DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 079 596 AC 014 540

TITLE An Approach to Consumer Education for Adults.INSTITUTION Office of Consumer Affairs, Washington, D.C.PUB DATE 1 Jan 73NOTE 45p.

EDRS PRICE MF-SO.65 HC-53.29DESCRIPTORS *Adult Programs; *Consumer Education; *Curriculum

Development; *Disadvantaged Groups; Guides; ProgramDevelopment; *Resource Materials

ABSTRACTThis guide is intended to assist educators in

establishing and organizing consumer education programs for Americansbeyond the high school years..It is primarily a tool for tailoringbasic consumer curricula to the special characteristics and nt is ofadult students. Suggestions are given for possible content are ,

illustrations are given of teaching situations, and potentialinstructional resources for the use of teachers in planning theirspecific local programs are identified. Information about consumerincome, spending characteristics and services is included to assistinstructors and curriculum planners in understanding patterns ofconsumer behavior. Major emphasis is given to prpviding instructorswith a better understanding of the particular problems of theunder-educated, rural families, the elderly, and Spanish-speakingAmericans, among others that have special needs in consumereducation..The chapters of the guide are: 1..Consumer Education: AChallenge of the Seventies; 2..Helping Adult Consumers Learn; 3..Developing Content Areas for Consumer Education Programs; 4.Designing Adult Consumer Education Programs; 5..Consumers withSpecial Needs; and 6.. Instructional Resources. pi4

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"Consumer Education is an integral part of consumer protection. It isvital if the consumer is to be able to matte wise judgments in the market-place. To enable him or her to do this will require a true educational proc-Jss beginning in childhood and continuing on."

RICHARD NIXONPresident of the United StatesFebruary 24, 1971

An Approach

to Consumer Education

for Adults

Office of Conr,umer AffairsExecutive Office of the President

Washington, D. C. 20506January 1, 1973

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Per side by the Superintending al Denunents, U.& Geternment Printing OS lee, Wm Masten, D.C. 2002Priem SS cents, denteetir postpaid; U cents, GPO Beekstern Stock NE). 4110-41111

S.

FOREWORDConsumer education is needed by all Americansrich and poor, young

and old. To assist educators in formulating and implementing individualcourses in consumer education, the White House Office of Consumer Affairshas undertaken the preparation of two sets of guidelines.

The first set, Suggested Guidelines for Consumer Education, Kindergar-ten through Twelfth Grade, publishe4. in 1970, was designed to assist ele-mentary and secondary school teachers, faculties, curriculum teams andsupervisory personnel in introducing consumer programs into existingcurricula.

The second volume, An Approach to Consumer Education for Adults, isintended to assist educators in establishing and organizing consumer edu-cation programs for Americans beyond the high school years. It is primari-ly a tool for tailoring basic consumer curricula to the special characteris-tics and needs of adult students.

Most adults have received their consumer education primarily fromthe marketplace, both from promotional messages and experiences as buy-ers. Consumer education, however, should-be built on a solid foundation ofattitudes and information learned prior to entering the confusing world ofbuyers and sellers. It should give consumers a rational basis for assessingneeds and desires; evaluating competing alternatives in the marketplace;budgeting time, money, and credit demands; and understanding rights andresponsibilities.

Since an adult consumer education curriculum must be a matter of in-dividual choice, this publication is adaptable to a wide variety of programsand consumer education subject materials. It does not provide a Monday-through-Friday sequence for teaching because adults are not usuallytaught in this manner. Instead it suggests possible content areas, illus-trates teaching situations, and identifies potential instructional resourcesfor the use of teachers in planning their specific local programs. Informa-tion about consumer income, spending characteristics and services is in-cluded to assist instructors and curriculum planners to understandingpatterns of consumer behavior.

Low income persons, the under-educated, rural families, the elderlyand Spanish-speaking Americans, among others, have special needs in

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consumer education. Therefore, major emphasis in this booklet is placed onproviding instructors with a better understanding of the particular prob-lems of these specific educational target groups.

These guidelines derive from the expertise and work of many. Basicconcepts were developed under my former Director for Consumer Educa-tion, Doris Sasser Stalker. Under the leadership of Dr. Lee Richardson, mycurrent Director for Consumer Education, these concepts reached finalform. I am indebted to many others on my staff, as well as numerous educa-tors who participated and cooperated in so many ways.

I am especially indebted to my Deputy Director, Elizabeth Hanford,whose overall supervision merits sincere appreciation.

