Maharashtra HSC Home Management flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Home Management

The process of planning, organising, implementing and evaluating the use of family resources to reach family goals; it is continuous, goal-directed and decision-based.

Management Process Steps

Planning, organising, implementing, evaluating and replanning. Evaluation feeds back into the next plan, so the process is a cycle rather than a straight line.

Family Goals

Desired end results a family works toward, such as education, housing or security. Goals direct resource allocation and give the standard against which results are evaluated.

Human Resources

Personal, non-transferable qualities of family members: time, energy, knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities. They cannot be stored or exchanged but can be developed.

Non-Human Resources

Material resources such as money, goods, land, equipment and community facilities. Unlike human resources they can be exchanged, stored, shared or converted into other resources.

Opportunity Cost

The value of the next best alternative given up when a resource is used for one purpose. It explains why resource allocation always involves a trade-off.

Resource Substitution

Replacing a scarce, costly or unavailable resource with one that is available, for example using family labour instead of hired help to reduce money expenditure.

Work Simplification

Eliminating unnecessary steps, movements and delays in a task so that output per unit of time and energy rises without lowering the quality of the result.

Normal Working Area

The space reached by a comfortable forearm sweep while the upper arm stays still. Frequently used tools and materials are kept within it to reduce fatigue.

Peak-Load Chart

A time-management tool that shows when household tasks fall due across a period, making overlapping peak demands visible so work can be redistributed.

Energy Management

Scheduling heavy tasks when family energy is highest and light tasks at low-energy periods, and reducing fatigue through good posture, lighting, ventilation and rest pauses.

Money Income

Income received in cash or kind as wages, salary, rent, interest or profit. It is the most flexible income form because it can be converted into any needed good.

Real Income

Goods and services produced or provided within the home, such as home-grown vegetables or home sewing. It raises living standard without increasing cash income.

Psychic Income

Non-material satisfaction and benefits a family derives from work, possessions or status, such as security, prestige and contentment. It cannot be measured in money.

Balanced Budget

A spending plan in which planned expenditure equals expected income for the period, leaving no deficit and requiring no borrowing to meet ordinary household expenses.

Housing Needs

Requirements a dwelling must satisfy: protection and shelter, privacy, space for family activities, sanitation, ventilation and safety; they vary with family size, income and stage of life.

Functional Zones

Groupings of house space by activity: living or social, sleeping or private, work or service, and circulation. Zoning separates noisy activity from quiet rest areas.

Kitchen Work Triangle

The path linking sink, cooking range and refrigerator. A short, unobstructed triangle reduces steps, time and energy spent in food preparation.

Principles of Design

Proportion, scale, balance, rhythm, emphasis and harmony, which together produce unity. They guide arrangement of furniture, colour and furnishings in interior space.

Furniture Selection Criteria

Functional suitability, correct size for user and room, material and construction quality, comfort, safety, ease of maintenance and cost relative to the family budget.

Labour-Saving Equipment

Appliances such as washing machines, mixers and vacuum cleaners that reduce the human energy and time needed for a household task. Selection weighs cost, durability and service.

Curtain Functions

Curtains control light, give privacy, regulate ventilation and insulation, and add colour and texture. Fabric weight and weave are chosen according to the purpose required.

Consumer Rights

Under the Consumer Protection Act 2019: safety, information, choice, being heard, redressal and consumer education. These protect buyers of goods and services from unfair practices.

Consumer Protection Act 2019

Indian law replacing the 1986 Act; it created the Central Consumer Protection Authority and provides three-tier redressal through District, State and National Commissions.

Quality Marks

Standardisation marks certifying goods: ISI (BIS) for industrial products, Agmark for agricultural produce, FSSAI for food and Hallmark for gold jewellery. They guide consumer choice.

Consumer Responsibilities

Duties of a buyer: check quality, quantity, price and expiry; insist on a bill; read labels; compare before buying; avoid impulse purchases and complain when goods are defective.

Detergent Action

Cleaning by surfactants that lower water surface tension, lift soil from the surface and hold it in suspension so it can be rinsed away.

Hard Water Effect

Hard water contains dissolved calcium and magnesium salts that react with soap to form scum, reducing cleaning efficiency; synthetic detergents work better in hard water.

Cleaning Sequence Rule

Work top to bottom, dry before wet, and from the farthest corner towards the door, so loosened dust and soil do not fall on already cleaned surfaces.

Stain Removal Rule

Treat stains immediately, test the agent on a hidden area, work from the outer edge inward, and start with the mildest agent before stronger chemicals.

Project Report Components

Title, objectives, need and justification, method, observations or data, analysis, conclusion and references. A dated, signed record supports internal assessment marks.

Practical Assessment Criteria

Practical work is judged on planning, skill in execution, safety, time management, neat finishing, record keeping and presentation, not on the final product alone.