . of their structure and process from the moment of ori- gin . . . . (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 282). 89 The concept of process views the events and relationships of the open living system as dynamic, on-going, ever changing, contin- uous. There is neither a beginning nor an end and always a relatively fixed sequence of events. It is not static or at rest and the ingre- dients within a process interact; each affecting and being affected by the other. This dynamic reciprocal process does have some limi- tations. There is more than one dynamics that can be developed for nearly any combination of events. There is recognition that certain things may precede others and in most cases the order of precedence will vary from situation to situation. To discuss the phenomena of process, therefore: 1) the dynamics of the prOcess must be stopped as if looking at one frame of a moving picture and 2) it is necessary to use language, as if it were part of the process; To perceive the stOp-frame pictUre of the process, it is important that it is a representative of the event and not the event. That is, it is merely a map that can be used to guide in exploring the territories of the real world. Language is changing and on-going. This quality is usually lost'when it is written. Marks on paper are recordings of language or a picture of language and tend to seem fixed, permanent and static. The language of GST/ESA is important because it seeks to create an image of the world that attempts to reflect that it is part of the process. There is no alternative if process is to be analyzed: it must be a more or less stOp frame reference point and it must use language in process to describe a process. Obviously, everything 90 cannot be included in one presentation of a big idea or coneppt. Limitations of discussing process also include some of the following: things that are talked about do not have to exist in exactly the way they are talked about, ideas do not have to operate in the order in which they are talked about, objects that are separated may not always be separable and they may never Operate independently (Forrester, 1971). It is the blending of the complex dynamic interrelationships among the ingredients developed in the process that determines whether a whole synergy has been developed. The concept of ippep; ggpigp.or more precisely, morphogenesis and morphostasis, are the key_ to an understanding of process and the concept of reciprocity. The dynamic movement which relates to the ingredients is vital. Using the concept of process is important because it leads to greater in- sights into what it is and the reflections such useage can bring to our images of the world in space and time. It prevents the viewer from supplying easy formulas about human events and promises an approach that is more reflective of living systems. GST/ESA applied to the Ecological Systems Framework Operates like a tool that is a means for focusing on multiple multi-loop and multi-dimensional events taking place simultaneously or consecutively or other combina— tions of sequence and rates with different importance and different affects. It means that extended and diverse kinds of awareness can be fkacused on to consider a new view of the world and some predicted Possible short-term and long term consequences mapped. 91 Morphogenesis--Morphostasis: Feedback Systems Open living systems that are in process undergo an increase in organization and a decrease in entrOphy since the system inter- acts and exchanges matter-energy and information with their environ- ment (Bertalanffy, 1968, p. 150). All systems are open and interact with their environment but not all exhibit the same degree of open- ness (Watzlauick, 1967). From different initial conditions the same state may be reached in different ways. This characteristic is termed "equifinality" (Bertalanffy, 1960, p. 142 ff). This holds that, in ontogenesis, for example, a final normal adult state may be reached by a number of devious developmental routes. Morphogenetic processes go even further and suggest an opposite principle that might be called "multifinality": similar initial conditions may lead to dissimilar end-states (Maruyama, 1963). Magorah Maruyama has proposed a conceptualization of system feedback processes for complex organizations such as the family as an ecosystem which he refers to as "the second cybernetics," since posi- tive rather than negative feedback is involved (Maruyama, 1960; 1963). The following quote describes not only his concept but a sense of the scope of application of the "first cybernetics." Since its inception, cybernetics was more or less identified as a science of self-regulating and equilibrating systems. Thermostats, physiologi- cal regulation of body temperature, automatic steering devices, economics and political pro- cesses were studied under a general mathematical model of deviation-counteracting feedback net- works. By focusing on the deviation-counteracting aspects of the mutual causal relationships, 92 however, the cyberneticians paid less attention to the systems in which the mutual causal effects are deviation-amplifying. Such systems are ubiquitous; accumulation of capital in industry, evolution of living organisms, the rise of cultures of various types, interpersonal process that are loosely termed as "vicious circles" and "compound interest". . . since the deviation-counteracting (morphostasis) type has predominately been studied up till now under the title cybernetics, let us consider its studies the first cybernetics, and call the studies of the deviation-amplifying (morphogenesis) mutual causal relationships "the second cybernetics" (Maruyama, 1963, p. 164)} These concepts differ from the less complex terms of negative and positive feedback processes. The implication of mutual causality is more than the previous notion of a one-way process. According to the refined framework, feedback is understood to imply at least a two- dimensional and mutually causal relationship involving two inter- connected systems and the system becomes one of multilateral mutual causality. Such mutually causal relationships also involve a trans- actional process approach, mutual control and manipulation, a set of rules to generate information and the interaction between the com- ponents (Buckley, 1967, p. 125, 128-130, 160; Maruyama, 1960 and 1963). In the light of the deviation-amplifying mutual. causal process, the law of causality is now re- vised to state that similar conditions may result in dissimilar products . . . . Only when the size of influence in one direction has an effect upon the size of the influence in the other direc- tion and is in turn affected by it, is there a mutual causation (Maruyama, 1963, pp. 167 and 175). The fundamental nature of the mutually causal system, sub- system, suprasystem is so basic and complex as to defy mastery by generations of men who have sought to institutionalize (family, 93 church, schools) the balance between the individual and the multi- person system. What to do with plurality and diversity are still vexing questions that haunt modern man more than ever. While most of our institutions reflect a morphostatic perspeCtive, there is a need for deviation amplifying ones. The GST approach is a way of conceiving and coping with some of these sorts of issues and illus- trates that we must look again at what we are about. It is the luxury of planned change that will afford the opportunity of using this powerful tool to conceive of man with fresh insights. In summary, the morphostatic process stresses equilibrium, homeostatis and negative feedback that are conserving, deviation counterbalancing. Examples include homeostatic processes in organism and rituals in the sociocultural realm (Buckley, l967, p. 59). Morphogenesis stresses the structure—elaborating processes of deviation-promoting, positive feedback and is central to understanding higher level systems. Examples of this would include biological evolution, learning and societal development (Buckley, l967, p. 59). It is a conceptualization within which the genesis, maintenance or change of a social structure like the organism as family may be perceived and organized. ”The continual shifting of the environment and internal milieu guarantees a continual 'cycling' of this process, leading . . . to an accumulation of structural and processual com- Pleakity" (Buckley, l967, p. l28). The organism as family in their ecossystem is one example of such a complex adaptive organization of C°mF>onents. 94 Function: The Purposes or Consequences of the System's Process The concept of the process of a system includes the notion of the function it serves over time. From the field of communication and the study of the family this component of process can be viewed from a number of different angles (Pitts, 1964, pp. 5l-l24; Nye and Bernardo, l966, p. 30, 6l, 63; Hill and Hanson, l968, pp. 485-498; Berlo, l970, pp. léll; Broderick, l97l, p. 3-23; Farce and MacDonald, l97l). Although there is a loose consensus as to the meaning of the term function, two approaches seem most appropriate for this study. Talcott Parsons (1949) defined the functional pre-requisite for a system as (l) providing the minimum biological and psychological needs-~survival, (2) maintaining order--continuati0n, and (3) giving adequate motivation--growth. Berlo (1970, pp. 8—9) clarifies the function served by communication in a system as (l) production, getting the job done; (2) innovation, exploring new behavioral alter- natives; and (3) maintenance of the social system. This requires the maintenance of the self-concept; interpersonal relationships with other components of the system; maintenance of the production and innovation functions within the system; and the maintenance of the rules of the communication system.’ For the purposes of this study the function of the system Wi'll be characterized as the reciprocal action, activity, perfor- marice and consequences that the whole system carries out or processes ovear time. The variables of function will be those desCribed by Ber~lo (l970) because they can be interpreted as synonymous with the 95 broader interpretation of function given by Parsons (l949) and because_ Berlo's categories have been develOped in more detail. Extrapolation is thus made more explicit and, therefore, application is made with greater ease. In summary, for the purposes of this study the function of a system will refer to the purposes or consequences that the organiza- tion is to achieve. The Specific dimensions of these functions are defined as (l) production, (2) maintenance, and (3) innovation. It means that the function of a system can be viewed directly or the effects of the function(s) can be observed. The function of a sys- tem is an internal construct that carves up the purposes of the ongoing processes. Said another way, function is the purpose of the processes of the structure of a system. History History is more than the passage of time. It also involves the accumulation in the system of residues or effects of past events (structural 'changes, memories, learned habits). A living sys— tem carries its history with it in the form of altered structure and consequently of altered function. There is a circular relation among the three primary aspects of systems--structure changes momentarily with functioning (process) bat when such change is so great that it is essentially irreversible, a historical process has occurred, giving rise to a new structure (J. G. Miller, l97l, p. 284). The accumulation and evolution of knowledge and therefore the history of a profession is not merely the difference between messages 96 taken in and the messages given out. It is not like a reservoir but like an organization which grows through an active internal orga- nizing principle much as the gene is a principle or entity organizing the growth of bodily structures. In the growth of images or frame- works, knowledge facilitates the growth of an inward teacher as well as outward messages. Thus the outward "teaching" is through cooper- ating with the inward teacher so the image has an Opportunity to have a history and grow. Basically the Ecological Systems Framework is a picture of the evolution of knowledge abOut the profession and is a means for the profession to discuss the historic growth of its- central image in explicit ways. Conceptual, Concrete and Abstracted Systems: Varieties of Systems Defining the System Variety A system is the sum or aggregate of components. GST/ESA views the dynamics of a system as involving or possessing the dimen- sions of structure, process and history.' A further distinction is discussed by J. G. Miller (l97l, pp. 281-284) and he categorizes systems as specific types: conceptual, concrete or abstracted. The broad term system implies that the units or components of the system have some common prOperties which are essential if they are to inter- act or have relationships. Each unit is constrained by, conditioned by or dependent on the state of the other units. 97 A conceptual system is: . units Of a conceptual system are terms, such as words, . . . numbers, or other symbols, includ- ing those in computer simulations and programs . . . . A relationship Of a conceptual system is a set of pairs Of units, each pair being ordered in a similar way . . . . Relationships are expressed by words . . . or by logical or mathematical symbols . . . which represent Operations . . . . The language, symbols, or computer programs are all concepts and always exist in one or more concrete systems, living or nonliving, like a scientist, a textbook, or a com- puter (J. G. Miller, l97l, pp. 281-282). A concrete system is defined as: . a nonrandom accumulation of matter-energy, in a region in physical space-time, which is organized into interacting, interrelated subsystems or com- ponents . . . . The units (subsystems, components, parts, or members) Of these systems are also con- crete systems . . . (and) the living systemS'are a special subset of the set Of all possible concrete systems, composed Of the plants and animals (J. G. Miller, l97l, p. 282). An abstracted system is described as: The units . . . are relationships abstracted or selected by an observer in the light Of his inter- ests, theoretical viewpoint, or philOSOphical bias. Some relationships may be empirically determinable by some Operation carried out by the Observer, but others are not, being only his concepts (J. G. Miller, l97l, p. 283). All three meanings Of "system“ are useful in science. "A scientific endeavor may appropriately begin with a conceptual system and evaluate it by collecting data on a concrete or on an abstracted system, or it may equally well first collect data and then determine what conceptual system it fits" (J. G. Miller, l97l, p. 284). The proposed Ecological Systems Framework is an abstracted system using related concepts that is an explanation Of a logically 98 related set of synthesized variables that constitute a holistic phenomenon. Its interest lies in its power to organize the compon- ents or units of the conceptual system. Its logic lies in the specified relationships and the applicability is bounded by the range Of phenomena for which it can help organize. An applied area Of study like Home Economics/Human Ecology seen this way is a set Of patterned concepts which have a logical rational relationship as the center Of activity and attention. The Logical and the Empirical of an Abstracted SyStem: Two DevelOpmental Processes It has begun to be recognized that the explanatory power and thus the value Of a discipline depends on the model that is used explicitly tO order the central or basic phenomena to which a prO- fession attends (Kuhn, 1970). IIn rendering the conceptual system explicit, it means that it is more likely to be testable and the goal of such inquiry is explanation.. An abstracted conceptual sys- tem thus exposed is more likely tO evolve to be implemented as a complementary concrete system. Scientists may disagree strongly about the role Of evaluation or normative judgment in inquiry, about the criteria that an explanation must meet, or about the way in which eXplanation is best achieved, but the search for explanation and for the descriptions on which explanation depend, is widely accepted as the prime goal of systematic inquiry. 99 Explanation can be defined in another way that fits the scientific enterprise Of a profession. Scientific inquiry asserts that scientists seek intellectual instruments that permit under— standing and control Of phenomena. Control is a central factor in the scientific enterprise. The criteria Of adequacy or completeness, use and purpose to control events can be realized by mapping the conceptual structure and processes Of an area Of study. TO explain then means that a particular conception Of the process of explanation is that it conforms well with what is actually happening. TO study explanation as it occurs in science is to look at an activity that has neither a beginning nor end. Every explora- tion of the process Of systematic inquiry of the structure and use Of’ the human conceptual apparatus must make use Of that apparatus. The problems confronting a methodologist have been likened to the dilemmas facing anyone trying to rebuild a ship while at sea. This analogy is useful because it illustrates how some parts Of the conceptual apparatus must be stabilized, taken as given, if other parts are to be explored and it also implies the futility Of seeking to annihilate the past and somehow found knowledge on an entirely new base. The Ecological Systems Framework is an evolutionary conception Of the central focus Of the profession of Home Economics/Human Ecology. GST/ESA have been used as means whereby such a logiCal elab- oration can be develOped. What is implied, therefore, by these con- siderations is that the conception Of explanation must be compatible with an evolutionary conception of human knowledge. The quality Of an explanation is not a fixed and definitive matter. lOO Explanations are produced by modification and improved by restructuring, amendment, amplification and/or clarification and not by radical re-creation. The use that is made Of an explanation, the relation Of the eXplanation to our experiences, determines its‘ quality. In the Ecological Systems Framework, there is a need for a planned conscious linkage between two distinct developmental pro- cesses: an empirical inductive description and a logical deductive conception. The present ESF cannot solve the inductive problem but it can provide a way Of avoiding it altogether without making the explanation lose its strength. That is, the separation Of the empirical and the logical aspects Of the explanation. The merger of the logical and the empirical tends to blur the distinction between competence and the possession of field-relevant knowledge. The view- point of this study is that the adequacy of an explanation cannot be judged solely on logical grounds but a combination Of logical and field relevant empirical knowledge. This study, therefore, repre- sents only ggg_step in the develOpmental process Of the eXplanation Of the central focus Of the profession: the logical deductive eXpla- nation or the Ecological Systems Framework. Each type Of competence has its own role to play in explanation and raises its own problems requiring its own criteria. The separation of the logic of a system from the empirical evidence calls attention to the need for both“ kinds Of knowledge and reduces the possibility that either might be ignored (Deutsch, et. al., l97l). By defining one aspect Of explanation in logiCal terms in the Ecological Systems Framework a major transformation in conceptualization lOl is involved. The importance Of the disciplines of GST/ESA lies in their use as a means to perform certain functions or fulfill certain purposes. Since man's capacity to know and perceive is limited, these can be augmented and amplified by use Of such scientific tOOls. This study assumes that there is a need for a clear explicit concep- tualization of the central focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology and, therefore, there is a need for some understanding Of the kinds Of tools that are needed to achieve that goal. In summary, the Ecologital Systems Framework is an appli- cation Of GST[ESA. It synthesizes the knowledge about the evolution. Of the central focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology over time that suggests an abstracted conceptual map Of the organism and the orga- nism as family in an ecosystem. As a result it stresses the vantage point Of the viewer from looking_at parts Of a system to perceiving_ an organic whole Of the structureggprocess and history Of thesysj tems. The power Of the ESF is to organize the conceptual components and their complex interrelationships as an open system. As a deduc- tive logical exglanation it has the potential to be used as a deduc- tive tool and as a way of guiding the empirical-inductive develop: ment of the central focus Of the discipline. A Framework as a Means Of Presenting the EcOlOgical Systems Framework' The Ecological Systems Framework is presented as a framework because it is a visual means Of mapping the organization Of the basic l02 central focus Of the discipline Of Home Economics/Human-Ecology. There is nothing new in the use of models or framework to represent systems.‘ The GST/ESA orientation, however, encourages the use of such images. Each of us uses such maps constantly for decision making and each individual carries around an array of mental images Of the world in his head. These, in turn, represent the selected concepts and relationships Of real systems. A mental image is‘a model just as real‘ as geographical or other kinds of symbolic maps are._ The question is not whether to use or ignore abstracted frameworks but the question is which ones Of all the alternative models should be used. Forrester (1971, p. 54) has noted that any concept or assump- (tion that can be clearly described in words can be incorporated in a I computer map or model. The advantage then is that the model is explicit and the assumptions are exposed so that they may be discussed and debated. For thinking about complicated ideas a framework can be a picture Of a cluster Of concepts and their.interrelatedness. The purpose of a framework is to organize data which implies a sorting process Of some kind. It is usually an outline then Of some major phenomenon which includes leading ideas on the nature of the entities involved and the pattern Of their relations (Boulding, l956; Simon and Newell, l963, pp. 79-9l; Mortensen, l972, pp. 29-65; Campbell and Hepler, l970, pp. 9-27; Compton and Hall, l974, pp. 9-44). l03 How Frameworks are Used When thinking about and using concepts it is useful to have some form Of mental shorthand. NO two peOple ever see the same reality because reality is tOO complex. Shared meaning and Objec- tivity are literally impossible. This is where a framework can facilitate a check upon at least some Of the idiosyncrasies with which our perceptions abound. The various frameworks are like so many sets of eyeglasses. This is basically why frameworks can be useful. It can sort out and give order to a vast array Of infor- mation. But there is more tO it. Knowing concepts or even knowing about frameworks, does not mean that a scholar is using a framework to advantage. It involves knowing Of the existence and potential- ities Of several frameworks and deliberately selecting one rather than another because it best fits the level Of inquiry, the subject matter and the point Of entry with regards to the goal(s) Of the investigator. If frameworks are spectacles through which we per- ceive complexities, then many pairs of glasses are necessary when moving around in a dark room while keeping in mind some Of the many variables being sought. A framework, then, is developed to picture how concepts would interrelate and provide a simplified map Of reality. It enables a check to be made on a complex Of events all together rather than piece by piece. In the beginning a postulational or deductive model is produced which explains most known data. Then this is tested by 104 experiment, or new data. It is as a consequence refined by being amended or replaced as the findings indicate. Thus sound and useful frameworks develop over time. The current status Of such a frame- work should also be seen as one evolutionary phase Of an ongoing development. The framework is as good as the results that it pro- vides and should be valued solely for its utility as a scientific tOOl. All sorts Of concepts have had to evolve in the course of elaborating such frameworks and thus these have provided an improved intellectual tOOl kit for coming to grips with reality. Sophis- ticated uses Of models have contributed to many scholarly fields and their endeavors. The important thing is that a wide range Of frame- works be made available that are suitable for Specific purposes and that their development be an ongoing process (for example: Christensen, 1964; J. G. Miller, 1965 and l97l; Nye and Bernardo, l966 and l973; Buckley, l967; Barker, l968; Hill and Hansen, 1968; Lasle, l969; Hook and Paolucci, 1970; Broderick, l97l; Forrester, l97l; Koenig et. al., 1971; Mannino, 1971; Odum, 197l; Schroder and Suedfeld, l97l; Compton, l972; Brill, 1973). The Advantages of Using Frameworks Frameworks give their users certain advantages, if at a certain cost. In general, they provide an overall vantage point for reference. For example, a global cross-cultural view is easier tO envision when using a framework. Frameworks come in various sizes. l05 Large scale frameworks are normally termed systems approaches (Meehan, l965). Mini, medium and maxi models stand in relation one to the other as a master plan does tO its component strategies. They are intended tO enable focusing on the whole picture, frame and all. They have the potential Of providing a gigantic framework Of refer- ence and a structured space within which other lesser—scale models can be superimposed and deployed (Koenig, l97l, p. 4). The advantages of using frameworks can be summarized as’ follows: " . . . an organizational, or communicative function; heuristic, or research-generating function, and an anticipatory, or predictive function" (G. R. Miller, 1966, p. 80). TO take advantage Of these potentials it is crucial that the investigator clarify their goal(s) and some Of their assumptions for choosing and using a particular framework. ; The Disadvantages Of Using a Framework Frameworks also involve disadvantages prominent among which is one that is sometimes described variously as the "iron law Of perspecitve" (Kaplan, l964) or "trained incapacity" (Veblen, l899). Certain things are focused on only by turning the focus Of attention away from others. Proportionately as the model rivets attention upon an issUe from this angle or that, other angles, or things extraneous to the issue, go unheeded. Given the human faculties Of cognition this inattention happens, framework or no framework and, in fact, only when using a framework is there an awareness that this is l06 happening. The problem is that perceptions and thus findings can be distorted by the pattern Of sensitivities which the framework imposes. The price of using frameworks is eternal vigilance. In summary, there are . three potential shortcomings of models . . .