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V InGINIA H. KNAUERSpecial Assistant to the President

for Consumer Affairsand

Director, Office of Consumer Affairs

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CONTENTSPage

Foreword iii

1. Consumer Education: A Challenge of theSeventies 1

A. Five Case Studies 1

B. The Need for Consumer Education 2

2. Helping Adult Consumers Learn 5

A. Adults as Self-Directing Personalities 5B. Adult Reservoir Gf Experience 6C. Adult Readiness to Learn 6

3. Developing Content Areas for ConsumerEducation Programs 9

A. The Consumer as an Individual 9B. The Consumer's Alternatives in the Marketplace 9C. The Consumer as a Member of Society 12D. The Consumer's Rights and Responsibilities 12

4. Designing Adult Consumer Education Pro-grams 15

A. Creation of a Structure for Mutual Planning 15B. Establishment of a Climate Conducive to Adult Learning 16C. Self-diagnosis of Needs for Learning 16D. Formulation of Objectives 17E. Development of a General Design 18F. Selection and Execution of Techniques and Materials 18G. Planning of Evaluation 19

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Page

5. Consumers with Special Needs. 21

A. The Low-Income Consumer 21

B. The Elderly Consumer 23C. The Rural Consumer 24D. The Black Consumer 25E. The Spanish-Speaking Consumer 25F. The American Indian Consumer 26

6. Instructional Resources 29

A. Aids for Teaching Adults on an Individual Basis 29B. Consumer Education Texts and Bibliographies 30C. Aids for Teaching Adult Consumer Education Courses .. 31

D. Aids for Teaching Special Need Consumers 31

K Studies in Consumerism 33F. Consumer Remedies 34G. Consumer Periodicals 34

H. Consumer Organizations 35I. Adult Education Organizations 35

J. Federal Agencies Serving Consumers 35

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1. CONSUMER EDUCATION: A CHALLENGE OF THESEVENTIES

Consumer education is for people. The need isfound in the daily lives of individual citizens.All educational programs and curricula de-signed to assist consumers must ultimatelymeet the tests of improving the quality of lifeand elevating the standard of living. Thus, it isimportant to approach the subject first by de-scribing specific yet typical problems faced byAmerican households.

Five Case Studies

Sam Jones, a retired teacher, took his three-year-old automobile to the local repair shop tohave the battery checked.

When Sam went back the next day, he wasgiven a bill for $130.00 and told he could pickup his car after he had paid the cashier. Samlooked at the itemized charges: brake relining,$60.00; minor tune-up, $35.00; installation ofnew battery, $35.00; total, $130.00.

Sam was alarmed at the unexpectedly highbill. He thought unnecessary repairs had beenmade, and he has very little money on hand un-til he receiveshis next retirement check.

Juanita Cortez is a forty-two year-old widowwith three daughters and one small son. She isa Mexican-American who can speak only a lit-tle English and can read even less.

Juanita's friend invited her to visit a healthclub. The friend later admitted that she hadbeen provided a discount for introducing new

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members. Juanita was persuaded to sign amembership agreement in which she contractedto rems;. - club member for thirty-six monthsat $14.45 per month. After four visits, Juanitadecided to stop going to the health club. Shethought her membership agreement would au-tomatically lapse.

Juanita received unpleasant telephone callsat work and at home, concerning her failure tocontinue her monthly payments to the healthclub, and she was soon warned that a suit hadbeen filed against her. Juanita is confused andfrightened.

Matthew Rogers, a 26 year-old constructionworker and father of four, saw an advertise-ment for a bedroom set costing $100.00. WhenMatthew went to the store, a salesman told himthat the advertised furniture was poorly con-structed, and he showed Matthew another setfor $199.00. Matthew paid a deposit on themore expensive set, which was put in "lay-away," and he was told that arrangementswould be made for him to obtain a loan.

A representative from a consumer financecompany came to Matthew's home. The compa-ny issued a check, and a contract was drawn upfor Matthew's installment payments. The con-tract required Matthew to pay 24 monthly in-stallments of $30.00, a total of $720.00.

Matthew was disturbed because he receivedsome pieces of furniture several months late.He had had to call the store many times to ob-

tain delivery. He did not realize that he waspaying such a high price for the "easy termpayments."

A year later, Matthew brought the balanceof the loan down to $420.00, but he was twopayments in arrears. Now he is worried aboutmeeting the monthly payments because he hasbeen out of work for more than seven weeks.

Iona Yellowbear, a 37 year-old mother of five,lives on a small Indian reservation in theSouthwest. One day Iona received in the mailan advertisement describing cotton fabricsfor sale at 350 a yard. Iona made all the familyclothing but did not live near stores where shecould carefully select her fabrics. She went tothe local trading post to get a money order tosend for ten yards of the advertised cotton.

Two months later Iona still has not receivedthe fabric to make the clothing that her child-ren need.

