Exploring the Direction of Home Economics Education in Preparation for the Generalization of a One-Person Household

Abstract

This study explores the social phenomenon of the universalization of one-person households through a literature analysis and text mining in order to explore a future direction for Home Economics Education(HEE) development in the one-person household era. From 2010 to 2018, texts from newspaper articles and book content of one-person households were analyzed through R program. The results of the study are as follows. In order to develop students’ competency to live a happy life in the one-person household era, it is necessary to: (1) expand the preemptive and collaborative research of HEE, (2) develop and operate a curriculum to raise the living competency to live alone, (3) expand opportunities for secondary school students as well as off-campus youth, middle-aged, and elderly students, and (4) develop various HEE’s elective curriculum focusing on the ability to live as one-person household. Also, (5) in order to overcome the psychological and social poverty and isolation of one-person households, HEE should strengthen the learner’s ability to form relationships through self-esteem, care of others, community life, communication and conflict resolution education. In conclusion, HEE’s independent living competency, relationship formation competency, and practical problem solving competency are all necessary competencies to live in one-person households. In this study, it is meaningful to suggest a future direction for HEE and to use new research methods such as word cloud techniques in the absence of HEE’s previous research in relation to the increase of one-person households. Keywords: home economics education, one-person household, text mining