Infusing the FCS-BOK in a CDFS Curriculum

Abstract

The Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge (FCS-BOK) is positioned to address the myriad social changes that have an impact on children, youth, and 21 st century families. The FCS-BOK represents opportunities and challenges within our society, with the circular model demonstrating the synergy and interrelationships within the profession ("The FCS Body of Knowledge," 2010). The over-arching themes include: core concepts (basic human needs, community vitality, individual well-being, and family strengths), integrative elements (human ecosystems and life course development), and cross-cutting themes (capacity building, global interdependence, resource development and sustainability, appropriate use of technology, and wellness) (see Figure 1). <br/> The Family and Consumer Sciences Department at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N. C. A&T) systematically infuses the FCS-BOK within all areas of study (i.e., Child Development and Family Studies [CDFS], Consumer Sciences [CS], Fashion Merchandising and Design [FMD], and Food and Nutritional Sciences [FNS]. To promote and support students' comprehensive awareness and understanding of the FCS-BOK, the authors suggest a strategic integration into students' program area of study. Students must engage in systematic, diverse, and recurring applied experiences with children, families, and communities in their respective specialty area contexts from freshman through senior years. The current project builds upon previous work (Lee et al., 2015; Walker et al., 2015) with a more narrow, specific focus on one family and consumer sciences (FCS) program area: Child Development and Family Studies (CDFS). Whereas the previous project looked at all N. C. A&T FCS programs, CDFS, CS, FMD, and FNS, this paper aims to examine if the FCS-BOK is infused appropriately and reflected in the CDFS program.