--premature closure, symbol-behavior confusion, and over- simplification" (G. R. Miller, l966, p. 80). Summary Basically, the case for frameworks is as follows: apparently the human organism tends to make some perceptual sense out Of the stimuli that unceasingly bombard us by organizing them in various simplified forms. Part Of this reporting, simplification or encoding stimuli is what we choose to perceive. When this is done consciously, with systematic rigor, it is called using frameworks. It is an approach that has potential. How much or how little is unknown until they have been tried and refined. The Ecological Systems Framework What the ESF Is The Ecological Systems Framework is a model that has been iynthesized as an abstracted comprehension Of the overarching central focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The ESF represents a whole (107 system and the logic Of this comprehension is included in the five primary Objectives Of this study. These can be summarized as follows: TO propose the Ecological Systems Framework for Home Economics/Human Ecology as a synthesis of related sources to facilitate the clari- fication and organization Of the concepts Of the central focus of the discipline and to identify it as a unique field Of study. It is being presented as a descriptive tool to guide the profession in the develOpment Of its specific dimensions: Philosophy, Research, Theory, Curriculum and Practice. The ESF is proposed as one stage in the evolution Of the profession's overarching framework. The logical deductive stage that the ESF represents has the potential through systematically studying the propositions presented in this Chapter to lead to the inductive-empirical refinement. It is hoped that one outcome Of this study will be the continued investment of human and material resources to define the scholarly base Of the profession (Brown, 1967 and l970; Quilling, l970; HOOk and Paolucci, l970). Recently, Hook and Paolucci discussed the rela- tionship between man and his environment from the standpoint of the profession Of home economics. Although there is a long history Of concern with this relationship, the authors point out that home economist have tended to treat the envi- ronment in terms Of food, clothing, and shelter, and the family in terms Of relationships and the develOpment of individuals. They have failed to give adequate consideration to the interdepen- dency Of the relationship between man and his environment, and have not, except in a limited way, paid attention to the environmental context Of behavior. They have treated the family as though its functioning is in some way independent Of its environment. Hook and Paolucci suggest l08 that the profession discard this "unifocal" view of the family and the environment and adopt an ecological model which views the family-in- habitat as an ecosystem. Such an approach re- quires that the profession understand and appre-. ciate the complexities Of the interrelationships between behavior within the family unit and the environment, and of the effects Of the environ- ment upon patterns Of family relationships (Mannino, l97l, p. l). But what does the ecological approach involve? And how can it be applied to the practice Of home economics, a profession that was founded on an ecological framework but which has sub- sequently greatly narrowed its focus? . . . . The present move toward a return tO an ecolog- ical emphasis makes it appropriate to consider the possible effects Of this emphasis on the~ profession, not only with regard to its tradi- tional foci Of practice, but also in terms Of extending its reach into new areas (Mannino, 1971. pp. 2-3). The Evolution Of the Ecological Systems Framework for Home Economics/Human Ecology The central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology has been synthesized as the study Of the relationship Of man in his environment and as a social being. The human organism in the context Of the fam- ily in an ecosystem is pictured as a system which can realize a quality life through rational means (Hook and Paolucci, 1970). The home economist perceives the mission of the profession as helping all families realize a quality life. The profession has pictured this central focus in three frameworks that represent evolutionary changes in development. 109 Stage I: The Linear Framework Environment-—-—-—-——§E>Organism Organism fiB>Environment Organisngg §§>Organism Fig. 4.--The Linear Framework The Linear Framework pictured the central focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology in a format that connotes a direct cause- effect relationship in an essentially static and vague juxtaposition. The component parts are characterized as generalized and thus tend tO' ' Obscure the meaning Of the concepts. Stage II: The Process Framework Environment Organism fig> ] itfr <13 ) Q‘ x Q L \J kg/ Fig. 5.--The Process Framework W llO The Process Framework pictured man as organism in relation- Ship to the environment in a more dynamic way. It connotes the close relationship between these two dimensions as being affected by each other and affecting the larger environment. This stage represents a step forward in understanding the perception Of the central focus Of the discipline (Buckley, l967, pp. l7-23). It is a shift in the study of man and his environment from a concern for the relatively stable substance and qualities tO the analysis Of a more shifting structure. Essentially the "process" approach is congenial to and anticipative of, basic principles Of cybernetics. It " . . . views society as a complex multifaceted, fluid interplay Of widely varying degrees and intensities Of association and dissociation" (Buckley, l967, p. 18). The insights Of this conceptual construct have been to view the focus Of the field as a system in the process Of continual change. Stage III: The Ecological Systems Framework The Ecological Systems Framework builds on the Process Frame- work and evolves as a fuller comprehension of the central focus. The ESF has moved the focus to view the particularly fluid nature Of the structure of the discipline as a holistic system and to differentiate between the thin conceptual line Of "structure" and what is called "process" (Buckley, l967, p. 5). This image Of Home Economics/Human Ecology is seen as significantly more explicit, appropriate and ade- quate than previous frameworks. It is a way of perceiving the lll STAGE III. The Ecolo ical S stems Framework Linkage4 Interface Interface3 KEY: E (N Near Environment E (D = Distal Environment = Organism (different systems levels) 0 (F) = Organism as Family En = Energy 2 F = Feedback Systems (Complex input, output, exchange) 1Energy: It is the interface and vitality of all living systems. The ultimate source 0 energy is the Sun. Energy can be defined in two broad categories: Matter- energy and Information. (See the Glossary Of Terms) 2Feedback: Used here in the conmunication sense, as information returned to the sender of a message about the effect of the original commnication. There are two kinds of feedback: Positive and Negative. 3Interface: In the context of this study the tem is used to imply a relation- ship bebueen am living systems that is an abstracted space relationship greater than linkage. An interface is essential to the vitality of two interacting open systems. 4Linka e: A term used to indicate that two systems are connected to form a greater sys em; it suggests a regularized pattern of interaction between the m systems which in a sense forms a bond between them. ll2 central focus as a complex dynamic interrelatedness Of the concepts with which the field is concerned. The Characteristics of the Ecological Systems Framework The rationale or fundamental reasoning Of the ESF has been outlined. Briefly, it includes the historic and contemporary defi- nition of the central focus applied and integrated with GST/ESA, developed in the context Of a framework that organizes the interrela— tionships Of the basic concepts to which the field of Home Economics/ Human Ecology focus their concerns. The characteristics that are outlined in the ESF as distinguishing traits and qualities are extrap- olated from these foundations. The inferences and problems defined as propositions are also based on these variables within this defined known range. The ESF is a deductive product that takes the ideas Of the known organization from the evolution Of the linear to the pro- cess frameworks, hypothesizes on the basis Of additional known infor- mation and then proposes the elaboration of the ESF as the next stage. There is precedent for this kind of approach. It is an attempt to move from the abductive tO the deductive to the inductive not as cause and effect reasoning but as a circuitous systematic movement from intuitive premises to logical known premises to the empirical-inductive tO the intuitive and so forth. This study spe- cifically seeks to move from the abductive implied premises to: has ll3 Reasoning-Deduction This step or activity is one that is frequently overlooked and underemphasized. In some respects it is perhaps the most important part of Dewey's contribution to the analysis of reflective thinking. The scientist now deduces the consequences of the hypotheses he has formu- lated. Conant, in talking about the rise Of mod- ern science, says that the new element added in the seventeenth century was the use of deductive reasoning. Here is where experience, knowledge, and perspicuity are important . . . . While this is a different form Of thinking . . . it is impor- tant because Of what might almost be called its heuristic quality. Reasoning can help lead to wider more basic, and thus more significant prob— lems, as well as provide Operational (testable) implications Of the original hypothesis (Kerlinger, l964, pp. l4-l5). The next process in the development, the inductive-empirical, been summarized by Kerlinger as follows: With the problem formulated, with the basic ques- tion or questions properly asked, the rest is much easier. Then the hypothesis is constructed, after which its implications are deduced, mainly along experimental lines. In this process the original problem, and Of course, the original hypothesis,L may be changed. It may be broadened or narrowed. It may even be abandoned. Lastly, but not finally, the relation expressed by the hypothesis is tested by Observation and experimentation. On the basis Of the research evidence, the hypothesis is accepted or rejected. This information is then fed back to the original problem and it is kept or altered as dictated by the evidence . . . . What is important is the overall fundamental idea Of scientific research as a controlled rational process of reflec- tive inquiry, the interdependent nature Of the parts Of the process, and the paramount inportance Of the problem and its statement (Kerlinger, l964, pp. l6-l7). The ESF is a holistic comprehension and the system pictured has the built in understanding that the input Of the individual organism is the output Of the multi-person system, and conversely, the ruiput hf the indi:idual system is the input to the multiperson 114 system. The relationship between the two is also reciprocal in the sense that the individual mind is both a producer and consumer Of multiperson reality. Man can and literally must organize himself through partici- pation in energy systems that include information and matter-energy. Two levels of analysis must be considered to understand this and the manner in which systems at these two levels relate to each other. The first is the individual system pictured in the ESF as O Q E, O and the second is the multiperson system pic- tured in the ESF as the Organism as Family 0 (F). The specific qualities Of the ESF are described below. The Structure Of the ESF is Mapped: a) As having the characteristics of a system or a set Of inter- dependent concepts working together toward a common purpose. The common or shared purpose is defined as the study of the human organism (any systems level) in the context of the ecosystem and in this context a quality life can be realized through rational means.w The mission or implementation Of the purpose is to help all families as a scientific concept to realize this. The components are labeled, the ecosystem boundary is defined, and the processes then can be iden- tified. ll5 b) As subsystems and includes: C) d) . one sort Of unit, each Of which carries out a distinct and separate process and another sort Of unit, each Of which is a discrete, separate structure. The totality Of all the structures in a system which carry out a par- ticular process is a subsystem (J. G. Miller, l97l, p. 288). The ESF represents the (l) distinct and separate processes as morphogenesis-morphostasis; the interface relationship Of energy; the linkage between the two related subsystems; and the metabolism Of energy. (2) The units representing dis- crete and separate structures include the concept of the human Organism as 0 (any systemslevel), the Organism as Family as O (F), the near environment as E (N), the distal environment as E (D) and the ecosystem boundary. With suprasystems and suprasuprasystems that in an abstract sense form concentric circles around and are superimposed on the ESF. These suprasystems are mediating processes that ' interact through and with the ecosystem boundary as an open system. As the boundary Of the system depicted as the ecosystem boundary and this boundary is an Open system which defines the near environment Of the set Of mutually interdependent organisms whose mutual existence depends upon the presence of each other. The distal environment is linked and in some instances interfaced to the near environment's eco- system boundary. e) 1‘) ll6 As having different levels Of analysis: The level Of analysis of the ESF ranges from the individual organism, 0, through the simplest interpersonal system (the dyad), O I§§:::::£§E (l, to the organism as family (any number), 0 (F), and all in the context of the ecosystem boundary. As having the quality of synergy: The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The holistic arrangement Of the synergy is perceived as having cohesion because it is an organization Of: l) Two or more organisms, 2) who recognize that certain goals can be achieved better through interdependent action and shared resources, 3) take in matter energy and/or information from the near environment (and to some degree the distal environment), 4) Operate on them in some fashion, 5) modify and take in and return these inputs as outputs to the near and distal environment as waste, matter energy and/or information (J. G. Miller, 197T). As this process occurs, relatively stable and regularized pat- terns develOp and these energy patterns can be Observed and predicted. The synergy implies that the organism as family and the organism are a complex identifiable organization Of ll7 interacting organisms with some common goals that lends some degree Of cohesion and commitment over time and the sharing Of resources and living space within the ecosystem boundary. The ecosystem boundary mediates between the organism (any systems level) and the larger distal environment. The Process Of the ESF is Defined: a) b) C) As an open living system that maintains itself through the process of metabolism. The ESF has three types Of metabolism basic to the functioning Of the ESF: l) metabolism of matter energy, 2) the metabolism Of information and 3) metabolism that requires both matter-energy and information (J. G. Miller, l965, p. 338). Open systems like the ESF, where the same state may be reached from different initial conditions and in different ways, is termed qujfinality. As having the qualities Of morphogenesis (deviation-amplifying feedback processes) and morphostasis (deviation-counteracting feedback processes). Thus the ESF negative and positive feedback processes are in Maruyama's terms, one Of multi- lateral mutual causality patterns (Maruyama, l960 and 1963). As having functions or purposes that exhibit short-term and long-term consequences. The function of the ESF can be characterized as reciprocal action, activity, performance that the whole system carries out or processes over time. ll8 The specific dimensions Of the functions Of the ESF are defined as those processes concerned with (l) production, getting the job done; (2) maintenance Of the ecosystem, and (3) innovation, exploring new behavioral alternatives (Berlo, 1970, pp- 8‘9). The History of the ESF The accumulation and evolution Of knowledge about the pro- fession is not merely the difference between the messages taken in and the messages given out. The ESF involves: . . . the accumulation in the system Of residues or effects Of past events (structural changes, memories, learned habits). A living system carries its history with it in the form of altered struc- ture and consequently Of altered function (process). There is a circular relation among the three pri- mary aspects of systems-~structure changes momen- tarily with functioning, but when such change is so great that it is essentially irreversible, a historical process has occurred, giving rise to a new structure (J. G. Miller, 197l, p. 284). The Abstract Arrangement Offthe ESF The ESF represents a holistic comprehension Of the over- arching master plan Of the central concepts Of Home Economics/HUman Ecology. The abstract arrangement or organization of the ESF syn-‘ thesizes information from related complementary historic and contem- porary resources. The arrangement Of the ESF's structure, pro- cesses and history are organized to focus on the core of Home ll9 Economics/Human Ecology and stresses the profession's need to view the " . . . interdependency Of the relationship between man and his environment . . . (and) the environmental context Of behavior" (Mannino, l97l, p. l). The two basic systems Of the ESF are repre- sented as two linked systems: l) the organism as family in an eco- system and 2) the organism (any systems level) in relation to other organism and the multiperson system through interface and linkage. Energy has been defined as the vital interface of these two basic systems (J. G. Miller, l965 and 197l; Buckley, l967 and l968; Berlo, l970; Odum, l97l; Sims, l97l; and Sims, Paolucci and Morris, 1972). The ESF is seen as a more complete mapping than Stage I and Stage II's comprehension of the discipline's central focus. The deductive nature Of the study means-that the organiza- tion of the ESF is still to some degree arbitrary and as a result Of inductive refinement the conception can be more accurately and ade- quately defined. Summary Home Economics/Human Ecology has a central focus that is evolving. This study represents one level of the profession‘s develOpment. The ESF is a logical-deductive elaboration Of the Linear and Process Stages. A complementary inductive-empirical comprehension Of the central focus Of belief is a critical link that l20 is needed to clarify the ESF image as a scientific tOOl and facili- tate the clarification Of the nature Of the field. The ESF is a challenge to the profession as a social system to discuss this growth through a kind Of metabolism Of the central image. This ongoing process has the possibility of being defined by the ESF because the concepts are explicit and can be discussed and refined as a result. Implied abductive conceptualizations have hin- dered the continued development Of the scholarly base Of Home Eco- nomics/Human Ecology as well as impeded the profession's consensus and commitment to a central focus (Quilling, l970). Home economics has certain features which are unique among the applied human sciences, and which make it particularly suitable for carrying out a much needed role in our communities to reach the goal of improving the quality Of the. person/family environment system. First, it is unique in that its unit of study and focus is the primary family group . . . on the totality Of family relationships. Second, home economics is presently re-emphasizing the need to deal with the environmental context Of the family, rather than treating it as a self-contained unit . . . . Third, home economics . . . is (freed) from a treatment orientation, which allows concentra- tion Of the energies Of the profession on prO- motion Of family well-being and prevention of family dysfunction. Finally, since home eco- nomics is an applied science, its practitioners should be thoroughly familiar with research that has been done in the family field, as well as in related areas of study, and be able to utilize such knowledge to design and imple- ment meaningful programs Of intervention (Mannino, l97l, pp. 3-4). The clarification Of the ESF seeks tO focus the attention of the profession on the basic concepts and their interrelationships in order to clarify the unique concerns Of Home Economics/Human l2] Ecology. It is represented as a framework that uses GST and the ESA to reflect a whole system that has the characteristics Of the three primary aspects Of systems: structure, process and history (J. G. Miller, l97l, p. 284). As a dynamic multidimensional frame- work the ESF portrays the complex interaction between the Organism (any systems level), the Organism as Family, the near and distal environment and energy. The ESF is designed to, therefore, repre- sent level I Of the intellectual hierarchy and an overarching master plan Of level II of the intellectual hierarchy defined as the field‘s philosophy, research, theory, practice and curriculum. Propositions: Statements for Consideration ' The purpose of this series Of propositions is to establish some problems to be solved and affirmative statements that can be then characterized as true or false. The deductive nature Of this study implies that the reasoning is a logical process in which some conclusions are drawn from a set Of premises and contain no more information than the premises taken collectively. The "truth" Of the synthesized ESF and, therefore, the generalizations are supposed to be logically true (Koestler, l967, pp. 341-348; J. G. Miller, 1965 and l97l). The next step towards clarifying and upholding the deduc- tive generalizations is to employ the inductive method. This is a process in which a conclusion or hypothesis is proposed that contains l22 more information than the Observations or experience on whiCh it is based. Said another way: it is a logical process in which general— izations are inferred from specific facts. The "truth" Of the con- clusions is verifiable only in terms of future eXperience and is' attainable only if all possible instances have been examined. The propositions that are proposed are deductive generaliza- tions about the ESF that can be inductively explored. It means that a complementary body Of information can facilitate the development Of an inductive framework. Then and only then can the ESF be considered an altogether useful basic scientific tOOl for the profession and the explication can be reasonably characterized as representing the cen- tral focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The challenge of gaining consensus within the profession on this basic focus should be con- sidered a separate but important related issue. Because the entire biosphere is a grossly complex and an inconveniently large system to discuss, it is customary tO concep- tually isolate parts of it into ecosystems or sub-wholes (systems). Home Economics/Human Ecology is concerned with the ecosystem Of the individual organism and organism as family. This is defined as a group Of human organisms that are related to each other by their com- mon access to some particular, well clarified energy flow which is their participation in a web Of matter-energy and informational flows. Like those Of any thermodynamic system, the boundaries of an ecosystem may be chosen arbitrarily and for most ecosystems the boun- daries are Open to some degree Of material flow. Any ordered struc- ture may be recognized as an Open system by its disintegration when 123 the supportive energy flow is cut Off. As in ecological communities, behavioral mechanisms may mediate the energy flows. The ESF conceptualizes the organism as family in an eco- system and the concern with man-environment interrelationship as the image, map or framework Of the field's central focus. It can facili- tate an explicit means for clearly stating the boundaries and clari- fying the basic dimensions Of the profession: philosophy, research, theory, curriculum and practice. This can, in turn, represent a general search for organization and patterns Of relationships among certain phenomena. Proposition 1.00: The Whole ESF as a System 1.00 The ESF is a whole abstracted system that represents a Stage in the evolution Of the map Of the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. 1.1 The ESF is a holistic framework Of the complex, multi- dimensional and dynamic basic concepts of the field's philo- sophy, research, theory, curriculum and practice. 1.2 The ESF is an Open system that is typified by the following three primary attributes Of a living system: 1.21 Structure-elaboration (Buckley, 1967, p. 5). 1.22 Process (J. G. Miller, 1965, p. 338; Bertalanffy, 1968, pp. 39-40). . 1.23 _ History (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 284). 1.3 The structure Of the ESF has the following attributes: 1.31 Systems, subsystems, and suprasystems. 1.32 An ecosystem boundary. 1.33 Near-environment in relationship to the distal envi- ronment. 1.34 Level of analysis. 1.35 Emergents or synergy. 1 l .4 .5 .10 124 The process Of the ESF has the following attributes: 1.41 A living system. 1.42 An Open system. 1.43 Metabolism that maintains the ESF system through: 1.43.1 Metabolism Of matter-energy.- 1.43.2 Metabolism Of information. 1.43.3 Metabolism Of both. 1.44 Morphogenesis and morphostasis. 1.45 Function or the purposes and/or consequences Of the system's processes (Berlo, 1970, pp. 8-9). Function has the following attributes: 1.45.1 Production. 1.45.2 Maintenance. 1.45.3 Innovation. The history of the ESF is an accumulation in the s stem Of the effects Of past events (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 284 . 1.51 A living system carries its history with it in the form of altered structure and consequently altered process (function). 1.52 The history Of the ESF is a circular relation among the three primary aspects Of systems: Structure elaboration, process and history. 1.53 When the change is irreversible a historical process has occurred giving rise to a new structure. The whole ESF system is an abstract comprehension and implies other abstracts, concepts and concrete phenomenon. The whole ESF is a system that represents the overarching comprehension or master plan Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. Its power lies in the organization Of the central focus Of- Home Economics/Human Ecology. The ESF is a holistic comprehension that can be used to define the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the central con- cepts to which the profession attends. The ESF is a descriptive scientific tool and a means of com- prehending the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology in more explicit ways. The ESF is connected through the interface Of energy and the linkage Of two related systems to form a greater system and .11 .12 .13 .14 .15 .16 .17 .18 125 connotes a regularized pattern between systems, subsystems and suprasystems. 1.10.1 The transaction Of the interface Of energy is called metabolism. 1.10.2 The transactions and exchange between the linkages connotes a regularized pattern of interaction between the systems, subsystems and suprasystems. 1.10.3 The ESF feedback system is reciprocal in nature and is referred to as morphogenesis and morphostasis. The family as an ecosystem in the near environment is one of the systems represented in the ESF as a central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The organism (any systems level) in relation to each other and their interaction is an ecosystem. The basic concepts Of the ESF represented as a whole system are always in relation to other systems, subsystems and suprasys- tems. The ESF system has a disciplinary context and should be used in that context. In order to comprehend the use Of the ESF fully, suprasystems and subsystems can be superimposed to facilitate a view Of the ESF as always in relation to other Open systems. The focus Of the ESF on explicit concepts and their interrela- tionship represents the logical-deductive development of the field's central theme. The ESF is a holistic map Of the component parts of Home Economics/Human Ecology's focus and the interrelationship of these parts to each other, as well as an overall pattern of interaction between the parts.* The ESF is a system with a goal: to study the relationship of the organism as family in an ecosystem towards improving the quality of life Of the system through rational means. Because the ESF is a whole system with a goal, it: 1.18.1 has a boundary, 1.18.2 is an Open system, 1.18.3 has rules and a history, 1.18.4 has an interdependence within the system and with other systems, 1 18.5 has energy exchange flows within and with other systems, .19 .20 .00 126 1.18.6 measures the effectiveness Of the ESF by the achieve- ment towards the stated goal, and 1.18.7 measures the efficiency of the ESF by the ratio between effectiveness and cost. The ESF is a system that is a structurally and dynamically unique comprehension and not fundamentally comparable to other types Of systems although there are some points of similarity. The use of the ESF as a whole system: The point at which the system is entered by an investigator is arbitrary and is dic- tated by the goal(s) that have been defined by the investigator. Proposition 2.00: The Structure Of the ESF The structure of the ESF is the arrangement of its subsystems and the concepts in multi-dimensional space at a given moment in time and over time. The structure of the ESF connotes an orientation that is a reaction against viewing man in a fractional or simple additive way and is an orientation that is concerned with the aggregate or the whole and the organized backdrop in which events occur. Every part Of the structure Of the ESF is so related to every other part that any change in one aspect results in the dynamic change in all other parts of the total system. The ESF structure is an Open system and, therefore, there is exchange Of matter-energy and/or information between and among the organisms and the environment. Such exchanges, transactions or trade-Offs in the ESF are not necessarily disruptive. The behavior Of the structure Of the system to any kind of change may be purposeful problem-solving. The concept Of the ESF as an Open system is a matter Of rela- tivity or degree. The component parts Of the ESF structure are organized to pic- ture or illustrate the pattern Of the relationships of the concepts. The structure Of the concepts of the ESF are related to other structures identified as systems, subsystems and suprasystems. .10 .11 .00 127 The ESF, subsystems and suprasystems are embedded within the physical, spatial, temporal and sometimes symbolic sets of conditions called environments. The boundary Of the ESF defines the focus Of the region separating this system from other systems. 