초록
In this study the meaning of well-being and welfare of home has been analyzed and a new direction in which home economics should advance has been suggested, This study not only would help the characteristics of home economics be properly understood and its displinary position take its own place but also a conceptual analysis which might be uncommon in the studies of learned circles of Korean home economics would be a basis for establishing the uniqueness of the discipline named by home economics. Based on the critical theory of Habermas it has been demonstrated that well-being and welfare of home have been emphasized unfairly in the physical and technical aspects and such a partial pursuit of positivism and purposive rationality of scientific technology has resulted in the situation that home would be gradually encroached and controlled by the social system pursuing purposive rationality. As an alternative to overcome this kind of problems communicative rationality that has em hasis on the process of intersubjective understanding and agreement has been focused. The meaning of well-being and welfare of home has been established through the classification of family life actions in to technical action practical action and emancipatory action, And the characteristics of them have been examined and ideal directionns of each element have been discussed.