Professionalisation of home economists in Britain from the 1950s to the 1980s: mediating small domestic electrical appliances

This article explores the role of home economists from the 1950s until the 1980s in relation to small domestic electrical appliances when home economists promoted these small electrical products and began to have a role in their development and evaluation. It is argued that education for home economists and their professional role developed during this period as they became mediators between producers and consumers. It captures the changing role of women in the electricity and appliance industry during the period up to the late 1980s, when the role of the home economist in these areas began to decline. Further and higher education syllabuses were developed and refined in response to the growth of employment opportunities, particularly for home economists in the electricity and appliance industry. This article therefore draws upon both a case study of the Polytechnic of North London home economics syllabuses and an oral history of Jenny Webb, a leading home economist in the electricity industry