2.9.1 The boundary serves to define and filter the inputs and outputs Of the ESF. 2.9.2 The boundary can be linked with other boundaries to form greater systems. 2.9.3 The boundary Of the ESF is referred to as the eco- system boundary. When using the ESF, the level Of analysis Of the structure must be defined as a constant for each component throughout the discourse unless otherwise specifically stated. The synergy Of the ESF is related to the structure of this complex system and means that the ESF manifests qualities that are greater than the sum Of the individual concepts included in the ESF. Proposition 3.00: The Process of the ESF; The process Of the ESF is the dynamic, ongoing, everchanging events and relationships that have neither a beginning nor an end. There is no one-to—One relationship between process and struc- ture (J. G. Miller, 1971, pp. 288-289). Living systems organize themselves only in and through process: 1) the metabolism of matter-energy, 2) the metaboliSm Of infor- mation, and 3) the metabolism where both are involved. The process idea Of the ESF, therefore, includes the dynamic process underlying the existence, growth, change, and the behavior Of all living systems—-individual and multi-person. The process of metabolism of matter-energy and the metabolism of information are the indispensable function Of individual organisms and organization through which the organism or orga— nization relates itself to the environment and its parts and its processes one to the other. 3.4.1 3.4.2 3.4.3 3.4.4 128 J. G. Miller (1971, pp. 307-308) has identified infor- mation and matter-energy processing subsystems in the organism as family (group) as follows: Matter—energy‘processing subs stems (J. G. Miller, 1971, pp. 307-308 and 313-321 : i) ii) iii) iv) V) vi) vii) viii) Ingestor, Distributor, Converter, Producer, Matter-energy storage, Extruder, Motor, Supporter Information processing subsystems (Miller, 1971, pp. 307-308 and 321-351): "From the information processing viewpoint, the essence Of the organism's interaction with the world is the identification and acquisition Of potentially useful stimuli, the trans- lation and transformation Of the information received into meaningful patterns, and the use Of these pat- terns in choosing an Optimal response" (Suedfeld, in Schroder and Suedfeld, 1971, p. 3). i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) ix) Input transducer Internal transducer, Channel and net, Decoder, Associator, Memory, Decider, Encoder, Output transducer Subsystems which process both matter-energy and infor- mation are (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 307): 1') ii) Reproducer, Boundary In living systems there are two feedback processes that are basic to the metabolism Of information and the metabolism Of matter-energy; morphostasis or deviation-counteracting (Negative) feedback and morphogenesis or deviation—amplifying (positive) feedback processes. 3.5.1 These concepts Of feedback processes describe rela- tionships which are mutually causal (rather than one- way) (Maruyama, 1960 and 1963). 4-00 129 3.5.2 Therefore, a key concept to understanding the ESF is interaction as a mutually causal notion and inter- action as reciprocity with short-term and long-term consequences. The function Of the ESF is the process Of dealing with the purposes or consequences of a who e system and why it exists (Miller, 1965, p. 337). Said another way: "Process includes the on Oing function Of a system. . . ." (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 2841. Three major dimensions Of function are identified as (Berlo, 1970, pp. 9-10): 3.6.1 Production--how the tasks Of the system are carried out. . 3.6.2 Innovation--the degree to which the environment is changing and the desire for the organization to Operate efficiently. The two components of inno- vation are: a) eliciting of new ideas and b) the implementation of new ideas. 3.6.3 Maintenance--there are three aspects Of the main- tenance function: a) Maintenance Of the self-concept, b) maintenance Of interpersonal relationships, c maintenance Of production and innovation func- tions within the system. The potential combination Of dynamic processes represented in the ESF are endless, although it is recognized that certain .things may precede others. The ESF represents the processes of a holistic arrangement Of. abstracts and is a guide or map with which other abstracts, concepts, and concrete processes can be explored. Proposition 4.00: The History of the ESF (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 284) The history of the ESF involves the accumulation in the sys- tem Of residues or effects Of past events (structural changes, memories and learned habits, for example). The ESF carries its history with it in the form Of altered structure and consequently Of altered process which includes function. 010101010101010101 130 There is a circular relation among the three primary aspects of the system: Structure changes momentarily with processing (functioning). but when such change is so great that it is essentially irreversible, an historical process has occurred, giving rise to a new structure or the elaboration Of the structure. Therefore, the history Of the ESF involves the concepts Of space and time. 4.3.1 "This presentation Of a general theory Of living systems will employ two sorts Of spaces in which .they may exist, physical or geographical space and conceptual or abstracted space" (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 278). "Each (of these types of spaces) has characteristics and constraints of its own” (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 279). 4.3.2 "Time is the particular instant at which a structure exists or a process occurs, or the measured or mea- surable period over which a structure endures or a process continues . . . A conCrete system (Of time) can move in any direction on the spatial dimen- sions, but only forward--never backward--on the temporal dimension” (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 279). Proposition 5.00: The Component Concepts Of the Abstracted System Referred tO as the Ecological Systems Framework The component concepts Of the ESF are as follows: Concept Code .O.1 Organism (O) .O.2 Organism as Family (O-F) .O.3 Energy (E .O.4 Energy as matter-energy (E-me) .O.5 Energy as information (E-i) .O.6 Energy as communication (E-c) 0.7 Environment (En) .O.8 Environment (Distal) (En-d) .O.9 Environment (Near) (En-n) 5.1 5.22 5.13 5.4 131 5.0.10 Complex Feedback Systems Morphogenesis (Mg) Morphostasis (Ms) 5.0.11 Interface (I) 5.0.12 Linkage (L) An abstract system: Units are relationships abstracted or selectediand the relationship may be empirical or logical concepts. .1 Concepts are used to build an abstracted system. .2 The ESF is a logical abstracted system that is deductively synthesized. 5.1 5.1 A concept is a big idea that represents a generalized notion Of a class Of Objects and it is an abstraction of a mental image. The concept Of an organism (O) is a complex Of cells repre- sented in the ESF as the living system Of the human organism. It has diverse organs and parts that function together as a whole to maintain life and its activities. The organism as fami1y_(O-F) is any systems level of individual human organisms who represent an identifiable unit Of inter- acting organisms with some common goals, commitment over time and the sharing of resources and living space. 5.4.1 It is a system Of individual human organisms in an ecosystem and that ecosystem mediates between the: organism as family and the larger society. 5.4.2 The organism as family is greater than the sum Of the individual organisms (J. G. Miller, 1971, pp. 302-398). 5.4.3 Such an organization is an ordering Of structure, process and history. 5.4.4 The organism as family has the following attributes: i) An Open system in constant interaction with the near and distal environment. ii) It is a system with multiple purposes or func- tions that involve multiple interactions be- ‘tween the Organism as Family and the environ- ment. iii) Consists of many subsystems (groups and roles) which are in dynamic interaction with one another. iv) Changes in one subsystem affect the behaviors, in other subsystems. v) Exists in a dynamic environment with changing demands and constraints. 5.55 5.6 132 vi) The multiple links between the ecosystem boune dary of the Organism as Family and its distal environment makes it difficult to clearly specify other boundaries in precise ways. vii) The stable processes Of input (import), con- version and output (export) may ultimately best describe an organization rather than size, shape, function or structure. Energy (E) is pictured as the life-giving interface and linkage throughout the ESF. 5.5.1 The concept of energy can be defined in two broad iategories: Matter-energy (E-me) and information E—i A subset Of information is communication (E-c). Communication is a complex phenomenon defined through the following sequence: U'IU'I U'IU'I CON i) Matter-energy: The relativistic concept that all forms of matter and energy are really the same phenomenon with the apparent differences' attributable to the nature of the sense organs Of the perceiver, rather than to the nature of the energy form. . ii) Information (technical sense): The patterned structure Of matter-energy. iii) Communication: Information (pattern) for which the receiver and the sender share a common experience with respect to the information. iv) Information (Communication sense): Patterned matter-energy for which there is a common refer- ent experience, and an agreement that the infor- mation regularly denotes the same referent object or experience, with the additional pro- vision that there is a corresponding reduction Of uncertainty about the state Of the perceiver's world. Environment (En): Systems, subsystems and suprasystems are embedded within physical, spatial, temporal and sometimes sym- bolic sets Of conditions called environments. The character- lSt1CS-Of the environments affect the system which interacts with them and are affected by them. Living systems adapt to their environment and in return mold it. This reciprocal rela- tionship over time means that each in some sense becomes the mirror of the other. The earth is a total system Of inter- acting parts and the broad concept Of the environment is included in that image. 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 133 5.6.1 The near environment (En-n) is all those conditions that are closest to the organism(s) and therefore affect and are affected by in more direct ways: All that surrounds a designated ecosystem. 5.6.2 The distal environment (En-d) is linked tO the near environment and in an abstract sense forms concentric circles around it. These may be suprasystems, supra- suprasystems or subsystems, subsubsystems that sup- port the defined near environment; The concept Of distal environment includes three interacting envi- ronmental systems: i) biophysical--physiological and metabolic: The organic life cycle. ii) the psychosocial--interpersona1 relationships expressed by individual and collective patterns of behavior, and iii) technologica1--materials, tools and techniques. Com 1ex Feedback Systems: Morphogenesis (Mg) and Morphostasis Ms : 5.7.1 Morphogenesis (Mg) is the deviation-amplifying (positive) feedback process. 5.7.2 Morphostasis (Ms) is the deviation-counteracting (neggtive) feedback processes (Maruyama, 1960 and 1963 . 5.7.3 This feedback system represents a mutually causal relationship or reciprocity rather than a one-way action-reaction or cause-effect view. Interface (I) is the relationship between two or more living systems that is an abstracted space relationship greater than linkage. Interface is essential to the vitality Of the two interacting Open systems. ' Linkage (L) is a concept Of the relationship between two sys: tems that are connected to form a greater system. It suggests a regularized pattern of interaction between the two systems which in a sense forms a bond between them. The component concepts of the ESF form a holistic Open sys- tem that is a map or picture Of the central focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The ESF is a whole system organized into two basic systems' that are linked: 5.11.1 The Dr anism as Family in an ecosystem (multi- person? and 5.12 5.113 ' 6.00 6.1 134 5.11.2 The Organism (any systems level) in relation to each other and their interaction in an ecosystem. The abstract arrangement Of the ESF is derived from a synthesis of: 5.12.1 The historical foundations Of the field over-time (Chapter II and III). 5.12.2 General Systems Theory applied to the Ecological Systems Approach (J. G. Miller, 1965 and 1971; Buckley, 1967 and 1968; Auerswald, 1968). 5.12.3 The study of the family in a conceptual framework (Christensen, 1964; Nye and Bernardo, 1966 and 1973; Hill and Hansen, 1968; Broderick, 1971). 5.12.4 Contemporary views Of the profession Of Home Eco- nomics/Human Ecology (Brown, 1967 and 1970; Hook and Paolucci, 1970; Quilling, 1970). The ESF is a deductive representation and, therefore, an arrangement Of the central component concepts Of Home Economics/ Human Ecology that need to be inductively quantified and refined as part of a continuing process Of development. Proposition 6.00: The Qualitative Aspects of the ESF The ESF is essentially value-free. The qualitative or values enter in when: . . . l) upholding some basic end goal or goals tO be accomplished by home economists as home economist; 2) choosing the methods of inquiry to Be used as means enabling home economists to reach their end goal(s),' and 3) choosing the standards or modes of agreeing upon what is acceptable knowledge in home economics . . . . They (values) enter theory not as statements or postu- lates but rather through determining the focus and the nature Of theoretical know- ledge for home economics (Brown, 1967, p. 773). The ESF is a means to facilitate the develOpment Of explicit qualitative statements about the commitment of the field with regard to its (1) basic end goal; (2) methods Of inquiry to reach that end goal and (3) the means for reaching a 6.2 6.13 6.4 6.5 135 consensus on what is acceptable knowledge in Home Economics/ Human Ecology. The man-1earned and man- -built conceptualization of his relationship to the environment is intricately enmeshed in qualitative concepts of selectivity. Even with a high degree Of redundancy in communication, it is Often ineffective. One reason is the selectivity processes, the tendency to seek familiarity and rein- forcement for our existing attitudes, and to avoid situations in which we will not receive such reinforcement . . . (there are) three selectivity processes: Selective exposure is the tendency to attendito . . . messages that are consistent with one's existing attitudes and beliefs . . . . Selectivepperception is the tendency to interpret. . . messages in terms Of one's existing attitudes and beliefs . . . Selective recall is the tendency to remember . . . messages as consistent with one' 5 existing attitudes and beliefs . . . . (Rogers, 1971, pp. 8- 9). Selectivity is one Of the qualitative aspects Of the compre- hension Of the ESF as representing the central focus Of the Home Economics/Human Ecology. Culture is one Of man's qualitative selective mechanisms. 6.4.1 Culture is an abstraction that is known and under stood through its manifestations. 6.4.2 Culture is man's most important instrument Of adap- tation and is made up of the energy systems, the Objective and specific artifacts, the organization of social relations, the modes of thought, ideologies, and the total range Of customary behavior that is transmitted from one generation to another by a social group and enables it to maintain life in a particular habitat. 6.4.3 The ESF is an attempt to view the organism as family in relation to the near environment in an international-global context and, therefore, involves the qualitative cultural definitions of the focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology's concerns. In a broad sense, all cultures embody a system that can be referred tO as organism as family. 6.65 6.7' 6.8 6.9 6.10 136 6.5.1 The qualitative focus Of the ESF seeks to view the family as organism from a broad cross-cultural base. 6.5.2 One qualitative implication is that all organism as family are worthy Of the profession's philosophical, theoretical, research, curricular and action-practice concerns. The use Of GST terminology in the ESF is an attempt to stress the qualitative development of the focus of the field through the use Of language. 6.6.1 GST language tends to be more value-free and connotes a concern for the organism and the organism as fam- ily as an ecosystem regardless Of origin, socio- economic status, environmental constraints and so forth. 6.6.2 The qualitative concerns Of the ESF language assumes that language is behavior and behavior is language (Terwilliger, 1968). The qualitative concerns of the ESF connote a pervasive com- mitment to the idea that the quantitative-survival level Of existence should not be the goal of the profession The goal Of the profe551on 15 to help families achieve a quality life in a quality environment. 6.7.1 Because "well-being" and "quality of life" have not been quantitatively defined, the qualitative goals, Of the profession are at present Open to many interpretations (Andrews, 1973; Melville, 1973; Walker, 1973). The qualitative and quantitative aspects Of the ESF, there- fore, need tO be complementary developments. 6.8.1 The qualitative concerns and focus of the profes- sion should be made explicit in quantitative terms to facilitate the realization of the ESF comprehension of the field's focus (Walker, 1973; Gauger, 1973). The decision-making process as it relates to the use Of the ESF involves qualitative assumptions. [One example, is the economic concept of growth. Is growth "good?" Or should-it be defined as controlled growth for the good Of all? And what are the implications of changing such an assumption on the organism as family?] Qualitative assumptions of the ESF should be explicitly defined as well as quantified to facilitate the end goals Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. 6.11 6.12 6.13 137 The qualitative aspects Of the ESF are related to questiOns Of value (clarification and moral reasoning), resources, goals, the costs in relation to human and material resources and long-term and short-term consequences of all these dimensions. How the qualitative aspects of the ESF are defined will affect the qualitative output of the profession's philosophy, theory, research, curriculum and actions. Through rational scientific means the field does have control Of its destiny and its qualitative aspects. 6.13.1 The ESF is one kind of tOOl to facilitate the expli- cation Of the qualitative controls and concerns to which the profession attends. 6.13.2 If the profession does not explicate the qualitative commitments to which it attends, it has lost control over the development Of the dimensions of the profes- sion: philosophy, theory, research, curriculum and ~actions. ' One qualitative issue of the profession is to define the meaning Of moral complex man as Opposed to material man as these relate to the develOpment Of dimensions of the profession (Kohlberg, 1969). 6.14.1 Qualitative issues have to dO with human costs in human suffering and dignity. 6.14.2 Qualitative issues have to do with the distribution of resources on a global scale. Qualitative aspects involve both short-range and longaterm moral consequences and the prediction Of both are part Of the decision-making process Of the profession. The ESF is a means Of facilitating the development Of scien- tifically rational explicit qualitative concerns Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. Proposition 7.00: The Quantitative Aspects Of the ESF The ESF is a means whereby the quantitative aspects Of the profession can be defined in eXplicit ways. The ESF has the potential to be inductively developed and, therefore, the concepts Of the ESF can be quantified. 7.2 7.3 7.4 7'.5 138 Through systems dynamics, quantification of abstract concepts can demonstrate how the abstract concepts Of the ESF behaves in complex interrelated ways (Forrester, 1971). Quantification of the ESF assumes that there are orderly processes at work in the creation Of human judgment and intui- tion that can lead to rational decisions if all the complex and highly interrelated systems are accounted for. Quantification is a more exact approach to defining the prO- fession's goal Of helping all families realize a quality life. ‘ Defining quality of life in quantitative terms is'a feasible and rational approach to the decision-making process in a complex system such as Home Economics/Human Ecology (Andrews, 1973; Melville, 1973). Quantification Of the concepts Of the professiOn can facilitate the prediction of consequences, both short-term and long-term, and eventually lead to a better understanding of the organism as family in an ecosystem (Forrester, 1971). The quantification Of the quality Of life will involve defining, on a global scale, some Of the standards concerning the basic rights Of the human organism with regard to such finite resources as energy (matter-energy and information), clean air, water, space, privacy and so forth. 7.7.1 The quantification Of man's basic rights and respon- ' sibilities involves the qualitative aspects Of moral man. Quantification Of the field's central concepts will facilitate the quantification of the impact Of the profession and, in turn, facilitate the develOpment and refinement Of the pro- fessiOn. The mental model or the human mind is not adapted to inter- preting the quantitative aspects of how social systems behave because they are multi-loop nonlinear feedback systems. The strengths Of machines and the strengths Of the human mind, therefore, should be combined to quantify the sOcial dynamics with which the profession is concerned (Forrester, l97l). Simulations Of the multi-loop complex systems with which Home' Economics/Human Ecology are concerned can be developed and tested in a laboratory setting through the quantification of the concepts Of the ESF (Forrester, l97l; Koenig, et al., 1971). 7.11 £3.00 23.1 139 The quantification of the social systems that the profession is concerned with can lead to decision-making that views both the short-term and long—term consequences Of this process. PrOpositiOn 8.00: The Interaction Of the Quantitative and Qualitative as Implied in the ESF Combining the quantitative and qualitative aspects Of the ESF will facilitate a more holistic approach for the profession of Home Economics/Human Ecology. "In the hierarchy Of systems, there is usually a conflict between the goals Of a subsystem and the welfare Of the broader system . . . ." in both qualitative and quantitative terms (Forrester, 1971, p. 68). Therefore, unless a holistic approach is taken such as that implied by the ESF, traditional goals may succeed with the result of deepening personal and group distress (Forrester, 1971 . , Multi-loop feedback systems such as the ESF implies, can, if-not qualitatively and quantitatively defined, mislead the profession into defining goals through intuition that may bring results that are different from that actually possessed by the multi-loop system's dynamic behavior interacting with other systems. Concern with the explication of the quantitative and qualitative aspects Of the discipline's central focus represented by the ESF may lead to an emphasis that is not at present anticipated in relation to Home Economics/Human Ecology's philOSOphy, research, theory, curriculum and action. The most crucial reason for explicating the quantitative and qualitative aspects Of the ESF is the need for the profession to determine the dynamic consequences when the concepts within the model interact with one another. Qualitative language that is quantified in explicit ways lead the profession to use precise language and symbols that have shared meanings within the profession and with other profes- sions. 8.7 140 The ESF is a map Of Home Economics/Human Ecology's logical structure, process and history and can facilitate the qualitative and quantitative develOpment of its central focus. CHAPTER V THE REACTION OF A SELECT POPULATION TO THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK The purpose Of this chapter is to present the data which were' gathered to identify the reactions to the prOposed Ecological Systems Framework by the population of administrators Of units Of higher edu- cation of Home Economics/Human Ecology in the United States. This phase was conducted from September 1973 to December 1973. For details of ~ the documents, see Appendix B. The Ecologipal Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet: The Method This phase Of the empirical procedure was a survey of reac— t‘i Ons to the ESF by a select population Of administrators Of units identified as Home Economics/Human Ecology. , A thirteen page Ecolog- Tear. Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet, which was developed from a 3synthesis Of related materials, was reviewed. The response facil- itated the refinement Of the proposed ESF (See Chapters II, III and IV and Appendix B). A three page Opinionnaire was included in the pa‘ilket to which the respondent was to react. 141 142 The specific Objectives of the survey were as follows: 1. To assess the reactions Of a select population to the ESF, using the Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet. 2. TO determine the reactions of the population to the ESF as a means Of defining the central focus Of the discipline and as a potential tool. 3. To establish whether there are regional differences to the responses to the statements on the Opinionnaire. The pOpulation receiving the Opinionnaire consisted Of all éicjnninistrators of Home Economics/Human Ecology units Of higher educa- ti on compiled from the combined lists Of the National Council Of Administrators of Home Economics1 and the U.S. Department Of Health, EECiIJcation and Welfare.2 (See Appendix B for a complete list.) This particular group was polled because it was presumed that they represented: 1) the leaders in the profession, 2) well-informed pro fessionals, 3) involved with the scholarly bases of the profession, \ . 'The complete Membership Of the National Council of Admin- Tstrators of Home Economics for 1972 as Of February 16, 1972 and 1 n C: ludes honorary members . t4 2The list Of the U.S. Department Of Health, Education, and T31 fare, Office Of Education, Bureau of Adult, Vocational, and wechnical Education; Division Of Vocational and Technical Education, t?shington, D.C. Heads of Home Economics Departments in Institu- 1: Gus approved by State Boards for Vocational Education for the 1 '9‘; ining Of Vocational Teachers Of Home Economics (Revised Sumner 143 4) involved with organizational changes, and 5) professionals who are up-tO-date. The Opinionnaire Packets were forwarded by Third Class mail on September 20th, 1973 with a request that they be completed by October lst. A cover letter, the Packet and a self-addressed Stamped envelope were included in the mail out. It was not antici- laated that the delivery would take longer than a week. However, many paackets arrived after the first reminder post card was forwarded on October 4th. Over half of the population did not return the materials. Others returned them unanswered. Some Of the reasons c:i ted by the latter group were the pressures Of their positions and 'i nsufficient time to meet the prOposed due dates. On October 26th a - second reminder post card was forwarded to the persOns who had not Y‘eessponded. The last useable return was received December 28th. TPEltale 2.