| Government has consistently had an impact upon families throughout history. In the United States, it has sought to control families; their formation, their function and their demise through a system of family law. The field of home economics cites the family as its primary concern and purports concern regarding the influence of government on families. This dissertation explores the relationships between the field of family law and the field of home economics. It does so through a historical analysis of the development of the New York Domestic Relations Law and of the organized field of home economics in New York State from 1900 through 1979. These two progressions of development are then compared to determine any points of interaction between family law and home economics. Finally, the points of interaction are further considered to determine if the field of home economics had any influence on legislative activities in family law; and if it did, the characteristics of that influence.;The study offers baseline information on the evidence of one field's influence on the other. The results should encourage home economists to first examine their purported concerns and second, either alter them or adjust their activities to attempt to service them.;Three potential points of interaction were isolated but none offered concrete evidence of home economists influencing legislative activity. Two techniques of successful political activity did surface however. First, the success of one politically astute individual in influencing the governmental system was evident. Second, the potential power of organized women's groups was also evident. |