--Opinionnaire Distributed and Returned Number Percentage ——_____ - . ESF Opinionnaire Packets forwarded 292 100 % op‘i nionnaires Returned 153 52.40 Completed 128 43.84 Uncompleted 25 s 8.56 Packets Not Returned 139 47.60 \ fl 144 Of the 25 Opinionnaires returned 80% uncompleted, 21 gave a reason. These can be grouped together and have been summarized in Table 3. Table 3.--Reasons for Not Completing the Opinionnaire Reasons Given Number 1 ) The administrator contacted was no longer an 10 administrator (sabbatic leave, transfer, death, retirement). 2) The deadline suggested could not be met. 7 3 3 ) The administrative unit no longer exists. 4 ) The materials were tOO abstract. Analysis Of the Data The data Obtained from the Ecological Systems Framework op‘i mionnaire were analyzed using the Multivariate Contingency Tabu- 1 a”'ZZiOn (MVTAB) at the University Of British Columbia in Vancouver. The MVTAB is a program designed to be used for questionnaire analysis 1 n ‘the social sciences. Considering one question or variable at 'a ti me, it counts the number Of subjects who gave each response to the q“estion and calculates the percentage of people who gave each I" . . es ponse to the question. The output includes univariate frequency 145 tables and univariate total percentage tables. It also considers two questions at a time (bivariate cases) and produces bivariate fre- quency tables and bivariate total percentage tables. The MVTAB anal- ysis for this Opinionnaire was concerned with the analysis Of the responses using the data of the total population. The contents of the Packet are contained in Appendix B. The 'three page Opinionnaire appears on the following pages.' It includes a: page Of items concerned with demographic information and a two Flage Opinionnaire which requests that the reSpondent rate the degree of agreement or disagreement to sixteen statements about‘the ESF‘as Presented in the Packet. The analysis includes the data for the total population to avoid distortion. The Findings What are the Overall Ratings Given the Sixteen Statements on the Opinionnaire? TO determine the answers to the first question using the t°ta1 population, bivariate analysis was used to determine what were 1tr"52 overall ratings given for each of the sixteen statements on the questionnaire? The purpose was to assess, using the ESF Opinion- "a ‘3 re whether administrators think that: l) the ESF reflects the central focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology and 2) if the ESF can be used in practice. Tables 4 and 5 sumnarize' the findings Of this ana‘lysis. 146 ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK QUESTIONNAIRE 'The Ecological Systems Framework Questionnaire is a structured means (of determining the extent to which the idea presented in the Packet is, in your Opinion, a framework that would be a useful tool for Idome Economics/Human Ecology. [PLEASE RESPOND TO ALL OF THE APPROPRIATE ANSWERS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR SITUATION 4 1. I have been an active professional home economist for approximately: I have been an administrator for approximately: The highest degree earned (Please indicate): 1-5 years . 5-10 years . 10-20 years . 20-30 years . Other (please indicate) . 1-5 years . 5-10 years . 10-20 years . 20-30 years . Other (please _indicate) The major subject matter areas that I concentrate myacademic work in are as follows (Please indicate): The total undergraduate majors enrolled ___A. Under 250 in the College, School, or Department ___8. Under 500 in which I am an administrator is ___C. Under 900 approximately: ___D. Under 1200 ___E. Other (please indicate) The total graduate majors enrolled ___A. Under 25 in the College, School, or Department .___8. Under 50 in which I am an administrator is ___C. Under 100 approximately: .___D. Under 150 ___E. Other (please indicate) The institution of higher education ___A. A Land-Grant ' in which I am an administrator is College considered to be: ___8. A State University ___C. A Private Institution .___D. Other (please indicate The administrative unit for which I am responsible employs the following number Of full time faculty (indicate the number please) 16L 11 . 122. 'IEB. ** 147 The present title Of the administrative unit for which I am responsible is: The present title was made Official (please indicate date) -- ' If there has been no title change, have there been any plans for the change of title? Yes:____No;___ (Briefly describe) ‘ The present administrative unit for which I am responsible has reorganized the administrative structure: Yesr___’NO;_y_. If so, briefly describe on reverse. The present administrative unit for which I‘am responsible has undergone curriculum reorganization: Yes;____NO;___. If so, briefly describe on reverse. - **********************l*********** ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK: QUESTIONNAIRE P1 ease check the one response that best describes your Opinion Of the Statements below. Space is provided for you to include comments or Suggestions. 2 >5 >3 0) d) 'f‘ I'— :— GJ CD f6 01 - U) L- ‘- 4-1 C Q, a) C U1 U! 5- 0 Q) a) o (U (U Q, S- S- L S U) U) U 44 U') U”) +4 '0- 0|- C ~ ~ _ - ‘ — _ - — _ — — _ — ———————————— m.<— f—Qo— E_:‘ STATEMENT 5 4 3 2 1 1 . The Family is the central focus Of Home 22. _ The professionals within the field have fl Economics/Human Ecology. Comment The central focus of Home Economics/ Human Ecology is the Organism as Family in the context Of the Near Environment.‘ Commenty_ perceived the Linear Framework as a first stage in the evolution of the profession's framework. Comment The Process Framework represents progress in comprehending the central focus Of the profession.» Comment 1(3. 11. 148 Energy is a crucial missing interface in the Linear and Process Frameworks. Comment Strongly Agree 1 U1 - Strongly lwl -Disagree J 1 I 1 n3] Disagree ' _. I Uncertain The Ecological Systems Framework is a means Of helping the profession to more consciously state and use the basic concepts Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. Comment The Ecological Systems Framework is a tOOl to develop and refine the profes- sion's philosophy, theory, research, curriculum, and action strategies. Comment The Ecological Systems Framework is a system through which the Organism as family can be perceived in relation to other systems. Comment The Ecological Systems Framework is different from the Linear and Process Frameworks because it pictures the relationship between the Organism as Family in the Near Environment in a new way. Comment The Ecological Systems Framework is a scientific tOOl that can aid the pro- fession to view the Organism as Family in a more systematic, accurate and Objective manner. Comment The Ecological Systems Framework is one way for the profession to perceive the relationship Of Home Economics/Human Ecology to other disciplines. Comment 149 1 I 1 I w >5 >7 :5 15 c m m c o m m o L L L L 44 as C» +2 U) < < m STATEMENT 1—5 4 12. Defining the Organism as Family in an ecosystem reflects the profession's con- cern with serving all families. Comment I Disagree Disagree 1 -*J Uncertain N 1 I 13. The Ecological Systems Framework is an organization Of the concepts that repre- sent the central focus Of the profession. Comment L. '14. The Ecological Systems Framework can be used as a tool to define quantitative aspects Of the profession. Comment '15. The Ecological Systems Framework can help the profession define qualitative (moral, ethical, values) priorities. Comment ‘16. The goal of Home Economics/Human Ecology is ' to help the Organism as Family realize a quality life, over time. Comment 17. Additional conments: PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE AND_ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS PACKET by October 1, 1973 to Mrs. Eleanore Vaines School Of Home Economics University Of British Columbia Vancouver 8, B.C., CANADA 150 Table 4.--Responses to Statements that the ESF Reflects the Central Focus of the Profession Number Percentage Of Total Population Statement‘ SA U SD Uncom- SA U SD Uncom- Number A D pleted A D pleted Y 1 116 3 9 0 39.7 1.0‘7 3.0' 56.3 2 109 8 10 1 ' T 37.3 2.7 f 3.4 56.6. 3 77 29 21 1 26.3 9.9 7.1 56.7 4 104 14 2 8 35.6‘ 4.7 .68 ‘ 59.02 5 76 27 21 4 26.0 9.2 7.1 57.7 __7 6 93 29 ' 4 2 31.8 9J9 '1.3 57 ——7 9 87 26 9' 6 29.8 8.9 3.0 58.3 -—T 11 102 15 7 4 34.1 5.1 2.4 58.4 -—E 12 _ 107 8" 6 7 36.7 , 2.7 2.0 58.6 h—» 13 81 26 12 9 27.7‘ 8.9 4.1. ’59.3 _—E 16 109 10 " 3 6 37.3 3.4 1.0 58.3 Sumnary Of‘POpulation Responses: » Completed Opinionnaires = 128 Uncompleted Opinionnaires = 164 Total population = 292 ESsaL= SA = Strongly Agree I\ = Agree [J = Uncertain SD =‘Strongl y Disagree D = Disagree 151 Table 5.--Responses to Statements that the ESF Can be Used in Practice Number Percentage Of Total Population Statement ' SA U SD Uncom- SA U SD Uncom- Number A D pleted A D pleted 7 107 . 17 3 1 36.6 5.8 1.0 56.6 8 111 14 2 1 38.8 4.8 .68 55.7 10 83 32 10 3 28.4 10.9 3.4 57.3 14 67 37 15 9 22.9 12.6 5.1 59.4 15 21.9 13.3 5.8 8 21.9 13.3 5.8 59.0 Sumnary Of Population Responses: Completed Opinionnaires = 128 Uncompleted Opinionnaires = 164 'Total Population = 292 Are There Regional Differences in the Responses to Objective 1 and 2? The purpose Of this portion of the analysis was to examine the responses for regional differences. The regions were identified as outlined in Table 6. The responses to the Opinionnaire statements by region are sulrlnarized in Table 7. 152 Table 6.--Survey Of Regions: The States Included and the Number Of Respondents Region States Included Population Region 1: West Alaska, Arizona, California, 50 ‘ Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming Region 2: South Alabama, Arkansas, Florida 110 Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia Region 3: Mid- Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, 81 'West Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin' RegiOn 4: North- Connecticut, Delaware, Washington, D.C., 51 Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont Table 7.--Opinionnaire Responses byRegion ‘ ¥ Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4‘ Response TOTALS West South Mid-West Northeast I. Returned a) completed 128 28 38 43 19 b) uncompleted 25 3 11 8 . 3 Total Returned 153 31 49 51 22 11. Not Returned 139 19 61 30 29 TOTALS ' 292 50 110 “ 81 51 153 Is There a Relationship Between the Ratings Given on the Opinionnaire and the Geographical Region of the Respondent? There are two questiOns in this part. The first is con- cerned with those who answered Strongly Agree or Agree to all the statements on the Opinionnaire and their geographical location. The second is concerned with those who answered StronglyDiSagree or Disagree and their geographical regiOn. 1. Of those who answered Strongly Agree/Agree to all the Opinionnaire statements, in what geographical area are they found? Fourteen respondents or 11% Of the 292 Opinionnaires sent out met the criterion. The following states had one respondent: California, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. TwO respondents each came from Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. These are summarized in Table 8. Table 3.--Region of ReSpondents Answering SA/A to All the Statements Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 (West) (South) (Mid-West) (Northeast) California (1) Mississippi (1) Indiana (2) Pennsylvania (2) Washington (1) Tennessee (1) Michigan (2) Texas (1) Minnesota (1) OhiO.(1) Wisconsin (1) Total 2 ‘1 3 7 2 154 There were few who qualified for this category and the relationship between geographical regiOn and an overall positive response to the Opinionnaire was not correlated. 2. Of those who answered Strongly Disagree/Disagree to all Of the statements on the Opinionnaire, in what geographical location are they found? NO respondent met this criterion. The overall picture Of responses showed that of the 128 useable Opinionnaires, no one generally disagreed with all of the statements. Are the Responses Influenced by the Respondents? The descriptive data in this part was concerned with the relationship between the responses given on the Opinionnaire as‘ influenced by the demographic information provided by the respondent. In general, there was no significant pattern. Specifically only those bivariate tables showing +.05 or less Probability of Gamma« correlation will be discussed. It can be assumed, therefore, that those not discussed showed no significant correlation between the demographic information and the rating given to the statement on the Opinionnaire. l. A positive response to the Statement 6: The Ecological Systems Framework is a means of helping the profession to more consciously state and use the basic concepts of Home 155 Economics/Human Ecology, was significantly correlated to respondents exhibiting up to twenty years as an active prOfessional. The results are summarized in Table 9. 2. A positive response to Statement 2: The central focus of - Home Economics/Human Ecology is the Organism as Family in the context of the Near Environment, was-significantly correlated to reSpondents who hold a Ph.D. or Ed.D. degree. The results are summarized in Table 10. 3. A positive response to Statement 5 and 7 was significantly correlated to respondents major subject matter area. Statement 5: Energy is a crucial missing interface in the Linear and Process Frameworks.: Statement 7: The Ecological Systems Framework is a tool to develOp and refine the profession's philosophy, theory, research, curriculum, and action strategies. The results are summarized in Tables 11 and 12. 4. A positive reSponse to statement 10: The Ecological Systems" Framework is a scientific tool that can aid the profession. to view the Organism as Family in a more systematic, accurate and objective manner, was Significantly correlated to respon- dents total undergraduate majors enrolled in the College, School or Department. The results are summarized in Table 13. mop .am "NmN 1 Peace amp .156 m em NF mp Lmzmc< oz “masocoum ago; a poz mme» meuom mmex omuom mme» omuop mme» opum mmex mup awesocoum wee; m>Puuu cm coon w>mg H "F cowummso on mwmcoqmmm szmc< oz mmLmamwo apmcoLum mmcmmmva crmusmucs mmLm< mmLm< upmcoLum no “cosmueam on noncoammm F cowummzo cu umumpom m acmemumum LoL mpnmh aucmaomLL mpmwgm>wmuu.m mpnmh 157 mop 0m "New 1 m_epee mmp Lmzmce oz Leguo .m.em Lo .o.em .o.:a eu.z meweapm emeee ece .<.z .<.z mmweeam emeee ece .m.: .m.: .m.m emcgem mmemee pmmgmws use an cowpmmao op mmmcoammm Lozmc< oz mmLmeMwo apocoegm mmLmemvo eweaLooce omLm< mmLm< apmcoeum “N acmewwepm op mmmcoamma m cowummeo op emuepmm N pewEopeum Low «_neh aucmzomcu muemee>mmli.op anep 158 mop a NP NN mm. _N nNmN u mpeuoh oep F N P Lmzm=< oz N F _ um «so; emLoeemccu po: quuee pumnnzm _ m m m N .6. 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HNmN u mFeHOF mmF F . F Lmzmc< oz F . come Lees: N coon Lmec: F F F N ooom Lees: F F N e F . cONF Lees: N F F F F .oom Lmec: N m «F m com Lees: e 9 NF Fm oF omN Lmecz emFFoLcm mLomeE eeLmLmecs Feuou meF ”m :oFummzo op mmmcoammm Lozmc< mmLmemFo oz FchoLFm mmgm< "oF acmEmeeum eeememFo eFeeLeeez eeem< NFmeoeem o» memeoamea m coFummso ece oF acmemueum Lom aneF aucmzcmLL mueFLe>anu.mF aneF 5. 161 A positive response to Statements 2 and 6 was significantly correlated to respondents total graduate majors enrolled in the administrative unit. Statement 2: The central focus of Home Economics/Human ,Ecology is the Organism as Family in the context of the Near Environment. 'Statement 6: The Ecological Systems Framework is a means Of helping the profession tO more consciously state and use the basic concepts Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The results are summarized in Tables 14 and 15. A positive response to Statement 6, The Ecological Systems Framework is a means of helping the profeSSion to more consciously state and use the basic concepts Of Home Eco- nomics/Human Ecology, was significantly correlated to respondents who are administrators Of units that are State Colleges or Universities. Table 16 summarizes the results. A positive response to Statement 10, The Ecological Systems Framework is a scientific tOOl that can aid the profession to view the Organism as Family in a more systematic, accu- rate and Objective manner, was significantly correlated to respondents who are administrators of units with 1-5 full time faculty members. The results are summarized in Table 17. 162 meF m F m mm om HNmN u mFeFoF oeF e e Lozmc< oz N F F FF mF seeooea eeee oz F eoLmLLo FFco mmmczoo eeLw F omN Loec: F N e F mNN Lees: F N m e omF Lmec: F F F ooF Lwee: N F m e om Lees: N F e N mF e mN Loec: eoFFoLeo meanes ouozeeem Foqu no :oFomooo op momcoomom Lozmc< ooLmemFo oz achoLum ooLm< ”N pcwemuepm mmLmemFo :Fomeocz mocm< FchoLum op mmmcoomom e :oFFmozo eco N pcoEoFeFm Low oFoeF Focmzoocm mquLe>Fmiu.eF mFooF 163 oeF F m mN am am HNmN u mFoqu oeF F N m Lozmc< oz oF mF eF EeLmoLo eeLw oz F emLmFLo FFco mmezoo eeLa F omN Lees: F N e F mNN Loec: F m e m omF Lees: F N FF F ooF Loec: F F F F F m om Leec: N N w mF m mN Lees: eoFFoL:m mconoz opozeecu Fequ no :onmoso op momcoommz Lmzmc< mmememFo mocm< no newsmuepm oz FchoLam omLmemFo cFepLooc: ooLm< szcoLum op mmmcoomoz . m coFmeao ece m chEoueam LoL oFoeF Fucmaomeu mquLo>Fm--.mF anoF 164 eeF F m mN mm «m , HNmN u Fequ mmF F Lozmc< oz F FFFmeesFea FeFo F N e N oeeeo eeeo.mmm zuFmLo>Fcz Lo wmoFFoo oueum N F m mF mF :onspFumcF oae>FLa N F F m NF m FoFmea>Fe= to eoeFFoo eeeem F F m NF m uceco ego; coFFousem Loszz Lo coFuaqumcF Lo maFF "F :oFumooo ow momcoommm Lozmc< woemomFa moLm< "e acmEopepm oz FchoLum omLmean cFouLmoc: moLm< szcoLFm op monsoommz F conmmao eco m Femsmueum LoL anoF zucoaomem mpeFLo>qun.mF mFoeF 165 F F F oeuFm F omuFe N F oeuem F F N F mmiFm N omueN F F N F mNuFN N w oNueF N w m N mFiFF F F e eF e .oFie N m e eF mF m-F FFFsueL wEFF FF=L m.pF:= o>FuemeFcF2e< ozF "m conmozo on momcoammm Lmnuc< mwmwmwwm omLmemFa :FepLooez mmLm< moLm< "w” Mumfiwmmwm Fchome m coFummso ece oF “sweepepm Low mFoeF FocozooLL mpeFLe>Fm--.FF mFoeF 166 FmF Nm mm eN "NNN u mFeFOF omF L¢3mc< oz OONiFmF omFuooF omnFF OFIFm eezeFoeoo--.FF oFeeF 8. 10. 167 A positive response to Statement 1, The Family is the cen-y tral focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology, was significantly correlated to respondents who administer units whose present title was made Official between 1910 and 1929. The results are summarized in Table 18. A positive response to Statements 8 and 12 was significantly correlated to respondents who are administrators Of units which have undergone no changes in administrative structure. The results are summarized in Tables 19 and 20. Statement 8: The Ecological Systems Framework is a system through which the Organism as Family can be perceived in relation tO other systems. Statement 12: Defining the Organism as Family in an ecosys- tem reflects the profession's concern with serving all families. In summary, positive responses to Statements 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 on the Opinionnaire are significantly. correlated to the demographic information in questions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12. Some Of these correlations indi- cate that a more in-depth view Of these relationships needs to be explored to establish the full meaning of the survey data. The overall pattern seems to indicate either agree- ment or uncertainty about the focus and mission Of Home EcOnomics/Human Ecology. The potential usefulness Of the 168 FeF F N o <- m N (I) "NNN u mFeFOF ooF F e LOQNMLOCBSO mF ,— NQ'Q'LDr-MQ'OLD Lmzmc< oz mFmF-OFmF mmanmemF eemFioemF mmmFiommF memFuoemF mmmFiommF mNmF-ONmF mFmFqumF momF-oomF FeFoFLLo wees we: mFuFu acmmoLo ozF "oF :oFumozo op mwmcoomoz Lozmc< moLmech moLm< oz FchoLum mmLmemFo :Femeocz woLm< FchOLum "F ecoEmFoum ow noncoommz oF conmmso eco F pcoeoueum Low wFoeF Fucmzomgm oueFLe>quu.mF mFoeF 169 F :oFaeoFquLeo zpFaoemupcoespm «Lo: F F F eeoeeee LopeLFchFsee,Lo mFoz FoaoemuoL FeoFszov e F .meLou Lo meuez .osm an .uooo Lo .>Fo Fo acFosoLmuoz e F :oFuoNFcemLooL o: use macezu oFuFu :2: F F N N wmcezu FechucF o: .. p:n.omcezo oLauosepm =2: «mango FeFoFLLoazmr F mmoooLo :F macezu N NF mm FN macezu oz mLouoszm one eoNFcemLoumL me; ch= m>FueLuchFEe< ozF "NF :oFumooo o» momcoomoz .Lmzmc< moLmomFo oz FchoLum moLm< "m ucoempeam oocmemFo :FeuLoocz omLm< FchoLum op momcoommm NF :onmoso ece w ucmeopepm LOF aneF aucoaomLL mFeFLe>Fm--.mF mFoeF 170 mmF eF mF mm nNmN u FeFOF emF Lmzmc< oz N mmmcezo Foauomocou LoFece FoonoomoFan ":oneNFcemLomzr N emmcezo onLeLon .se< N coFueNFcemLomL o: «on «mouse FgecFFoFUmFe -Loch 3o: ch2 .e< eaeeFFeoo--.NF eFeeF 171 Lozmc< oz _FchoLum moLmemFo ooLmemFo :Fepruce we .mmLm< :oneoFonLeo quzuewupcmezpm oLoz F eomcezo LouoLFchFEee Lo oFoz FosoLmumL FeoFszav F LomLou Lo Leave: .osm Fa .pooo Lo .>Fo_Fo mcFozoLmumz N . coFuoNFcomLomL o: Fae eoeeee eFFFF =3. FecemucF a: pen mocozo «Louostm =2: ..mucezu FeFuFFLmaama mmmuoeo cF omcezo em unease oz oLoposLum oz» emNFcemLooL we; «Fe: m>FFeLuchFEee sz .NNF.coFumo=o op mmmcoomoz ooLm< "NF acmemuopm mecoLum op mmmcoommm A NF coFommeo ece NF chEmpepm LoF aneF FoamsomLL mpeFLe>Fm--.ON mFoeF 172 FFF em me UNmN u Feuoh me Lmzmc< oz wmcozo Fezuomocou LoFeco FoonoomoFan "coFuoNFcomLomzr eomcezu xzuLeLmF; .che< coFueNFcemLomL o: pan mucosa FgecFFoFumFeLmucF 3o: mF chz .e< easeFeeeo--.ON eFeeF 173 ESF was in general agreed upon by the administrators who responded to this survey. Are the Respondents Consistent? The validity and reliability of the Opinionnaire can to some extent be determined. ‘Both the truthfulness and dependability can be viewed when statements that deal with related concepts that build on each other are given consistent ratings by the respondent. For this purpose, responses to four sets Of related statements were compared. 1. If the respondent answered Strongly Agree or Agree to state- ments that deal with the definition and goal of Home Eco- nomicslHuman Ecology,3 did they rate statements that relate the ESF as a means for defining the focus equally strongly?4 This analysis is summarized in Table 21. Ninety respondents or 31% of the Opinionnaires met the criterion for comparison. From Table 21 it would appear that there is a consistency between the two sets of statements. Those who strongly. agree or agree on statements that clarify the definition and goal Of Home Economics/Human Ecology also tended to give positive answers to statements that suggest that the Ecological Systems Framework is a means for doing that. 3Statements 1, 2, and 16. 4Statements 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13. 174 Table 21.--Number of Respondents Giving the Same (SA,A) Response to the Statements 1, 2, and 16 and Statements 5, 6, 8, 9, ll, 12, and 13 Responses to: What is Home Economics/Human Ecology? Statement Number 1, 2, and 16. Strongly Strongly NO A ree Uncertain Disagree Total Agree ' isagree Answer Responses to: The ESF can help to define the focus of HoEc/HumEc Statement Number 5 58 19 11 2 9O 6 68 18 2 2 90 8 77 12 1 90 9 63 18 5 4 90 11 75 10 5 90 12 8O 6 3 1 90 13 66 13 8 3 90 175 2. If the respondent answered Strongly Agree or Agree to state- ments that deal with the Ecological Systems Framework as a means Of defining the central focus Of the discipline,5 did they rate statements that clarify the Ecological Systems Framework as a tool tO organize and comprehend those con- cepts equally strongly?6 This analysis is summarized in Table 22. Forty-one respondents or 14% Of the Table 22.--Number Of Respondents Giving the Same (SA,A) Response to the Statements 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 and Statements 10, 11, and 13. Responses to: The ESF is a means of defining the central focus of the field. Statements 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 Strongly Strongly NO A ree Uncertain Disagree Total Agree Disagree Answer Responses to: The ESF is a tool to orga- nize and to ' perceive the central con- cepts. Statement Number 10 38 3 41 11 ‘ 37 4 41 13 36 2 2 1 41 5 Statements 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. 6Statements 10, 11, and 13. 176 Opinionnaires met the criterion.1 From Table 21 it would appear that there is a degree Of consistency between the two sets Of statements that indicate that the ESF defines the central focus and is a tool that can be used for that pur- pose by the profession. If the respondent answered Strongly Agree or Agree to state- ments that indicate that the ESF may be a tool for the prO- fession to use,7 did they rate statements that also state that the ESF is a tool and a comprehension of the discipline equally strongly?8 This analysis is summarized in Table 23. Twenty-eight or approximately 10% Of the Opinionnaires met the criterion. From Table 22 it would appear that there is a consistency between the ratings given on the two sets of statements that indicate that the ESF is a tool and one that can be used by the profession. If respondents answered Strongly Agree or Agree to state- ments that deal with the ESF as a stage in the evolution Of the discipline's central focus,9 did they rate statements that indicate that the family is the central focus and mis- 10 sion equally strongly? The analysis is summarized in 7Statements 7, 10, 13, 14, and 15. 8Statements 6, 8, 9, 11, and 12. QStatements 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11 and 13. 'OStatements 1, 2, 12, and 16. 177 Table 23.--Number of Respondents Giving the Same (SA, A) Response to the Statements 7, 10, l3, l4 and 15 and Statements 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 ' Responses to: The ESF is a tOOl. Statements 7, 10, 13, 14 and 15. Strongly Strongly NO Agree Uncertain Disagree Total gree D1sagree. Answer Responses to: The ESF is a tool and a comprehension of the dis- cipline's focus. Statement Number 6 27 1 28 8 27 1 28 9 22 4 2 28 11 26 1 1 28 12 26 2 28 Table 24. There were 30 or 10.3% Of the Opinionnaires that met the criterion. From Table 24 it would appear there is a consistency between the ratings given on the two sets Of statements that indicate that the ESF is one stage in the evolution Of the central focus and the family is the cen- tral concept. The relationship Of responses between sets Of- statements on the Opinionnaire would indicate that there is a strong degree Of consistency between how the respondents Table 24 178 .--Number of Respondents Giving the Same (SA, A) Response to the Statements 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11 and 13, and Statements 1, 2, 12, and 16. ‘ Responses to: The ESF is a stage in the evolution of the central focus Of the discipline. Statements 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, and 13. Strongly Strongly No A ree Uncertain Disa ree Total Agree ‘ Disagree AOSWE’ Response The Fami s~tO: ly is the central con- cept and Of the p Statemen mission rofession. t Number l 28 1 1 30 2 29 1 I 30 12 29 1 3O 16 30 30 rated statements clarifying the focus Of the discipline and the ratings given to statements about the potentials Of the ESF as the next stage in the evolution of the central focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. 179 Conclusions The descriptive data compiled from the ESF Opinionnaire Packet indicates an overall positive pattern Of responses to the statements. The meaning Of this is speculative. It might be best summarized by saying that the reactiOns of the population who re- sponded appears to be positive to the proposed ESF and this reac- tion need to be explored in greater depth. The administrator, the unit administered, and the amount of superficial and structural changes or demographic data seems to be related to the way the admin- istrator views the central focus of the field and their reaction to the proposed ESF. The descriptive data from the content analysis and the ESF Opinionnaire Packet complement each other. Whether asking about changes in the profession through an analysis of some available literature or through prOposing a Specific change such as the ESF, from these two kinds of surveys the following conclusions can be drawn. a) The profession is changing. b) The profession is changing more in accord with the pres- sures of the unique institutional setting rather than becoming more like an agreed upon focus of Home Economics/ Human Ecology. c) The concepts that are related to the discipline Of the profeSsion and the way these concepts relate t0 the struc- ture Of the intellectual hierarchy Of an applied science. do not seem tO be clearly communicated and/or be under- stood by the leaders Of the profession. 180 d) The profession is still experiencing an image/identity crisis and one reason may be that the scholarly base has not been made explicit and has not gained a degree Of consensus by the professionals that comprise the social system referred to as Home Economics/Human Ecology. These conclusions need further study and the priorities for such explorations need to be clarified. ‘How should the profession invest its energies given the state Of academia, the American Home Economics Association and the needs of the larger social order? The results Of this study's surveys reflects some Of the shortcomings of these types Of research. It is as important to consider who did not respond and why as well as to consider the results Of those who took the time from their demanding duties. This former group would no doubt provide a wealth of important insights. Surveys are also subject to all the nuances Of how material is asked for, by whom, when and the readability/credibility of the information sent. Further, the statements on the structured Opinionnaire may not have elicited the true picture Of the respon- dents Opinions and experiences because Of the limitations Of shared meanings of the language used. It is clear from the data from the content analysis and the ESF Opinionnaire Packet that there is a need for the profession tO study in a systematic and scientific way the scholarly bases Of the discipline and then to allocate the human and material resources tO facilitate the continued evolution Of the field towards maturity. CHAPTER VI THE USES OF THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK Introduction Given the positive responses Of those who reacted to the ESF Opinionnaire Packet Opinionnaire, the purpose Of this chapter is to clarify how the ESF can be used as a tool. The Ecological Systems Framework is a proposed explicit comprehension Of the central focus Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. It places the emphasis on the organization of the units Of the conceptual system and the basic assumptions. The ESF provides a means Of integrating the content focus and attempts to illustrate and describe the basic concepts. Precisely defining the focus can facilitate the development Of all Of the dimensions Of the profession and is crucial both to the inven- tory and codification Of the field's concerns. TO use the ESF it is helpful to liken the framework to a map. While this analogy has some inherent dangers, it can provide some understandings Of the potentials of the ESF. As with geograph- ical maps, in order to explore the macro and micro aspects Of a region, a number Of different maps are usually employed.‘ From the larger vantage point to the specific street inpa particular city, a map can lead and direct attention on the point being sought and the 181 182 contextual relationship to other nearby and distant locations. This is especially important when the most efficient and logical strategy (can mean that human and material resources can be used to best advantage as a result. Because the ESF is an overarching map Of the profession's central focus, it represents a macro-view of the landscape. Other complementary maps are needed. The ESF can facilitate the search for all that is being looked for and group concepts together with their interrelationships depicted in a condensed and simplified format. With a framework or map, it is easier to keep in mind what variables are being sought. The ESF represents the logical deductive development Of the evolution of the central theme of Home Economics/Human Ecology and reflects one level Of reality. It is meant to be used as a tool that is in the process Of refinement and represents also, like a road map or aerial photo, an abstract view of some reality. It is meant to be a guide that can add meaning and clarity Of direction. Used as it is meant to be used it can offer insight into a complex Of phenomenon on which the profession centers its activities. How to exploit the potentials and limitations of this repre- sentation isthe purpose of this chapter. Concepts in Chapter IV will not be reiterated but illustrated through amplification and examples. 183 1 Images and Perceptions:2 The Senses at Work We all have mental impressions Of the three primary aspects Of systems: structure, process and history. These images have some shared commonalities and meanings as well as some unique aspects. The selectivity processes Of the receiver tends to make the view Of the world that is perceived only the familiar one which is a rein- forcement for our existing attitudes and to avoid situations in which such reinforcement will not be found (Rogers, 1971, pp. 8-9). The mind does not recognize anything just because it is "there" in the environment. The reality of.Our images of the world, long an elusive Object of philosophical thought, may be graSped on one level by map- ping the complex properties Of a system which are independent Of the origin, material, and individual identity Of their components. There are some fundamental logical unities in all multi-looped sys- tems. Therefore, the value in making explicit the map or framework Of the shared basic meanings is that one level Of reality can be dis- cussed, refined and the assumptions then exposed and debated (Lasle, 1969. pp. 99-100). 1Image: A mental representation Of something previously perceived in the absence of the original stimulus. 2Perception: A single unified awareness derived from sen- sory processes while a stimulus is present. 184 The three selectivity processes that filter the reality Of our worlds include: selective exposure, selective perception and selective recall. Selective exposure is the tendency to attend to . . . messages that are consistent with one's existing attitudes and beliefs. 'Selective perception is the tendency to interpret communication messages in terms Of one's existing attitudes and beliefs; Selective recall is the tendency to remem- ber communication messages as consistent with one's existing attitudes and beliefs (Rogers, l97l,.p. 9). The ESF as a tool has the potential to facilitate the focus- ing Of attention Of the Observer on selected concepts and on the pat- terns Of their reciprocal relationships. As a result, it is more likely that shared meanings can evolve concerning the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. That is not to imply that the prO- posed ESF is a finished product. It is a meag§_toward developing a central focus for the field and represents one step in that prO- cess. Even in the present state of its evolution, there are many uses for the ESF that can be tapped. By providing one comprehen- sion Of the overarching complex abstractions Of Home Economics/Human Ecology, the framework pictures a reality that can be: 1) confirmed or remain unaffected, 2) simply added to, 3) clarified, or 4) facil- itate revolutionary changes or conversion (Boulding, 1970, pp. 30-31). Boulding notes that images may also be modified in contrary effects: 1) by introducing doubt or uncertainty, and 2) by 185 introducing individual or organization “fact" and "value” (Boulding, 1970, pp. 32-33). One of the most important prOpositions Of this theory is that the value scales of any indi- vidual or organization are perhaps the most important elements determining the effect Of the messages he receives on his image of the world. If a message is perceived that it is neither good nor bad it may have little or no effect on the image. If it is perceived as bad or hostile to the image which is held, there will be resistance to accepting it (Boulding, 1970, p. 33 . . messages which are favorable to the existing image of the world are received easily and even though they may make minor modifica- tions Of the knowledge structure, there will not be any fundamental reorganization (Boulding, 1970, p. 34). What this means is that for any individual organism or organization, there is no such thing as "facts." There are only messages‘ filtered through a changeable value system . Part of our image of the world is the belief that this image is shared by other peOple like ourselves who also are part of our image of the world (Boulding, 1970, p. 35). This summary Of Boulding's discussion of "images," points out some Of the many difficulties Of (1) accepting the need for an explication Of the central focus Of the field, (2) viewing the ESF image as one possible evolutionary stage and (3) perceiving the potential uses of the ESF. A gatekeeper is someone or an organization that controls the flow Of messages in a communication channel. It is conceivable that the value scale Of a profession can mediate or act as a gatekeeper for confirming, refining and/0r developing the images and, therefore, the identity Of the profession. This can be lessened by applying the 186 scientific enterprise to the tasks Of examining all the facets of the scholarly base and rationales Of a discipline. One rationale for using the ESF as a tool is to facilitate an understanding Of the processes that filter the realities and images of individuals and organizations. By applying the scientific approach and by talking about the images Of the world through the human gift of symbol-verbal language, the profession is more likely tO make the central focus Of the discipline a public one and, there- fore, one that can be challenged. It can provide the field with a universe of discourse that can be used to describe the growth and develOpment Of a common shared meaning. Where there is no universe Of discourse: no manifest shared image; where the image Of discourse is a private one, a shared reality. is not feasible. Then universal discourse inter- and intra- professionally is fragmented, fuzzy and diffused. Verbally, Home Economics/Human Ecology has defined its mis~ sion as the study Of the relatiOnship Ofthe individual and the fam- ily in his near environment. The human organism in the context Of- the family as an ecosystem is pictured asca SOcial system which can realize a quality-life through rational means. HOme Economics/Human Ecology seeks to help families help themselves to that end. The ESF is an abstracted view Of that commitment. It dif- . fers from previous approaches in some of the ways outlined in Table 25. Table 25.--From the Linear to an 187 Ecological Focus From the Linear Framework Ig_the Ecological Systems Framework Fragmented concepts and "parts A more static view Of the concepts Linear cognitive mapping National perspective Circumscribed value laden language Intellectual bias "sets" A broad vague look at man in and as environment Goals that seek "improvement" Cause and effect relationships a holistic view and a way Of per- ceiving the relationships between parts Of a whole. The whole is greater than the sum Of the parts. systems process-structure elabo- rating framework. complex multi-looped cognitive maps that reflect reality in more ade- quate ways. global, cross-cultural perspective general systems language as a means Of connoting service to all fam- ilies and working with complemen- tary helping professions in teams. It represents a striving for a scientific language that has common shared meanings that can be quan- tified. fresh means Of viewing relationships and interfaces between and among Open systems. A view Of organism and organism as family as an Open system that are always in relation to other Open systems. goals that seek to view rationally the concept of the organism as fam- ily in interrelationship with the near and distal environment and the decision process is based on this. energy exchange transactions and consequences predicted in environ- mental context. 188 Table 25.--C0ntinued From the Linear Framework Ig_the Ecological Systems Framework Goals that define research research goals that are deductively goals Of the profession as and inductively developed and quan- sources Of generalized in- tified in specific relationship to formation and inspiration the multi-loop system of the prO- fession and the multi-loOp related systems with which the profession ' is concerned. Interdisciplinary approach problem oriented approach Emphasis on information information processing is empha- storage sized along with information stor- age. This includes man and/or machine systems. The Organizational Context Of the ESF At the most fundamental level, knowledge is organized experience and the search for knowledge is a search for patterns of organization. The organization can be created or disCovered. At an absolute minimum, man must generate enough knowledge to insure sur- vival. Ideally, this knowledge Should be reliable, accurate, cor- rigible, communicable and useful in man's effort to adapt to the environment and modify the environment. The social and physical environment is enormously complex and the human mind has been prolific 1n the development of concepts that can order and arrange man's perception Of the environment. This 189 study deals with the kinds Of organization Of experience that en- ables the profession tO anticipate and control the short-term, long- range events and consequences that take place in the physical and social environment that is usually called scientific knowledge, and knowledge that is available in oral or written form. The kind of knowledge that can be critically and analytically evaluated and, therefore, makes possible the cumulation of reliable knowledge which is the ultimate goal Of science. If knowledge is organized human experience, the manner in which experience is organized, including the processes by which explanations are created or formulated, will depend on the Operation Of the perceptive and cognitive apparatus in man and on the purposes for which knowledge is needed and used. The quality Of knowledge is dependent on the purposes that it will serve. A claim to know is no more than an assertion that a particular way Of organizing human experience is useful for a par- ticular purpose. Without a statement Of purpose, usefulness cannot be judged. The aim Of inquiry is to acquire some measure Of control over a particular event or set of events and an instrument or tool that will perform that function is useful. The explanation is then defined as a way of organizing human experiences in the near envi- ronment to show how or why events occur by linking those events to other events according tO Some rules, patterns or guidelines. The ESF represents a systems paradigm that suggests the desirability of explaining particular related events in a particular organized order. If the contextual conception of the inquiry 190 remains constant the ESF has two virtues: practicality and concep- tual simplicity. It can make possible the systematic pursuit Of explanations and the systematic application Of explanation. And by separating the logical and the empirical aspects Of eXplanation, neglecting either dimension can be avoided. The ESF suggests a usefulness in creating models at other levels of the intellectual hierarchy which can be refined through Observation, experiment and application, thus leading toa comple- mentary empirical overarching framework for the profession that can provide three basic goals Of the intellectual structure: Description, explanatiOn and evaluation. Turning to the community Of scholars, one can see several kinds of structuring. Most Obvious are the literal structures: institutions and facilities and human beings. Second, there are the social structurings in these physical objects: faculties, professional societies, departments, roles and specialties, contracts, leaves of absence; the stuff, in short Of academia.‘ Neither the literal nor the social structurings would make the least sense without the third structure, which is wholly intangible: The intellectual structure Of scholarly thought itself, its language and models and logic. Since all three of these kinds Of order would disintegrate if the flow of fossil fuel energy (in the form Of electrical power, money, and food) were cut Off, they are all dis- sipative (Open) structures, coupled to each other, although conceptually separable.. The creation and maintenance Of these structures is one Of the many ways in which solar (including fossil fuel) energy is stored pending its ultimate dissipation into space (Blackburn, 1973, p. 1143). I now consider in more detail a specific model Of intellectual structure . . . . Depending on what sort Of scholarship is involved, and the degree to which a formal deductive structure is possible under its paradigms, such a hier- archical pyramid may be many, or only a few, 191 levels "high" . . . . The object of scholar- ship in most fields is to structure the data of immediate experience and to distill from them meaningful generalizations that, on the one hand, summarize much information at the level Of experience and, on the other, serve as data for generalizations at the next higher level. Clearly such a general model is appli- cable in only a general way to any one of the Spectrum Of scholarly efforts, ranging from literary criticism to the proof of mathematical theorems (Blackburn, 1973, p. 1143). There is a formal resemblance between the community of scholars and what biological ecol- ogists have been willing to call ecosystems. Consider the definition of ecosystem in this article: An ecosystem is a group of living organisms related by their common access to a well-defined energy flow and by their partici- pation in a web of nutrient and information flows . . . . What distinguishes the academic ecosystem from other units of the fossil fuel economy is just this additional peculiarity ' (i.e., the flow Of information according to the three hierarchical structures) (Blackburn, 1973, p. 1145). Level I of the Intellectual Hierarchy: The ESF as an Overarching Framework for Home Economics/Human Ecology Neither the literal nor the social struc- turings would make sense without the third structure, which is wholly intangible: The intellectual structure Of scholarly thought itself, its language and models and logic (Blackburn, 1973, p. 1143). In order to use the ESF, the context Of the framework will be outlined.' Since ESF is a comprehension Of the overarching con- cepts with which the field is concerned, it represents the most basic conceptual organization. 192 I have chosen a hierarchical model because it points up the informational ecology of scholar- ship. From the pOint Of view Of information theory, a meaningful generalization is a highly improbable statement, one that is selected out of all the possible statements about a given set Of experiences, quite as a distillation selects an improbable, low-entrOphy, pure substance out Of a mixture. A correct, fruitful, generalization contains in a small Space much information about experience on lower hierarchical levels for the same reason . . . that the chemical free energy . of a pure substance is much greater than that of the same quantity of substance in solution. At the same time, a correct generalization makes redundant some (in the case Of a perfect general- ization, all) of the information on lower levels of the hierarchy (Blackburn, 1973, p. 1143). This level of the intellectual structure of the profession has two distinct yet complementary dimensions: the logical bases and the quantitative-or—empirical bases} The Objective of this study is to suggest the logical deductive base. Level II of the Intellectual Hierarchy: The Specific Dimensions Of a Profession In the academic sphere, the ordering Of the intellectual sphere is related to the function or use to which this level of information plays. The distinct dimensions do not Operate as a vacuum but as an interacting system. The end goal is seen as pro- ducing knowledge and the initiating Of members Of the profession to produce knowledge. The ESF is a Level I overarching map that can Offer guidance for the develOpment Of the dimensions in Level II of the intellectual hierarchy outlined in Figure 7. This conception 193 FeoeeeeF: FeeeoeFFeFeF ego to FF Fe>aa--.F .NFN //A|11| ezLeeczom FecomeoFoLF mzLoofkll 1 1 .1 1 V eooBueLN. +4. / \ xx _ _ masteFLLou .8 w, \ / R N /A\ 194 .oFFF F»FFo=o o oNFFooL moFFFEeF FFo szoFoz mo zomeoFoLo oz» Fo zomeFE oz» mo>FooLoo »mFmoFoom zoE::\moFEozooN oEo: ozF .mzeos FozoF»oL zmsoLz» oFFF F»FFo:o o oNFFooL zoo zonz Eo»mzm e we eoL:»oFo mF so»mxmooo co cF FFFEeF oz» Fo »xo»zoo oz» zF EszomLo zeszz ozF .szoz FeFoom e we ezo »:oszoLF>zo sz zF cos Fo onmzoF» -eFoL oz» Fo Fe:»m oz» we zomeoFoLo oz» szzFFoe xz FLeecaoz FecomeoFoLo m»F ozFFoe zmoFoom zee::\moFEozoom oeo: .oFmoF eze mFoeoE ece omoemzoF m»F .FFom»F »zm=oz» zFLoFozom Fo oL:»o:L»m Fe:»ooFFo»zF ozF. 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Common Features Of Levels I and II The common features of Levels I and II Of the intellectual hierarchy can be summarized as follows: 1) .2) 3) .4) 5) 5) 7) 8) 9) 10) There is an emphasis on the whole as a system while examin- ing the elements and the interrelationships that make the organization Of the system unique. Each hierarchy involves abstract and concrete concepts. Each involves interactions Of machines or organisms wi th the man-made and natural environment. The interactions are multi-lOOp reciprocal feedback sys- tems that involve both immediate, as well as long-term consequences. Each involves an e1ement(s) of purpose or Objective and utilizes control principles addressed to the purpose. The energy exchange between and among the systems involves morphogenesis and morphostasis wherein the results Of any act of these Open systems are fed back to modify the initial act. Each act represents a dynamic situation in which energy is utilized to respond to changes and yet to maintain stability Of some sort (SEE Glossary: Equifinality). The development, utilization and control of energy as matter-energy and/or information constitutes a main interest Of Level I and Level II of the intellectual hierarchy. The ecosystem boundary notion implies two fundamental life _systems through which all organization and organizing occur: the metabolism Of matter- -energy and information (communication) systems. Two levels Of analysis are needed for Level I and Level II of the intellectual hierarchy. the individual and the multi- -person system. 11) 12) 196 There are three primary aspects of the systems Operating: structure, process and history. Levels I and II of the intellectual hierarchy are inter- related with each other and to other Open systems. A General Guide for Using the EcologicaT’Systems Framework Premises and An Orientation for Using the ESF Assumptions: a) b) C) d) e) f) 9) The ESF is a comprehension of the basic concepts of Home Economics/Human Ecology and represents the Level I of the intellectual hierarchy. The basic concepts Of the system have been identified as the organism (any systems level), the organism as family, the near environment and energy. The primary aspects Of the system have been identified as: structure-elaboration, process and history. The organization Of the ESF is through the interface Of energy and the linkage Of the two related systems. These then form a greater system within the ecosystem boundary Of the ESF. Linkage also implies a regularized pattern Of interaction between the two systems. The ecosystem boundary notion implies two fundamental life systems through which all organization and organizing occur: the metabolism Of matter-energy and information (communication) systems. The organization Of the ESF is comprehended as a whole system of parts of which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The interest of the ESF is in its power to organize the overarching components of the conceptual system. h) 1)- J') k) 1) m) o) p) q) 197 The mission of Home Economics/Human Ecology is to serve the organism as family to the ends Of improving the quantita- tive and qualitative aspects Of their ecosystem. There is a need to consider two different levels Of anal- ysis and the manner in which systems at these two levels relate to each other:. 1) individual, and 2) multi-person. The ESF is a partial reflection Of the aspects of reality with which Home Economics/Human Ecology is concerned. The development of the ESF will facilitate the evolution Of a complementary empirical representation Of the basic con- cepts of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The ESF is an Open system in relation to other Open systems and can interact with and be superimposed on other systems to perceive the multi-dimensional qualities Of the variables. The ESF boundary is the outer boundary Of the ecosystem Of the family as organism. The ESF represents the Organism on two different systems levels: the individual organism and the multi-person level. The concept of the environment is represented on two levels: the near environment and the distal environment. The near environment are those conditions closest to the organism and therefore tend to be nearest and within the ecosystem boundary. They are the conditions that have a more immediate daily effect. The distal environment is linked with and interacts with the near environment but tends not to have the _ more immediate effects. Energy (matter-energy and information) is a vital interface. The reciprocal feedback systems Of morphogenesis and morpho- stasis are complex and multi-loOped within the system Of the ESF and between other Open systems. Orientation: a) b) The ESF is a descriptive scientific tool. The ESF is used as an initial planning tool therefore, that can be used to develOp the Level II dimension of the intellectual hierarchy Of Home Economics/Human Ecology: Philos0phy, Research, Theory, Curriculum and Action. 198 c) The relationship of the concepts of the ESF have meaning d) e) because they share a common purpose which is essential to their abstracted relationships and each concept is depen- dent On the state of the other concepts. Every part of the ESF is so related to every other part that any change in one aspect results in the dynamic change in all other parts Of the total system. The adequacy, use, and purpose of the ESF is to exert some control Of the relationship of the concepts and, therefore, facilitate the growth of the image Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The goal Of the ESF can be summarized as an explicit tool that organizes the focus of the discipline and can facili- tate the development of the specific dimensions Of the field. Procedural Rules: Using the ESF as a Guide Identify or define the goals Of the investigator and the dimen- sion at which the investigator is to make a point of entry: PhilOSOphy, Research, Theory, Curriculum or Practice. The practical use Of the ESF is dependent on this initial step being clarified. Structure-Elaboration Procedural Rules: a) b) C) d) Identify the level Of analysis Of each of the Organism(s) (individual and multi-person) in the ESF. These should remain a constant throughout the inquiry. Identify the ecosystem boundary(ies) Of the systems, sub- systems, and suprasystems defined in procedural rule 1. Identify to the degree possible, the quantitative and quali- tative relationships in the systems, subsystems and supra- systems. Identify to the degree possible, the synergy Of the whole system to be studied. There is the contention that the flows of matter-energy and information are inseparably linked (Kallen, l97l). 199 Process Procedural Rules: :0 b) C) d) e) f) The Define the degree Of openness of the system, subsystems and suprasystems under study, both quantitatively and quali- tatively. Define the time-rule (stop-frame reference or a moving picture Of stOp-frame reference). This should remain a constant throughout. To do this the dynamics Of the prO- cess must be stOpped as if looking at one frame of a moving picture OR the process must be mapped as it happens (Forrester, 1971). Identify the metabolism of the system(s) under study: 1) The metabolism Of information and the subset communi- cation; 2) the metabolism Of matter- -energy in the system(s); 3) the metabolism when both are involved (J. G. Miller, 1971 Identify the morphogenesis and morphostasis multi-feedback loops of the whole of the system under study. Procedural Rule 3 (c) and (d) will usually develop together. The language Of the process becomes part of the process. Operational and theoretical definition of terms need to be identified and used consistently. This picture Of the pro- cess then represents the event(s) but it is not the event(s). It represents a map to explore the “real“ world. Identify the following functions Of the system (Berlo, 1970, pp. 8-9 : 1) production; 2) innovation; and 3) the maintenance function(s). These are the purposes and consequences (long-range and short-term) that the organization or system(s) achieve. History Of the System: One of the primary aspects of a system is its history. TO use the ESF effectively the history (J. G. Miller, 1971, p. 284) of the system(s) under study needs to be defined. That includes the changes that occur in the system(s) which are irreversible and are apparent or observable in structure- elaboration and process. 200 Define the variety Of system to be studied: Conceptual, Con- crete and/or Abstracted. Define the logical-deductive dimensions of the specific kind Of system(s) under study and/or the empirical-inductive dimen- sions. The procedural rules as outlined are to be used in order. Because these are meant as guidelines they are flexible. When a procedural rule cannot be completed it may point out to the investigator that information is needed in that area in order to proceed, or as part of the goals to be included in the inquiry. (See Procedural Rule 1.) As the procedural rules are used, refinements will add to the usefulness of the ESF. Some Results that Might be Expected From Using the ESF The goals of the investigation will reflect a more complete view Of what is being sought. Gaps in information and goal formation may be identified at the initial stages of planning. The structure, sources, pathways, repository sites and inte- grative functions Of the metabolism of information and matter- energy are identified, as well as the contents of the investi- gation. The holistic nonexclusive nature of the approach minimizes the danger Of excessive selectivity in the collection Of data and allows more clarity in the specific context of the investiga- tion. Steps which follow such an approach such as prescriptions, planning of strategies and techniques, gain in clarity and are more likely to be rooted in concrete realities. The interfaces and linkages of the systems can be clarified and emphasized in relation to the stated goals. It encourages the use Of a variety of theoretical models which can be used to clarify the dimensions and the goals being sought. The ESF can help to clarify and represent some Of the bodies Of research and knowledge which become useable through integration. 201 9. The ESF can form a bridge between other conceptual systems Of single disciplines and their unique and shared conceptual focuses. 10. The prediction of long-term and short-range consequences can be systematically explored as multi-loop feedback phenomena (Forrester, l97l; Kallen, 1971). The ESF is designed to be a communication system. In an information or data system the focus is on the mechanical flow of messages even with a listener included as one Of the components. A communication system stresses the significances, competencies, purposes, functions and desires which the listener brings to the situation and are defined as crucial aspects of the system. .An “information system can be defined as extremely effective while still being an ineffective communication system. The latter stresses the meaning of the message flow to the people involved and the data acquisition--consumption practices (rational or not) Of the consumers of the output of that system that may be intentional, explicit, or by accident. The important question is how are peOple using it, rather than how does it work? The systems approach is more than language. The skeleton of the approach means that the user perceives the complex and inter- related hierarchy of the systems and their components organized and in the process Of organizing plus the relation of the parts, one with the other. The three primary aspects Of systems: Structure- elaboration, process and history are continually and intricately interwoven to even maintain a system. These webs have far-reaching ecological interrelationships and can be thought of as ecosystems. It is in the ecosystem notion that the two fundamental life Systems 202 through which all organization and organizing occur: the metabolism Of matter-energy and information systems. Man organizes himself thus with the environment and with other living systems as a complex phenomena. The ESF is a tool to help clarify these. Man creates the reality and environment he knows and at the same time probably the mind by which he knows it and therefore himself. The process of becoming organized has multilateral mutually causal consequences and since how man becomes organized determines what he sees, hears, believes, comes to know--his sense of what reality is, in turn, determines how he can become organized. It is in this way that we arrive at what we see. Some Examples Of How the ESF Can be Used The ESF defines an image of the interrelationship of the basic concepts Of Home Economics/Human Ecology and, therefore, guides the development of a holistic concentration. Frameworks like the ESF are like having a set Of eyeglasses ground Specifically to explore the many facets of a reality. Complementary frameworks can emerge from, be used with, and superimposed on the ESF. As a result, a broader and more complete comprehension of the dimensions Of the discipline can be facilitated. These frameworks then are practical organizational tools to communicate, generate research, and predict. Each kind of framework has a function for a specific purpose. The 203 ESF, like other frameworks, is not meant to be an ends but a meags_ for clarification. There are examples in recent literature which imply the use of an ecological systems framework approach. In addition to the specific examples cited, farther amplification can be found by reviewing a number of recent related resources (Broderick, l97l; Buckley, 1967, pp. 123-125 and 159-161; Gardner, 1971; Graves, 1970; Hanlon, 1969; Hill and Hansen, 1968; Hook and Paolucci, 1970; Koenig e_i_:__a_l_, 1971; 0. G. Miller, 1965, pp. 193-237, 337-379, 380-411, and 1971, 277-398; Nye and Berardo, l966; Steidl, 1969; and Watzlawick, 1967). Sims (1971) One example of the application of a framework like the ESF is the research of Sims (1971). As a result of using such a tool in the planning stage she noted that: Nutrient intake is recognized as but one Of many environmental factors which act upon the genetic potential of the young child to influence his physical development. The syndrome of mal— nutrition occurs not in isolation, but within the context Of an entire constellation of environmental factors which together contribute to the final manifestation Of the problem . . . the approach (therefore) taken in the present study is eco- logical, i.e., the nutritional status of pre- school children is examined in relation to factors which characterize his near environment, particularly his family (Sims Abstract, 1971, p. l). 204 In a more "traditional" linear cause-effect framewOrk the approach to the problem of determining the "Nutritional Status Of Preschool Children in Relation to Selected Factors Characterizing the Family Environment . . ." would have been to focus on what the child eats over time. Sims reasoned that the problem was a complex Of interrelated factors: 1) the child; 2) significant others in his world; and 3) the child's ecosystem. After the initial planning stage, the specific model for this study was developed to facilitate a comprehension of the "world" to be focused on. The primary contribution of the present research is the demonstration that multivariate analysis procedures may be effectively utilized to establish a typology of family characteristics- and maternal attributes which, in turn, exerts a direct influence on the dietary intake and the consequent nutritional status of children within particular family environmental settings (Sims, 1971. PP. 197-198). An Example of a Theoretical Application Frameworks like the ESF, can be used with different dimen- sions of Level II Of the intellectual hierarchy. The ESF is an overarching one that reflects the basic logical conceptual orien- tation Of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The use of a Level I frame- work, like the ESF, can help make explicit the interrelationship of the complex variables that are to be studied. An example of this kind Of application of the ESF idea is that of Sims, Paolucci and Morris (1972), "Theoretical Model for the Study Of Nutritional Status: An Ecosystem Approach." 205 The syndrome of malnutrition occurs not in isolatiOn, but within the context Of an entire constellation of environmental factors which together contribute to the final manifestation of the problem . . . the approach taken in the present model is ecological . . .-. Nutrient intake is viewed as an output of the family sys- tem resulting from the interaction of matter- energy and information flows within the system. The child, as an independent ecosystem, pro- cesses the incoming nutrient supply in such a way as to produce as outputs of the system, his physical develOpment and nutritional status (Sims, Paolucci, Morris, 1972, p. 197). This framework encompasses the basic assumptions pictured or mapped in the ESF: the family is a whole organism that inter- acts with the near environment and energy is an interface. Both Level I and Level II stress the holistic approach to specific problem areas. The Sims et a1 model focuses on the study of some specific organisms, their interaction and relationship to the nutritional status Of the child from a theoretical vantage point. The concept Of the family as an environment (Sims, et al, 1972, p. 201) or ecosystem (Sims, et al, 1972, p. 200) is clarified by a , model that explicates the specifics Of that concept agg_a means for quantitative assessment. For the purposes Of this study, the two preceding examples are used to illustrate how the ESF idea as a master plan or point of reference can guide scholarly concerns of the profession. Viewing specific problems of philOSOphy, theory, research, curriculum and practice with the aid Of the ESF means that the approach must be in the context of the organisms (any systems level), the environment (near and distal) and the interface Of energy. It means that the 206 approach can facilitate dealing with multi-lOOp problems as inter- related, complex and holistic. In the case of most scholarship, two kinds Of energy flow are required: the quite literal expenditure Of fossil fuel energy. to maintain expensive facilities, and the input Of mental efforts Which is difficult, perhaps impossible, to quantify . . . at the creative level in science, the high concentration of information in generalizations of broad sc0pe has both logical and aesthetic value: an extremely "powerful" generalization is also "elegant" (Blackburn, 1973, p. 1143). In the academic sphere, information plays the role of nutrient; a guess then is a dilute source of nutrients, containing less useful information than from the standpoint of infor- mation theory, its individual words give scope for. Even a dilute source Of information, however, may be more useful than no information at all . . . science, or any other scholarly art, can hardly afford to Operate with . . . prodigally low efficiency. . . . It is this point that the power of a correct generaliza- tion becomes evident . . . . Intellectual structuring tends to lead to a less wasteful information economy (Blackburn, 1973, p. 1144). The ESF is presented as a scientific tool that has two vir- tues: it is an economically practical develOpment which is also conceptually Simple in order to communicate a complex Of related ideas about the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. The interest of the ESF is in its power to organize the basic concepts or units Of the abstracted system. At this stage in the evolution Of the framework Of the central focus the deductive strengths can be used. AS a complementary inductive-empirical base is developed the quantitative and qualitative statements about the profession will facilitate the develOpment of a scholarly base to guide the 207 consistent implementation Of the focus of the discipline and assure consequences that are planned and desired. CHAPTER v11 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary The primary objectives of this study were to define through a review Of historical documents the need to make the central focus of the discipline more precise and explicit; to clarify some of the changes taking place in Home Economics/Human Ecology in higher edu- cation; and given a synthesis of these documents about the field to propose the next evolutionary stage Of the central focus Of the applied science of Home Economics/Human Ecology. ,The prOposed Eco- logical Systems Framework integrates the internal evolution of the disciplinehsdevelopment over time and the external revolutiOn in science Of General Systems Theory applied to the Ecological systems Approach. The ESF as presented is a deductive abstracted macro-map of the central focus of the field. From the literature reviewed a ‘ series Of propositions have been deduced to facilitate the continued evolution Of the central focus of Home Economics/Human Ecology. Reactions tO the prOposed ESF were surveyed from the popu- lation Of administrators of units of HOme Economics/Human Ecology in higher education. Of the approximately 44% Of the respondents who completed the structured 3 page Opinionnaire included in the 208 209 Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet, positive reactions for each of the sixteen statements ranged from 22% to 40% agreement (See Chapter V). The total population was used to ascertain the empirical data. The indication from those who responded was that the ESF was ope.way the central focus of the field can be mapped and the ESF had potential to be used as a tool. Given the reactions Of the pOpulation to the ESF, guidelines for using the ESF as a tool were developed. Since the ESF is pre- sented as only one link in a series of evolutionary developments, as it is used, refinements, additions and changes can be made. Conclusions This study revealed the following: A. Home EconomiCs/Human Ecology is changing and there is a need to make the central focus Of the discipline more expliCit and precise. 8. There is a need to move the comprehension Of the central focus from abductive Statements to deductive and then to inductive scholarly activities. C. Given a synthesis Of historical and contemporary literature about the field, the application of GST/ESA makes the deduc- tive develOpment Of the central focus more feasible and the 210 Ecological Systems Framework is gpe_pr0posed manifestation Of that application. D. The reaction to the proposed ESF by approximately 44% Of the pOpulation of administrators of all units identified as Home Economics/Human Ecology who responded to the ESF Opinionnaire Packet structured Opinionnaire was in general positive. Their reactions indiCate that the ESF is one comprehension which has the potential to be a useful tool. If the profession has many means and many ends or one means and many ends, the predicted outcome will be some degree of chaos. If a profession has one means and one ends then rigidity can be expected. It is when a profession has many means to an explicit and agreed upon ends or focus that systematic growth and maturation can be predicted. The ends Of Home Economics/Human Ecology synthesized in this. study is as an applied science and a "helping" profession which seeks* to contribute to the welfare Of families and individual family mem- bers as a conceptual focus and an organic whole in the near environ- ment (Brown, 1967b and 1970). The implications are that there-are qualitative and quantitative issues thatrelate to this focus. The meaning and/or use the field ascribes to fundamental constructs reveals whether its philosophy is relevant for the present or only an emotional call to arms (Quilling, 1970, p. 257). 211 Reconmendati ons There is a need for the profession of Home Economics/Human Ecology to establish an historical archive Of important docu- ments. The cumulative records of the field are an important part of its evolution and the written reports should be complete and readily accessible to the members of the social system. The field needs to clearly identify the different branches of the social system and the level of attainment Of the profes- sional within the social system. The Sixth Lake Placid Con- ference (1904) did record some foresight on this matter and suggested terminology. Home Economics/Human Ecology needs to complement the goals Of the whole rather than perceiving the different levels of attainment of its members and the different branches as competitive. There is a need to clarify the central focus of the discipline in more explicit and precise ways. One of the implications of? Quilling's study is that home economics does have " . skeleton conceptual frameworks which could be amplified and made relevant for the field" (Quilling, Abstract, 1970, p. 5). A number of specific frameworks are needed as guides as means of understanding the family as an ecosystem as a scientific endeavor. Home Economics/Human Ecology needs to build their own sys- tematic set Of questions and tentative answers as concrete sets of 212 responses that signify agreement in the field. It can lend mean- ing to the discipline, enhance productivity as well as make the conceptual concerns explicit. Quilling has proposed that concrete postulates and an inven- tory Of research prOpositions be developed (Quilling, 1970, p. 258).. "National Goals and Guidelines . . .," is an example and is a step in that directidn (Schlater, 1970). This study. prOposes a series of prOpositions as well. (SEE Chapter IV.) Perhaps what is most lacking now is an organic whole for these activities so that such contributions can be viewed in a larger framework instead Of as fragmented reports. TOO Often such reports are used and implemented without fully underStanding how and where they fit into the holistic framework or focus. There is a need to define the theoretical and operational symbol language_of the field to facilitate shared meanings and con- sistent implementation. Assumptions are drawn from the way language is used. Using symbols that promote vagueness can lead to a narrow view of the world as well as imply a value commit- ment that delimits the behavior of the profession (Brown, 1970 pp. 3-5). Home Economics/Human Ecology uses terminology that implies images and perceptions of the profession. It is language that is used to describe and define the profession. Some Of these terms are emotive symbols. This can operate to advantage to promote shared meanings but for a scientific applied area of 213 study it can also be_a source of imprecise usage and cloud understandings. I'Home," "family," "children," "food," "marriage," are some examples and each can be used as a con— cept or as a vested interest that merely subscribes to a cul- tural norm that would appear to be pursued as an ends. The latter view is not the goal of an applied science. Quilling found in her examination of, "The Nature Of the Family Projected by the Home Economics Profession as Evidenced Through Examination Of the American Home Economics Association Literature," some indication of this. --The Association's use of the term (family) is largely influenced by sociology's know- ledge and theory . . . . --The Association's use of the concept "family" is based in sociology's insti- tutional approach . . . . --The Association suggests that home eco- nomics can strengthen families by moving them from a life style characterized as independent, self-contained, and self sufficient to one which is interdependent, more Open to cultural influence and socially supported. --The Association maintains that home eco- nomics attempts to train individuals who will build families that have the following characteristic life style: They are primarily middle class, stable, unified, responsible to society, healthy, normal, their needs relative to food, clothing and shelter are ade- quately met, they strive to improve their life style, and they promote the culture's political ideology. --The Association's use Of the term is en- closed within specified boundaries and based on distinct values which guide and limit the comprehensiveness of home eco- nomics frameworks (Quilling, Abstract, 1970, pp. 4-5). 214 If the profession does, in fact, seek to serve all families not as a cultural institution but as a multi faceted concept worthy of scientific inquiry and yet uses symbols that limit the idea to families who act in certain ways and attain “success” through prescribed means then a careful examination of the use Of language should be one aspect of the field's major concerns. Then if a particular value system, life style, status quo, and quantitative-qualitative bias is pushed it will be explicit and open to discussion. General Systems Theory language does Offer a set of symbols that can facilitate more precise language. .It stresses dynamic process oriented terms that view the family as a group-who share resources over time and the family as an ecosystem (Hook and Paolucci, 1970). Then the family can be comprehended as an open system in relation to other open systems in a more global con- text. The Whorf-Sapir hypothesis also referred to as, linguistic relativity, states tenuously that: In its broadest terms the theory states that the functions of one's mind are determined by the nature of the language which one' speaks . . . . The articular language which an individual speaks will inTluence him and make him a different person than if he had spoken some other language (Terwilliger, 1968, p. 286). . we need a psychological theory in order to evaluate this hypothesis--a theory of the mind and of language . .'. . To fairly eval- uate the Whorfian hypothesis . . . we must go beyond Whorf, and consider language in the 215 light Of a general psychological theory . . . (and) can see.what effects the language per se may have on the mental life Of man . . . the true relationship between language and the mind . . . (then) we will have arrived at a picture Of man as a whole . . . . (Terwilliger, 1968, p. 294). The use of symbols should not be taken lightly. Language may effect the way in which a profession behaves. There is a need, therefore, to clarify the Operational and theoretiCal language that Home Economics/Human Ecology uses.and to the ends of developing and evolving shared meanings within and between professions. Inspirational rhetoric has a place but if the field Claims that it is an applied science then the verbal symbols employed need to be scientifically based. There is a need to implement the central focus of the discipline as an organic whole. The practice or-technology-craftsmanship Of an applied science should be an expression of what it says its central focus is (Brown, 1967, p. 772). The conceptual building blocks as an integrated whole should be the founda- tions from which the practical emerge, mature and evolve. From the "Lake Placid Year Report," one aspect of the synopsis states: Home Economics as a Discipline(.) Identify our unique body of knoWTédge. Develop clear conceptual framework. "Finish the French Lick Conference start!" Show the philo- sophical coherence between home economics concepts. AdOpt an ecological systems conceptual frame. Develop a model Showing interrelatedness and commonalities in home economics. Set priorities for concepts tO 216 be taught. Identify levels Of attainment . . . . (Journal of Home Economics, April, 1974, p. 50). Fifty members of the 234 Lake Placid invited conference par- ticipants contributed to the synOpsis. It is one of four or five actions that were identified as the most important one to strengthen home economics in the near future. Home Economics/ Human Ecology has many strengths on which to build. The man- dates of this study and others identified at the 1973 Lake Placid Conference are important ones for the profession to com- mit human and material resources to assure a growing strong future. APPENDIX A THE CONTENT ANALYSIS 217 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EASTLANSTNG-mcmcm 48825 COLLEGE 0' HUMAN ECOLOGY - OFFICE 0' TH! DEAN - HUMAN ECOLOGY BUILDING October 6, 1972 I am a doctoral student in the College of Human Ecology, the Department of Family Ecology at Michigan State University. Dr. Nonna Bobbitt is directing my research and my conmittee members include: Dr. Bernice Borgman, Dr. Jane Oyer, Dr. Beatrice Paolucci, Dr. Everett Rogers and Dr. Jean Schlater. Dr. Joan Quilling investigated, "The Nature of the Family Pro- jected by the Home Economics Profession, as Evidenced Through Examina- tion of The American Hone Economics Association Literature." The find- ings of this study are included in her unpublished doctoral dissertation completed in 1970 at Michigan State University. She noted that home economics has reached an evolutionary point where it must consolidate knowledge and theory for the sake of clarity and " . . . reveal concrete directional tendencies and needs for the time, chart a course of action that is grounded in realism, based on logic and founded upon principles that can serve as practical guides." The rationale for the study I am prOposing was derived from Dr. Quilling's thorough and thought-provoking work. The dissertation that I am preparing has one main Objective: TO propose an ecological systems framework for the field to facilitate the clarification of the aspects of reality with which the profession is concerned. It is assumed that the theoretical framework presently being used is only a partial reflection of this. The integrative model is to be developed through a systematic review of existing historical literature; by a content analysis of materials from universities under- going major changes of emphasis and organization; by judgment of a validity panel who will critically review the proposed theoretical framework; and a synthesis of these methods and related existing liter- ature. The professional goal of this study is to develop this infor- mation so that it might be utilized as a guiding focus for the dis- semination of present knowledge and the creation Of new knowledge in the field. That additional refinements may be necessary is understood as part of the value of the feedback that will undoubtedly fOllow such a study. i; 5 1597 0 PRO“ HOME ECOVUVKTS Ti) HL'\IA\ ECOLOGY 0 1971-72 2123 -2- One facet Of this study is to determine the substance of the changes that are taking place in the profession that relate to the development of a theoretical framework as seen in a number of univer- sities that have or are at present undergoing major changes of emphasis and organization. Your university has been identified as one of the institutions that is involved in change and thus we are requesting that you share with us the appropriate materials and documents that are specifically related to the following: 1) Reéorganization 2) Name change This material will be the focus of a content analysis to trace the evolution of some Of the unifying themes presently being considered by the profession as being Of major importance. Your cooperation is solicited in order to make this study a worthwhile and comprehensive piece Of literature that can be used by the profession. As one of the COOperating universities, the results of this study could be of value to your institution and provide direc- tion for mapping further changes in your program. The results will be available for your use in 1975. After completing my course work at MSU this year, I have returned to my position at the University Of British Columbia while pursuing my dissertation. I am asking that the materials that you wish to be contributed to this study be fonwarded to me at the follow- ing address: SCHOOL OF HOME ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA VANCOUVER 8, BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA Please submit your bill for expenses and you will be reimbursed for the materials and postage. Thank you for your support and assistance in making this study a success. Sincerely yours, (Mrs.) Eleanore Vaines Table 26.--Content Analysis: 219 List of Items Received Code NO. Un1vers1ty Items Forwarded Audience for which items appear to be intended d 1 Alabama . (a) . (b) . (c) . Cover Letter "School Of Home Eco- nomics" Program in Fam- ily and Consumer Re- sources ”Man-Environment Rela- tions Research Programs" Mimeo "Summary Of Events Regarding PrOposal for Changing of Name for School of Home Economics" (3 pages) PR PR Faculty (?) 2 —-J Arizona . Cover Letter . "Working Document for Dis— cussion Only, May, 1972, 'Premises and Issues Related to Future Focus, Department Of Home Economics, College Of Liberal Arts, Arizona State University.'" Faculty 4 d Maryland . (a) . Cover Letter News sheet entitled, "PrOposals on Academic Reorganization to the College Park Senate of the University of Mary- land" by Chancellor C. E. Bishop, August 23, 1971 . (b) Newsletter--The College Of Home Economics, Univer- sity Of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, Spring 1972, Vol. 1, No. l, (9 page mimeo) Faculty & Alumni Alumni Table 26.--Continued 220 Code Audience for which items No. University Items Forwarded appear to be intended 4 Maryland 4. (c) College of Human Ecol- (continued) ogy, University Of Maryland, College Park, Philosophy, (2 page mimeo), no date Faculty (?) 5 (d) Copy of National Goals and Guidelines for Research The Profession 7 Michigan 1. (a) Family Ecology Program, Mimeo, May, 1972, 10 page mimeo Faculty & Students 2. (b) The Committee on the Future of Home EconomiCs (79 page Booklet plus Appendix) Administration, Faculty, Stu- dents, Alumni & Interested Groups 8 Cornell l (a) Cornell University (New York Announcements--New State) York State College of 2. (b) 4. (d) Human Ecology 1972-73 College Calendar Forty-Fifth Annual Report, 1970 Forty-seventh Annual Report, 1972 Graduate Study in Human Ecology Fields at Cornell University (no date) Students and Prospective Students General General Prospective Students Table 26.—-Continued 221 Code No. Un1vers1ty Items Forwarded Audience for which items appear to be intended 8 Cornell (New York State) (continued) Ch 10. 11. 12. 13. . (e) . (f) . (9) . (h) . (i) (J') (k) (1) (m) Forty-sixth Annual Report, 1971 A mimeo report to the Faculty from David C. Knapp, Dean, Feb. 6, 1969 (14 pages) To College Faculty from Organization Committee, June 5, 1968 (43 page mimeo) Final Report of the President's Committee to Study the College Of Home Economics, December 1966 (62 page mimeo) Vol. 3, No. 2, Autumn 1972, Human Ecology Forum Vol. 3, NO. 1972, Human Forum. Vol. 2, NO. 1972, Human Forum Vol. 2, NO. 1972, Human Forum Vol. 2, NO. 1971, Human Em 1, Summer, Ecology 4, Spring, Ecology 3, Winter, Ecology 2, Autumn, Ecology General Faculty Faculty Faculty (?) General General General General General 9 Ohio d . Cover Letter . (a) Untitled Xerox on the Mission of the School of Home Economics (5 pages), May, 1972 Faculty, Students, Alumni Table 26.--Continued 222 Code NO. University Items Forwarded Audience for which items appear to be intended 9 Ohio (continued) 3. (b) Annual Report, School of Home Economics, The Ohio State University, July 1, 1971 to June 30, 1972 (209 pages and addendum, a-4l) . (c) Annual Report, School of Home_Economics, Division Reports, July 1, 1971 to June 30, 1972 General Faculty, Students, Academic Community (?) 11 Guelph (Ontario) N—J . (b) . (c) . Cover Letter . (a) Pamphlet-~School of Hotel and Food Admin- istration Pamphlet--Graduate Pro- gram, Department of Family Studies Pamphlet--College of' Family and Consumer Studies, Bachelor Of Applied Science, Uni- versity of Guelph Graduate Program in Consumer Studies, Uni- versity Of Guelph University of Guelph, ACADEMIC BRIEF, Mac- donald Institute and School of Hotel and Food Administration, June 28, 1968 PR PR PR PR Academic Community 223 Table 26.--Continued Audience for C33? University Items Forwarded :ggggr1tgmge intended 12 Pennsylvania 1. Cover Letter State 2. Single Item: "An Atmos- phere for Excellence,“ Donald H. Ford, Dean, presented at the Faculty Meeting, September 15, 1972 (44 page mimeo) Faculty 14 West Virginia . Cover Letter (a) Mimeo on Name Change, July 1, 1966 (1 page) Faculty (?) 3. (b) "Dear Home Economics Majorz" A letter dated April 19, 1965 (a page xerox) Student 4. (c) Program Projections, Home Economics, by Mary Rose Jones; presented at Staff Conference, College. of Ag-For, and HO Ec. January 27, 1965 (4 page xerox) The Profession and Faculty N—J 15 Wisconsin 1. Cover Letter 2. (a) Draft #3 of Courses 310- 410, Approved by Advisory Committee, submitted for consideration of the School Faculty by Tom Witt and Jan Piliavin Faculty 3. (b) Final Draft, March 19, 1971, Conceptual Struc- ture for Post-Master's Programs Within the School of Family Resources and Consumer Sciences (5 page mimeo) Faculty 224 CODE FOR THE CONTENT ANALYSIS Rules a) The unit of analysis is the complete thought or statements which may consist of between 3 sentences and a minimum of one sentence' with a subject and predicate. (Single word units or short phrases do not appear to be useful units for this content analysis.) b) The categories of the content analysis have been identified as follows: Code for the Content Analysis P Philosophy: Statements that deal with the critical study of the basic principles and concep3s_of a particular branch of knOwledge; a system Of prin- ciples for guidance in practical affairs. Principle: A fundamental truth_or doctrine on Which ot ers are based. Concept: A mentally conceived image of what is knOwn, thought and felt about an idea. 1An example of a P statement: "Effective July 1, 1972, our College will become the College of Human Ecology. The name change and the name chosen were . . . part Of an overall intensive study . . . ." (5, 8 item, page 1) 225 Organization: A process that is reflected in the uni- fication of separate elements or parts into a working unit. The unit shares a common set of Objective(s) over time. Statements that reflect organization that cannot be categorized as either curriculum organization or departmental organization. An example might be a statement of the organization's overall Objectives. 0 (d)3 (d) Departmental: Statements that refer to depart- mental organization Of the specific units or structure Of the organization. 0 (c)4 (c) Curriculum: Statements that deal with aggregates Of courses of study given in a college or univer- sity. Using the code as a basis, specific instructiOns for the content anal- ysis were established in accordance with Berelson's directives (1954). 2An example of an 0 statement: "The Committee on Graduate _ Education shall consist of the graduate field representatives of the College and two student members, with the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education serving ex-officio as executive secretary" (8, item F, page 1). 3An example of an 0 (d) statement: "The School is organized into three departments and Offers training in nine major fields Of- Study" (1, A item, page 1). 4An example of an O (c) statement: "The program provides: 1) a general education in the physical-biological sciences, social‘ sciences and humanities; 2) a focal perspective and unification pro- gram in the human ecology core and the family ecology base which facilitates flexibility to move from one program to another, and after graduation, from one family-community role to another" (7, A item, page 2). C) f) 226 Instructions for Applying the Codes Every institution has a code number from 1 through 15. There are no materials from code numbers 3, 4, 6, 10 and 13. Every item that was forwarded from an institutiOn has a letter identification such as a, b, c, and so forth. If page numbers have not been included on the material, these. have been added. An example Of an identification might read: 5 (institution), a (item), 3 (page). Identify the statements that you have cited as the subject matter (categories) by the code: P, O, 0 (d), or O (c). Inferential Patterns: Please note the overall impression of patterns between documents that may become apparent and that can be documented. Ascertaining inferential patterns or qualitative patterns is difficult because Of the subjective element. The reliability between coders is one means Of overcoming this. APPENDIX B THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK OPINIONNAIRE PACKET 227 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY naturism-mamas «ms COLL”. O. m KOLOGY . OMCI 0' m DEAN - HUHAN ECOLOGY BUILDING September 20, 1973 Dear I am a doctoral candidate in the College of Human Ecology, the Depart- ment of Family Ecology at Michigan State University. Dr. Norma Bobbitt is directing my research and my conmittee members include: Dr. Jane Oyer, Dr. Beatrice Paolucci, Dr. Everett M. Rogers, and Dr. Jean Sch ater. The dissertation that I am preparing has one main objective: To propose an Ecological Systems Framework for Home Economics/Human Ecology to facilitate the clarification of the central theme with which the profes- sion is concerned. You have been identified as a professional adminis- trator involved with this matter and, therefore, qualified to comment on this framework. We are requesting that you review the enclosed materials and return the Opinionnaire Packet with the Questionnaire completed by October lst, 1973. Your COOperatTOn is sOlicited 1n order to make this study a worthwhile and comprehensive piece of literature that can be used by the profession. The results will be available for your use in 1975. While pursuing my dissertation, I am a member of the faculty at the University of British Columbia. I am asking that the materials be for- warded to me in the enclosed envelope at the following address: SCHOOL OF HOME ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA VANCOUVER 8, BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA Thank you for your support and assistance in making this study a success. Sincerely yours, (Mrs.) Eleanore Vaines ? 5 I“? 0 FROM HOME ECONOMICS TO HUMAN ECOIIXSY O I'll-72 228 October 4, 1973 Dear Administrator: I am a doctoral candidate at Michigan State University, College Of Human Ecology, and on September 20th, I fOrwarded an Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet to you. The reSponse has been excellent and the returns are still being forwarded. If you have a Packet and have not yet returned it and intended to do so, I would appreciate receiving it at your earliest convenience. Thank you fOr devoting some Of your precious time to this research. Sincerely yours, (Mrs.) Eleanore Vaines MY PRESENT ADDRESS: School of Home Economics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver 8, British Columbia, CANADA October 26, 1973 Dear Administrator: I realize that you are a very busy involved person and that many requests cross your desk. It would add greatly to the value of the research that I am conducting as a doctoral candidate at Michigan State University, College of Human Ecology, if you would take a few minutes to read and react to the Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet fbrwarded to you September 20, 1973. I do appreciate your time and cooperation. Sincerely yours, _ (Mrs.) Eleanore Vaines MY PRESENT ADDRESS: . School of Home Economics, University Of British Colunbia, Vancouver 8, British Columbia, CANADA 229 THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK: Opinionnaire Packet** TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. AN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION A. Introduction . . . . .................. 230 B. What is General Systems Theory? ............. 230 C. What is the Ecological Systems Approach? ........ 231 D. What are the Advantages Of Using a Framework for Perceiving the Central Focus of the Profession? ..... 232 E. What are the Disadvantages Of Using a Framework for Perceiving the Evolution Of the Central Focus of the Profession? ................... 232 F. The Evolution of a Framework for Home Economics/ Human Ecology ............. . ....... . 232 STAGE I ......................... 233 STAGE II ........................ 233 STAGE III ........................ 234 G. Summary ......................... 235 II. THE QUESTIONNAIRE ..................... . 236 III. GLOSSARY OF TERMS. . . . .................. 240 IV. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................ 243 V. RETURN ENVELOPE for the Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire and Questionnaire** **Pre-publication materials are not for duplication or distribution. 230 I. AN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSION A. Introduction Hone Economics/Human Ecology is undergoing a series Of evOlu- tionary changes in the way the basic concepts of the profession are organized. These changes can be seen as stages in the development of the way that the profession perceives what the central fOcus of the field is. A revolutionary tool that promises to provide the tools and knowledge to facilitate this is General Systems Theory. 1 B. What is General Systems Theory? General Systems Theory can be portrayed as: ..way of perceiving the world as a whole system2 Of variables that are working together; ..science of organizing and organization; ..theory that is a tool to be used by all disciplines; ..theory that encourages the development of visual models Of the system under study; ..tOOl that can be used to picture variables in a dynamic and sys- tematic way; ..tool that can facilitate the identification of the qualitative and quantitative aspects Of a system; ..means Of predicting the consequences of certain actions and strategies. 1General Systems Theory; The study Of systems fOr the purpose of identifying commonathies of systems found in different appli- cations. 25 stem: An arbitrarily defined set of interdependent parts working together toward a conmon purpose such that the parts can be. labeled, their boundaries defined, andtheir functions specified. 231 C. What is the Ecological SystemspApproach? The Ecological Systems Approach1 applies the concepts Of General Systems Theory and builds on those ideas to view man in a Specific way. The Ecological Systems Approach: ..views man as a human organism; ..is a specific viewpoint that pictures the human organism in the context Of his habitat or ecosystem; ..pictures the human organism3 in his own ecosystem in relation to the natural and man-made environment;4 ..pictures the way the natural and man-made environment relate to the human organism in his ecosystem; ..changes the vantage point of the viewer from looking at one part of a system to perceiving an overall view Of the processes that are taking place among and between systems; ..and it helps the viewer to perceive all Of the complex processes that are interacting together. fl, 'The Ecological Systems Approach: The ESA is the application of the General Systems Approach to studying the human organism, popu- lations of human organisms as environment, and in relatiOn to the natural and man-made environment. 2ECOS stem: A set Of mutually interdependent species (orga- nisms) and {Heir environment, whose mutual existence depends, in part, upon the presence Of each other. 3Organism: Any organized complex thing or system having prOp- erties and functions determined not only by the prOperties and rela- tions Of its individual parts, but by the character of the whole which they compose and by relations Of the parts to the whole. An organism can be an individual human organism or it can be applied to other systems levels as has been done in this context: Organism aS Family. 4Environment: Environment refers to the aggregate of sur- rounding things or conditions; the totality of external influences on an organism. There are different levels of the environment. Distal environment refers to surroundings that are further away and the near environment refers to the closest immediate external in- fluences such as the habitat, food, clothing. 232 D. What are the Advantages of Using a Framework for Perceiving the Central Focus of the Profession? A framework can be a useful tool. Using General Systems Theory applied to the Ecological Systems Approach, a framework has the following advantages: ..it is a tool that can be used for analysis and synthesis of complex related variables; ..a means Of communicating these complexities; ..a means for clarifying the Qualitative aspects of a system such as values, ethics and so forth; ..a means for defining the quantitative aspects of a system; ..a means of generating new ideas and refining existing knowledge; ..and a way of predicting the consequences Of certain actions on a system. E. What are the Disadvantages Of Using a Framework for Perceiving the’EVOlution of the Central Focus 015the Profession? Using frameworks can also have disadvantages: ..a framework can picture the variables under study in a format that oversimplifies the actual process; ..it can hamper the viewer from perceiving other frameworks which can either be more accurate or which need to be superimposed in order tO view the full meaning of the system; ..it can cause confusion between the abstract framework and the concrete behavior of a system. F. The Evolution of a Framework for Home Economics/HUman EcolOgy‘ The profession of Home Economics/Human Ecology is the study of the relationship of man in his environment and as a social being. The human organism in the context of the family1 in an ecosystem2 1Famil : An identifiable system Of interacting persOnalities with common goals, commitments over time, and sharing of resources and living space; it is a specific environment mediating between the individual human organism and the larger society. 2Ecosystem: A set Of mutually interdependent species (orga- nisms) and their environment, whose mutual existence depends, in part, upon the presence of each other. 233 is pictured as a system which can realize a quality life1 through rational means. The home economist perceives the mission Of the profession as helping all families realize a quality life. The profession has pictured this central focus in three frameworks that represent evolutionary changes in development. STAGE 1: The Linear Framework Environment--——-—iB>Organism Organism iBbEnvironment Organism Organism The Linear Framework pictures the central fOcus of Home Eco- nomics/Human Ecology in a format that connotes a direct cause-effect relationship in an essentially static and vague juxtaposition. STAGE II: The Process Framework The Process Framework pictures man as organism in relationship to the environment in a more dynamic way. It connotes the close relationship between these two dimensions as being affected by each other and affecting the larger environment. This stage represents a step forward in understanding the perception Of the central fOcus of the profession. 234 STAGE III. The Ecolo ical S stems Framework Linkage4 Interface Interface3 KEY E (N; = Near Environment E (D = Distal Environment 0 = Organism (different systems levels) 0 (F) = Organi m as Family En = Energy 2 F = Feedback Systems (Complex input, output, exchange) 1Ene : It is the interface and vitality of all living systems. The ultimate source of energy is the Sun. Energy can be defined in two broad categories: Matter- energy and Information. (See the Glossary of Terms) 2Feedback: Used here in the comnunication sense, as information returned to the sender of a message about the effect of the original conmunication. There are two kinds of feedback: Positive and Negative. 3Interface: In the context of this study the term is used to imply a rel ation- ship behveen m living systems that is an abstracted space relationship greater than linkage. An interface is essential to the vitality of two interacting open systems. 4Linka e: A term used to indicate that two systems are connected to form a greater system; it suggests a regularized pattern of interaction between the two systems which in a sense forms a bond between them. 235 The Ecological Systems Framework builds on the Process Frame- work and is a fuller comprehension of the central focus Of the pro- fession. The Stage III framework: ...reflects an Open system that is in relation to other Open systems; ..is a framework that can be superimposed on other frameworks to perceive the multi-dimensional qualities Of the variables; ..is a dynamic framework that includes the important concepts of process and the structure elaboration of the system; ..defines the central focus Of the profession as a whole system with the Specific parts consisting of the relationship of the Human Organism (any systems level), the Organism as Family, the Near Environment, and Energy; ..defines the life-giving interface as energy; ..portrays the complex feedback pathways that exist throughout the system; ..a tool that can help define the qualitative and quantitative aspects Of the profession; ..and a more precise tool with which to develop the focus of the profession in relation to the organization Of the field's philos- Ophy, theory, research, curriculum, and action strategies. G. Summary The Ecological Systems Framework is a way Of perceiving the central focus Of the profession. It is the application of General Systems Theory and the Ecological Systems Approach to the evolution of a framework for Home Economics/Human Ecology. This development is seen as a tool for the field to use in portraying the complex dynamic concepts with which the field is concerned. Included in the Ecological Systems Framework Opinionnaire Packet is a Questionnaire which follows on pages through . Please take a few minutes of your valuable time to complete the Questionnaire. Please return all_of the materials in the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope. 236 PLEASE COMPLETE THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK QUESTIONNAIRE SEE PAGES: THANK YOU ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK QUESTIONNAIRE The Ecological Systems Framework Questionnaire is a structured means Of determining the extent to which the idea presented in the Packet is, in your Opinion, a framework that would be a useful tool fOr Homs Economics/Human Ecology. PLEASE RESPOND TO ALL OF THE APPROPRIATE ANSWERS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR SITUATION T7 . 1-5 years . 6-10 years 10-20 years . 20-30 years . Other (please indicate) . 1-5 years 5-10 years . 10-20 years 20-30 years . Other (please indicate) 1. I have been an active professional home economist for approximately: 2. I have been an administrator for approximately: The highest degree earned (Please indicate): The major subject matter areas that I concentrate my academic work in are as fOllowS (Please indicate): 5. The total undergraduate majors enrolled A. Under 250 in the College, SChool, or Department 8. Under 500 in which I am an administrator is C. Under 900 approximately: D. Under 1200 E. Other (please indicate) 10. 11. 12. 13. 237 The totalrgraduate majors enrolled in A. Under 25 the College, SChOOl, or Department in 8. Under 50 which I am an administrator is C. Under 100 approximately: D. Under 150 E. Other (please indicate) The institution Of higher education in A. A Land-Grant which I am an administrator is considered College to be: B. A State University ____C. A Private Institution 0. Other (please indicate) The administrative unit for which I am responsible employs the following number of full time faculty (indicate the number please The present title of the administrative unit for which I am responsible is: The present title was made Official (please indicate date) If there has been no title change, have there been any plans fOr the change of title? Yes:___No:___(Briefly describe) The present administrative unit for which I am responsible has reorganized the administrative structure: Yes:___NO:___, If so, briefly describe on reverse. The present administrative unit fOr which I am responsible has undergone curriculum reorganization: Yes:___NO:___, If so, briefly describe on reverse. 238 ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS FRAMEWORK: QUESTIONNAIRE Please check the one response that best describes your Opinion of the statements beTOWI Space is provided for you to include comments or suggestions. C a :8 3 5 C5 035- L P CG) OJ CO) CT $- 80) Q3 2TB (U 01 S- S— m U) U “CD 01 44'!- 'r- C m< -¥>-' In. {f}.- '° Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia West Virginia 14 States i ; ' .1 247 Table 27.--Continued Region 3 Code State E Illinois F Indiana G Iowa H Kansas N Michigan 0 Minnesota Q Missouri S Nebraska 2 North Dakota ¢ Ohio & South Dakota / Wisconsin 12 States Region 4. Code State Connecticut DelaWare Washington, D. C. Maine Maryland Massachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont V+A>< CON—A \OCDVO‘UT-wa-J 278 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 13-14 100.150 13 (continued) 151-200 14 15_'-"'DeBtT'OT-H6m5'ECE'HO_EE'OEEtT' __________ l —————— Division of HO EC; School Of HO Ec; College Of HO Ec Home Ec Appears in the title: 2 Dept of HO Ec & Industrial Tech; HO Ec, Family Life & Consum Ed Family Oriented & Family Appears 3 in the Title: College Of Fam. Life; Division of Family Resources; School of Fam. Resources and Consumer Sc; Family Life Ed; Dept. of Fam Life; Home and Community Serv. Dept. Human Ecology appears in the Title: 4 Dept. of Hum Ecology; College of Human Ec. Human Develop or Human Resources 5 appears in the title: Human Resource Develop; College Of Hum Develop. Consumer stressed in title: Consum 6 Related Science; Consumer Ec Dept. Foods and Nutrition stressed in 7 title: Department of FM and Ho Ec College Of Nutrition, Textiles and 8 Human Development Habitational Resources 9 279 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 16 The Present Title was Made Official 1900-1909 1910-1919 1920—1929 1930-1939 1940-1949 1950-1959 1960-1964 . 1965-1969 1970-1973 W_——FWEBBE&&&T%YR%S%F&&&? __________ no answer yes' no nr‘Tmmmymamm7mmaTn‘" ‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘ Request for Name 1 change; change in process; Tentative title chosen but not passed. LDCDNO‘m-bOON-J N-‘O Change considered 2 but rejected. Investigating that 3 possibility. Change name official 4 a then changed back. 19_'-'—'Out.125"AHmThTS_STYUCTuFe—TEOFgEhTzEOT' ___________ NO answer 0 yes 1 no 2 —_-————————_———___———————————_———__ 280 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 20-21 Qu. 12: Briefly Describe NO change 0 Change in process 1 Too New in position to answer well, 2 emeritus, only an acting head I. Superficial Change: Addition to existing structure, same philOSOphy, new roles added to existing organization. (A) "U" structure change but no internal reorganization: From part of Ag to a separate school; Was in Nat. Sc. Div.--now in applied arts; Now in Soc. Behav. Sc. Dive; Fac Of Ed reorganized so now in a new Div in Fac of Ed. "U" title change but no reorgani- 4 zation: From a Div. to a Dept.; Div. to a School; School to a College Within Unit Re-grouping Of Div or 5 Dept. by Sub. Matter or Career but not reorganization based on change of philOSOphy = a PhysiCal regrouping. Status or title change for 6 administrator Role of administrator changedé- 7 diffusion Of admin. duties, assigned more Fac. responsibility. More student-Fae participation 8 has changed organization of decision processes. Administration now interdisciplinary 9 281 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 20-21 Qu. #12 Briefly Describe (continued) Some change but no reorganization 10 (no details given) Administrative hierarchy changed: 11 Roles defined for each from Chairman and duties are diffused but no major reorganization. II. Reorganization Changes; Philosophical 12 and/or conceptual changes that are mani- fest in reorganization Of the adminis- tration. 22 ————————— QT'7133-.CuFrTCUlUm_REOFg3hTEEtTOhT ________ NO anSwer , 0 yes 9 1 no 2 EEK ——————— QTWE-fififiYfi&fi&_fl_T——TT _____ No change or no change 0 indicated Reorganization in process 1 Reorganization has already 2 taken place (no explanation Offered) Emeritus, don't know, too 3 new to know. I. Superficial change: Addition to exiSting structure, revision but same philOSOphy, some new roles added to existing organi- zation. Added graduate work (courses 4 and/or programs) Added a degree (AA 8 or Inter- 5 disciplinary) 282 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 23-24 0. #13: Briefly Describe (continued) Added new major or specialities to 6 program (career options, grouped areas of study, interdisc. major) Added majors and changed core 7 requirements. Added new majors (programs) and 8 new course (meant that some courses drOpped, programs integrated or dropped) Added multiprofessional or multi- 9 discipline programs; broadly defined programs; integrated programs with other faculties. Now have core courses' 10 Added core courses to present core 11 Deleted core course 12 Core more flexible (more choice) 13 ' Core taught in different way 14 (teams, new methods used) Added courses (Options expanded, l5 broader variety of courses) Titles of courses and program 16 changed On going revisions but no major 17 reorganization (constantly updating, changes but not reorgn, content' Updated) 283 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 23-24 0. #13: Briefly Describe (continued) . Curr. organized so some basic root 18 courses are now taught in another department Experimental Coordinated Undergrad l9 Dietetic program added' II. Reorganization (structural change) of curriculum: changes in philosophical and conceptual changes manifest in curriculum Program change: New emphasis, 20 changed from emphasis on skills to philosophy and understanding. Restructured program because of 21 outside pressures: State recom- mendation, Am. Dietetic Ass, State Ed Certification Require- ments. Restructuring because Of "U" .-.22 ‘pressures and/or "U" wide restructuring of Curr. Restructuring initiated by faculty 23 or administration Of HOEC/Human Ec unit & change is new philosophy such as HO Ec in Comm Context and and emphasis on modification Of environment. Interpretation Of ansWer fuzzy:~ 24 Example: "Continuous? 284 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 25 Page 8:~ Question 1 The Family is Central Focus No answer 0 U l D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 RQT’RM&B?_‘TT' ___________ ' ““““““ Did not answer. 0 Statement is incomplete without "Individual" 1 Statement is incomplete without environ. 2 Statement is incomplete without near environment‘ > 3 Statement is incomplete without individual 4 in relation to gis_environment Confirms agreement with statement 5 Statement needs to read "should be" 6 (many only give lip service) Disagreement confirmed: NO implies 7 too narrow or restrictive (&) limits' field's expression.' ‘ "Undoubtedly 'family' needs a better 8 definition than that generally understood by home economists in the past." m"‘mammestanmnmmaasnm """""""""""" NO answer SD U'I-hCJON-HO 285 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 29-30 Question 2: Comments ‘ Did not answer 0 Should include both near and distal envir.: l "but not just in the context Of the near'environ." "distant envir. is important" "reservation: near envir is tOO imprecise to make me happy" "in the total envir." Individual needs to be included: 2 "and individual" "partly the organism as an individual" "and emphasis on the family's contribution to individual growth & devel'| “meaning of O as Fam. is not too clear. I view central focus as individual in his several roles with environ. interaction implicit." What is the meaning of ESF context?: 3 "are you trying to say that 0 as Fam. plus near envir is different than family? You use envir. in your def. of family."' Context overemphasized: 4 "often the context is overemphasized." What is and what Should be are two diff. 5 things: "home economist are not in agreement." "This is the situation but should not be." "I believe No. 2 does not contradict NO. 1" 6 "Prefer statement 2 to l." 7 286 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 31 Question 3: Linear Framework NO answer U 0 SD A SA m-wa—‘O 32733" " Q'u'é's'fihn’f "CB’m'n'eh'tS' '- " ____________ '_ " " —‘ " '- Did not comment 0 Probably no one has thought about: 1 "Perhaps too many haven't even thought about it." "Doubt that evolution of framework has been central in thought." "If they have thought about it at all.“ "I am not aware of large numbers who do." Most have seen linear Framework as the 2 Professions framework: "most have" "Where they have thought seriously about a framework at all." "Original idea at Lake Placid. New Dire. in 1959." "Have seen it as the framework." "Many have seen it as tge_framework."- The Linear Framework is an Adequate 3 framework for the field: The profession has gone beyond the 4 "first stage" of its framework. "However professionals have long prO- gressed from that stage, esp. since Creekmore's publication and the McGrath Report." ——_———_———-——‘——————._————_——_-—-————_ 287 Table 30.-—Continued Cell Question Code 32-33 Question 3: Comments (continued) I don't know 5 "I do not feel I can answer as many viewpoints on this." "Have collected no data on this." "Don't really know." "Depends on which professionals we mean." 6 "Generalization" 7 m“‘m&BNWTW%&§Tfifi%fl ‘‘‘‘ ' TTTTTTTTTT NO answer U 0 SD A SA U'I-DwN—‘O mas‘manmmsmmmms """"""""" "T‘ Did not comment 0 Agree with the idea as presented: 1 "As you present the idea." "Pursue this! Do!" ”Hasn't it always been this!" Idea is incomplete 2 "but it is incomplete” "I have a different concept here than your picture." "Depends on philOSOphical viewpoint" 3 "Have you really established your" 4 thesis that process framework is differentiated from linear frame- work and can be separately defined?" 288 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 35-36 Question 4: Comments (continued) "I don't think we are in a position to 5 decide whether it is progress or not. 'change' is a helles word . . . one Of the factors." "What profession?" ' 6 37"-'_'OuESt15h_5?-_Ehe7by'{ha-hiSSThg’TThkT' ____________ NO answer 0 U l D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 38:39 "' QuEsTTB'n"5:‘ "CEm'fi'eh't's' ’’’’’ ' ‘— """""""" ' ‘ “ ‘ Did not comment 0 Energy is an implied concept: 1 "E is implied." "NO, E exists tho not depicted." ‘"To me, an interactive process system implies E." "May not be explicit." "It is there but may not have been‘ identified as such." "assumed always." I agree E is a missing link: 2 "I believe my concept of process could include this." "Progressive professionals have added the E." 289 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 38-39 Question 5: Comments (continued) I do not agree that E is a missing link: 3 "Could there be other factors as well? - Is this too simple?" "There are other necessary assumptiOns." "Merely diagramming it in III does not suggest relationship is more dynamic than I and II. A matter of semantics." I do not understand the concept Of E 4 as interface: "I either don't understand or don't agree with your definition Of E." "I do not understand the concept of E as an interface." There are other elements or dimensions 5 missing: "Feedback is another." "Depends on priorities. Other elements may be missing at other times." "It is only one." 40" - '- Q'uE'st'iO'n‘6: ESF helps proffstat'e—b'a's'i'c __________ concepts. NO answer U 0 SD A SA 41 1'42 "' O'u’é's't'i 611's? ’CB'nfi'ieFi'tE TTTTTTTTTTTTT ‘ T "' " " Did not comment‘ -0 m-th-JO ESF is too complex to use and/or comprehend: 1 "Not readily interpreted by many numbers." 290 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code‘ 41-42 Question 6: Comments (continued) "I'm not sure it is an easily compre- hended form." "However, it is unnecessarily complex." "TOO difficult to interpret." "Seems’confusing!" "Difficult to grasp without comments and explanations.‘' "but it is extremely complex as a working tool." ESF is gge_means or tool: 2 "one means." "only one means" "may be 11 "one" "not necessarily, it may." ESF iSFa means (as statement in questiOn): 3 "perhaps with full presentation, yes." "How long we've needed this."' "I was sort of confused by your system altho I agree with the concept." "Hopefully, to use current jargon." "Youn statement is leading" "Useable for those new to the profession" "As well as interrelates the concepts.“ \IO‘U'Iab "Again please, what profession are you talking about?" - "The student assumes a clarity of definition 8 and acceptance of implications that may not, in fact, exist. Is your definition. any more rich in its implication than was the Lake Placid definition?" 291 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 43 Question 7: ESF a tool to refine dimensions of the profession? NO answer 0 U l D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 HJF‘WBB&WTTNNRS """"""""""""" '" Did not comment 0 One potential tool: 1 "could be--but is?" "For those who require a new model and stimulating too." "one potential tool." "If one considers a conceptual frame- work a tool." "May be used as a tool." "could be" "If used with wisdom and understanding." "hOpefully." "Yes, according to your statement on p. 6" "It may help" “We need something." ESF too complex to be useful: 2 "most Of the peOple in the profession cannot comprehend it." ”TOO complex to be useful." ESF and (plus) other Frameworks too: 3 "but other frameworks should be emphasized.“ "However, other tools may be equally valid." "is or can be" "only one tool" "Tool is not included in your glossary" 4 "Unity of effort is essential." 5 292 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 44-45 Question 7: Comments (continued) "I need to know more about the system 6 before I can formulate a response." "But agree primarily in the sense that 7 it or any other defined strategy, tends to free introspection, definition of goals, evaluation of performance with respect to goals." "profession again--which one?" 8 "very strongly" 9 46_'-’_"QuESTTOh-BT'-ESF—a_sySTem'TO_r51§tE'To _____ ‘ _______ other systems. No answer 0 U 1 D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 47748 " mama’s? _CO'mTieh'tS' — " '— " .. " " _ i’ ““““““ ‘ - - Did not comment 0 ESF is only one means: 1 "only one means" "only one of the systems" "But regret concept of family as central 2 focus" "This seems unclear." 3 "Yes, but the related concepts is not new." 4 "Implied but not explicate." 5 293 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 49 Question 9: ESF different from linear‘ and process frameworks No answer 0 U 1 D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 EET’MBBNWTTNNME ”””””””” ' """" Did not comment 0 ESF is not-new: 1 “Maybe more elaborate but not totally new." "This is not new. Read the Lake Placid Conf." . "Different diagrammatically but?" "New to whom? Other frameworks could have assumed relationships identified in ESF." “Not necessarily new." "I think only the picture is.new." "Not as much a new way as a more sophisticated way." "different (not new)" "more clear, not new." "a new diagram/new terminology but is it a new conceptual framew?" "I need to have a clear definition of a new way." ESF is different from Stage I and II: 2 "of course, it is different, it is far more complex." "defines it more clearly." "yes, as other two do not." "I like the inferred 3rd Dimension.‘I 3 "relationship between Organism and what?" 4 -———__——._-—“___—_——-—-———_———_____— 294 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 50-51 Question 9: Comments (continued) "so do the others but more limited." 5 "The material in this document does not 6 make the difference clear, is this clearly established elsewhere. Your definitions of I and II become crucial. The more restructuring or restructured perhaps the more likely your statement #9 could be answered in a positive sense." "But this is not a good statement." 7 R’T’m&fi&0m‘BFififimfififi&T ——————————— NO answer - O U 1 D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 BEI’MBB&WETRm&ET—_TT “““““““““““ Did not comment 0 NESF not exact enough to be a scientific tool: 1 "The ecosystem approach is not exact enough to be defined as a scientific tool." “not necessarily." "how scientific depends on use." ESF is gge_scientific tool: 2 "There are other scientific tools that might do the same." "possibly“ . "depends On definition of scientific. Scientific tool is not included in your glossary." "possible with effort" 295 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 53-54 Question 10: Comments (continued) ESF is a scientific tool (as stated in 3 questionnaire: "This tool is interesting and may help some who have not taken feedback and energy and interface into account.ll "It forces one to examine the parts and their relationships." "yes, will take time to establish the concept." ESF too complex as a scientific tool: 4 "TOO complex to be useful to many in the profession." "I really question whether the family . 5 can ever be viewed totally in a system- atic, accurate, objective, manner.“ "The definition can be abstract or to be 6 at best a starting point for break out of hypotheses. Could be it be that the differentiation between linear, process and ecology frameworks are more the product of the desire to justify utiliz- ing the term Human Ecology than they are in fact highly differentiated approach an point of view? Please not (though you need no further eVidence, I'm sure) that I do not speak from philOSOphical orientation, hence my responses may be less than helpful." SST T T 60351.1 6nT1 T:T ESF Fel'at'i EnE'h'i'thE Tithe? TTTTTTTTTTT disciplines. NO answer 0 1 2 SD 3 4 5 ---—_———_———.‘—_—_—_——————_-——‘————-- 296 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code’ 56-57 QuestiOn 11: Comments Did not comment 0 Possibly: 1 "possibly? "probably so" "could be" "one way" "This is mandatory" 2, "Reference to Creekmore and others‘ 3 will aid in its understanding." "Other disciplines and professions may. 4 have similar relationships." ETTTWRBNWZTm3§EfififiafififiTTT TTTTTTTTTT all families NO answer 0 U 1 D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 Sgren’auasiian‘izr sentient; ‘ " ._ ————— , ---------- NO comments 0 ESF needs to include individual: 1 ”and individuals" "how about individuals?" "But increasing number Of persons liVe alone and not with others.” “but SO do other approaches." 2 "possibly but I reject family as 3 central focus." "again family as individual or multiple" 4 297 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 59-60 Question 12: Comments (continued) "--pictured relationship of organization 5 Of concepts." "yes, it is inclusive of the concept Of 6 culture." "could be;" "not necessary so-could be": 7 ”the central theme of home ec from the 8 beginning." "00 you mean that it was the profess's 9 concern for serving families that caused them to use the term organism as family?" ' "The profession segregates itSelf 10 from other professional areas and tries to take a 'gOd-like' stand." RTTTWBENWETBFNNM&§&&&BETTTTTTTTTTTT profession. NO answer U 0 SD A SA 62:6 T'QuESt15h_133-'COfim§nTs —————— ‘ —————————————— Did not comment 0 m-thdO Partially: 1 "partially" "represents one framework" "one organization" "some of the concepts." --__————_‘-__—_—_‘_——_——————__————— 298 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code f 62-63 Question 13: Comments (continued) "not at present in many places." "I must include Human DevelOpment--all individuals and families." "How about job training?" ”A new way simply in the use of different terminology." "provided you first define the paramiters' of your ESF." "Though, again the definition as used is not sufficiently clear as to permit the casual reader or the non-philosophical student to use the concept with assurance, or do you disagree?" "The profession needs to change emphasis and direction and I doubt name change will do it." mTT-mEBNDLTBTRmaammmn -------------- NO answer U 0 SD A SA 65:66'_'QhESTiOh‘lAE‘ICOhmEhTS ——————————————— Did not comment Probably: "probably" "if more fully refined" "I have no evidence of this." (”#00me O 299 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 65-66' Question 14: Comments (continued) "Consider this to be difficult" 3 "Has this been proven" 4 "I see the framework as making visual 5 interaction rather than quantifying them." "Provided you define your quantitatiVe 6 base to begin with. "‘ "Word 'define' difficult to interpret if 7 used in context Of helping to identify or place in perspective, I agree. Am not certain Ecol. approach will of and by itself be useful in develOping' measures." 67" T T Qu'é‘s‘Ei 6n“! 5': T ESF heTprFoT.TdEan'é' TTTTTTTTTTTTT qualitative. No answer 0 U 1 D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 Edy—mufi&D5-fifimfi__—_- ________________ Did not comment 0 Possibly: 1 "perhaps" "possibly" "if more fully refined" "see this as more possible than previous statement." 300 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 68-69 Question 15: Comments (continued) Not a feasible goal: 2 "I know of no evidence" "difficult and probably impossible" "too general, may be dangerous." "questiOnable" "not necessarily, this is a separate concern." "not necessarily. If don't start with moral and ethical values your qualitative ends will be difficult." "not the only system however." 3 "I would have to give this more thought." 4 ”meaning is not clear." 5 "little increase expected above past 6 methods. An excellent goal for its use." "With the broader definition Of Organism 7 Of family." "aesthetic" 8 "a different semantic interpretation."’ 9 70_ '- — Que-5T1 OnW 63- 0-051 3' O’FHO’EE/ Flu-111E? ______ ' ________ Did not answer 0 U 1 D 2 SD 3 A 4 SA 5 301 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 71-72 Question 16: Comments Did not comment 0 A goal: 1 ”a goa1" "should be" Meaning of "over time" unclear: 2 "poorly stated (life overtime?)" "over time?" "Does time refer to length of life or time salvaged via efficiency?" Meaning unclear and/or imprecise: 3 “What do we really mean by this?" "I disagree because your statement is inexact. If you were then to say as individual or family, then I will agree." "Family is tOO imprecise." "Realize a quality of life or to make their choice Of what they want?" "Must define quality--cannot be universally applied." ”who defines?" O as individual is missing: 4 "Family excludes individuals. An important aspect of society. In no wa can family and individual 5e superimposed." "Also to help organism as individual realize a quality of life." "This is a little limited in scope. 5 What happens to an organism who choose not to have a family? Can't such an organism realize a quality life outside the frame- work of a family?” 302 Table 30.--Continued Cell Question Code 71-72 Question 16: Comments (continued) "The central focus of Home Economics 6 from beginning as conceived by Ellen H. Richards and others." “per your definition page 4" 7 asn-amamnnritmnnamtraNNET; “““““ identification of state and respondent "Quotes" COMMENT * CODE This sounds like a justification for the change in name 3.1 at Michigan State from Home Economics to Human Ecology which limits the relevance of the study to the profession E? $8. I feel care should be exercised in interpreting the results 3.2 of this questionnaire as the responses given as appropriate to the ecosystem concept may also be true to a greater or‘ lesser degree of other conceptual approaches. I have marked space 1 (uncertain for several statements) 3.3 because I would want to hear.the statement discussed more fully before answering. We have become concerned with trying to define "family" in 5.6 light Of alternative life styles. I am uncertain (about question 15) because I perhaps do not 5.7 see the relationship of this framework to moral or ethical values. If this matter could be clarified I might agree. I ma have misunderstood the statement--if It (the frame- work can be used as a tool to help peOple define values and that tool is in accord with the natural law--then I” could agree. But if the framework is not sound or the people using it might have values contrary to the natural law and consequently misuse the framework, then I could not agree. I wish you much success in your research and will be anxious to have your results in 1975. I am sorry this material is so late but I just received the packet this morning--Oct. 20th--. 303' Table 30.--Continued "Quotes"‘ COMMENT CODE I am committed to the systems approach to home economics and 5.10 appreciate your attempts to develop the profession in this direction.- Good luck!- Without Opportunity to do research on systems theory, eco- 5.12 logical theory etc. it is difficult to respond to some of these. The credibility of home economics as a field of study, as an applied field, and a field of intellectual pursuit is extremely vulnerable by the proclivity Of Home Economists to consider family and individuals as one and the same. Sociologists do not define individuals as fam- ilies, the law does not, psychology does not, anthropology does not. By what defense do we? To focus on family says "that is the only way to be. " "Marriage and children are the only acceptable life styles. " How archaic' It is easy to see family and professions as organisms but deliver uS from casting out individuals, single peOple, widows, orphaned children, etc. I will be happy to see your results when you have compiled 13.1 all the data. Either I am as dense as a post or you are using terms which 13.2 are still so unfamiliar they do not clarify the meaning of what you are asking. I found I constantly had to refer to your glossary and it confused me to no end. Good luck in your study. I found this a very interesting presentation. Suggest you 14.8 clarify standard, level, and plane Of living as used in economics. Many go 003 references available. Due to a very busy schedule, my responses are "quick" 15.2 without deliberation and study. They may have been different if tempered with more reflection and thinking. Where are individuals identified in the framework? Does 15.3 the system function only for groups of individuals exist- ing as "families?“ How does the framework identify indi- vidual who values and pursues a lifestyle as a "single?" IS Home Economics/Human Ecology meant to refer to one identifying title or is the slash meant to indicate the two terms are interchangeable? The systems framework is difficult to interpret. Examples 17.3 tying this to real life situations may help. I support 304 Table 30.--Continued "Quotes COMMENT CODE your philOSOphy that the family is an ecosystem affected by and affecting both the near and far environment with change in energy occurring. What I don't see in your frame- wOrk is where home economics input enters the picture and how it affects the ecosystem. I'm sorry--I have over 100 readings to complete by next 18.1 week. I do not have time to study this. I resent my_time being used in such a way! Ambitious idea! Good luck! 20.2 I find this whole language game both wearing and objec- 23.4 tionable. It is unfortunate that the professional chal- lenge of our field does not direct us into more functional application and realistic plans for action. ~I do not need new terminology to give prestige and worth to my profes- sional approach. If Home Economics is facing an identity crisis--this ought to turn the trick. Stage I and II are presented here much more simply than has 23.12 been in effect with professionals in home economics. Dr. Ellen H. Richards, for instance, introduced modern pro- fessional home economics as an ecosystem. The Ecological Systems Framework iS'a bit mind boggling and may be slow in effecting a bettering of the quality of life. Actually simpler terminology and definitions should be considered. I have made myself look stupid, indeed, when, in fact, Stage III fascinates me. I have spent an evening agreeing with its mechanics and geometric logic and a morning with three of my faculty members in study with me. The termin- ology is erudite but it adds little that is new to a pro- fessional concept regarding the role of home economics in the ecosystem. Perhaps this decision is from a home econ- omist who has been forced in her teaching to add energy, information and communication to the Stage I and II levels. Without doubt a generation emerges that needs the stimulation of Stage III. As the accepted "family" has now taken many forms, graphics must be more inclusive. Perhaps, in turn moral and ethical values will become more pivotal and cen- tralized.‘ Obviously I am a strong supporter of systems approaches-4 23.7 probably your strongest among the group of deans, etc. Let me know if you need anything from me. 305 Table 30.--Continued "Quotes" _ COMMENT CODE I look forward with great anticipation to the 1975 report. 23.12 Please forgive a general tone of negativism in the above 24.1 comments. I expect the level of abstraction implicit in the three categorizations used (linear, process, ecological) goes beyond the competence of the general administrator. I do not feel that your explication of the ecological systems approach is sufficiently extended to permit positive re- 9 sponses to the majority of the above items. It is because’ of my uncertainty as to its implications that I would have some real doubts as to the reliability of responses, gen- erally. I will be much interested in what you get in returns. Do you have some device for measuring the internal con- sistency in response? How do you validate responses? Can you differentiate between the "courtesy response" and those based upon a complete understanding of your term "ecological systems?" I think your concept has great merit and can serve as a means 24.8 for showing the interrelationship of Home Economics to other areas. We see a clearer focus. . I resist the use of the word "is" when, so far as I know, 26.1 could be would be a more appropriate term. If the questions are to be answered only on the basis of 26.2 reading the materials attached, I'm afraid I failed. I've tried hard to study the material again and again. I am assuming you don't want superficial answers but that you are testing out the rationality of the material you've pre- sented. I feel guilty that my responses don't fit in neat "cells" for you. A few years ago I took a graduate course from a person who 32.4 was a Professional Interior Decorator who had started her career with a degree in Home Economics. She contended that the trouble with our country was that we hadn't learned to be meaningful because we use too many words. To me, this is our problem in Home Economics. We make everything com- plex. I feel this approach you have outlined is too com- plex for clear interpretation. ‘ Seems as though you may get so carried away with your sys- 34.5 tem you may miss some important aspects of total develop- ment. The systems approach is not necessarily a panacea, for all that is wrong with HoEc. The big question is, 306 Table 30.--Continued "Quotes" COMMENT CODE "What kinds of people have become home economist?" The profession is too female oriented with very rigid restric- tive persons who talk change but have no idea of relin- quishing power. I appreciate the Opportunity to respond to this question- 36.6 naire. Your study should be a good start in identifying, defining, and clarifying many environment relationships and how they affect human develOpment and especially in the family environment context. What you are doing is great--certain1y the profession needs 36.7 this sort of focus. I find the ESF confusing and generally disheveled. Good Luck! The total emphasis makes a great deal of sense to the alert 36.10 professional; it may make little or no sense, hOwever, to the person outside the profession with little or no concern about the field and an image (conceptual) of the profession in the early 1930's. Systems theory hold great potential in this, or other fields, 39.1 in my view. However, attempts to use it will be discredited if its credibility is not established through effective application to the substance of concerns. This is the third representation of this view I have seen. Each has been highly abstract, simplified discussion of aspects of systems theory. Can it be effectively applied to specific human issues in a newly revealing way? I have yet to see it done. I hOpe it can be done. However many of the 0's in this document are merely speculation. The answers are empirical and the proof of the pudding is in the eating. There is a difference between promise and performance. My background on this systems approach is nil; therefore, 39.10 I fear my questionnaire is invalid. I am afraid I do not have the background or sufficient 39.11 information to complete this questionnaire. While the profession does concern itself with families, it must also concern itself with individuals who do not Operate within the family as it has been defined. Perhaps I have misinterpreted the Ecological Systems Framework. 307 Table 30.--Continued "Quotes" COMMENT ' CODE To achieve comments 7, 15 and 16 the framework would need 40.1 to be much more sophisticated than the present presentation. Nonetheless the framework as presented is thought provoking and challenging. Since you gave different definitions of Home Economics and 42.1 Human Ecology-~why are you using them as having one identity in your above statements? The thrust of all this appears to be a struggle with seman- 43.5 tics looking for new ways to express the concepts and goals of the Home Economics profession. Your paper demonstrates excellent work in analyzing and synthesizing these ideas. ' You have too many inexact in-precise statements to develop 47.5 any truths. This really should be given more time and thought than is 47.6 available. Complex but interesting and helpful means of viewing 48.1 and studying the profession. Your constant referent to "the profession" without using 50.2 it in the Glossary of Terms is confusing. Are you talking about the Profession of Home Economists, Human Ecologists, Human DevelOpers, etc.? Also, without thorough reading in your concept and an undecstanding of your objectives, I 9 found it most difficult to answer your Questionnaire. Maybe I am too practically oriented but wha »we need in Home Economics is not more scientific resea ’h but more applied, realistic studies that will aid all mankind. RIGHT ON! 50.3 RE: lO--Wordin with "can" would also make 4 (agree) 51.1 applicable, (5 uncertain as to comparatives usefulness in relation to other approaches. 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