Betty and Stephen Brown live in a suburbanarea and have two children in public gradeschool. Stephen is an office manager, who earns$11,000 per year, but the Browns are continual-ly in debt. They were recently approached byan insurance agent about an endowment policyto provide for their children's education. TheBrowns want additional information about thepolicy but do not know where to get it. Al-though they are eager to begin saving for thechildren's future college education, they knowa neighbor who had a costly experience withlife insurance. The neighbor bought a policyfrom a small out-of-state company that laterwent bankrupt and caused policyholders to losepart of their savings.

The Need for Consumer Educa-tion

The individuals in each of these case studiescould probably have avoided or resolved theirdifficulties had they been educated as consum-ers. Until recently, however, few educationalsystems provided programs of consumer educa-tion. As a result, most of today's adults havehad little training to equip them with the skillsneeded in today's complex marketplace.

The free enterprise system has produced atechnology capable of providing the Americanconsumer with the largest and most variedmarketplace in the world. Technological adv-ances, however, have come hand-in-hand with

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impersonal mass marketing of goods and serv-ices. Along with progress, too, have come someinstances of manipulative advertising prac-tices, a proliferation of products whose relia-bility, safety and quality are difficult to evalu-ate, and other consumer problems.

Today's consumers buy, enjoy, use and dis-card more types of goods than could possiblyhave been imagined even a few years ago. Yettoo often consumers have no idea of the materi-als that have gone into the manufacturer'sfinished product or their own motivation in se-lecting one product over another. For example,despite the abundance and variety of foodavailable to them, American consumers are se-lecting poorer diets today than in the past. Anational survey of household food consumptionin 1965 found that only 50% of families hadgood diets in that year compared with 60% in1955.1

Easy credit together with forceful tech-niques of modern niarketing persuades manyconsumers to buy what they cannot afford. Theconsequent overburdening of family budgets isa problem for consumers at all economic levels.It is not unusual for families to allocate 20% ormore of their income to debt repayments with-out understanding the effect this allocation hasupon other choices. Some families have suchtight budgets that an illness, a period of unem-ployment or some other crisis finds them with-out adequate reserves or access to other creditto meet the crisis. Credit notes also pose a haz-ard for consumers who may unwittingly signaway property because they do notor cannotread the fine print of the contract or under-stand its legal terminology.

In addition to the growing complexity of themarket, consumers are sometimes faced withunfair and deceptive practices. It may takemore than snake oil to fool today's consumer,but abuse is evident. Although there are bothState and Federal laws designed to protect theconsumer, there are not a sufficient number oflaw enforcers to cover all the abuses of themarket place.

There is growing concern and awareness, too,of the disadvantage of the poor and underedu-cated American in the marketplace of the afflu-ent. Families in low-income inner city and ruralareas often do not have the same varieties ofgoods and prices available to them as theirmiddle income counterparts. In addition, they

are more likely to be targets for fraudulentsales schemes and high cost credit than theiraffluent neighbors.

An adult in today's society, in pursuit of hisown goals and aspirations, should be know-ledgeable in the use of credit. He should under-stand what is involved in purchasing a house orrenting an apartment, how to read a warranty,and the many pitfalls to be avoided when enter-ing into financial agreements. He should knowenough about advertising and selling tech-niques to enable him to discern the honest fromthe fraudulent and deceptive. He should beknowledgeable about consumer protection lawsso that he can demand his rights, and when he

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needs help, he should know the private and pub-lic sources to which he can turn for assistance.

Consumer education should help each personunderstand his own value system; develop asound decision-making procedure in the mar-ketplace based upon his values; evaluate alter-natives in the marketplace and get the bestbuy for his money; understand his rights andresponsibilities as a consumer and as a memberof society; and fulfill his role in directing afree-enterprise system.

'U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural ResearchService, Consumer and Food Economics Research Division.Household Food Consumption Survey, 1965-66. (U.S. Gov-ernment Punting Office, Washington, D.C. 20402)

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2. HELPING ADULT,CONSUMERS LEARNBefore an instructor can begin teaching

adults to be more effective consumers, he or shemust understand the basic problems involved'n teaching adult students. Skillful educatorshave long realized that they cannot successful-ly teach adults in the same manner as theyteach children. While children are usuallytaught under conditi "ns of compulsory attend-ance, adults are almost always voluntarylearners. Consequently, adults simply drop outof the learning experience when it does not sat-isfy their needs.

Any methodology for teaching aduiLs musttake into account at least three characteristicsof the adult learner: (1) adults perceive them-selves as self-directing personalities; (2) adultshave acquired and rely upon a reservoir of ex-perience; and (3) adult readiness to learn is of-ten related to immediate or imminent need.

Adults as Self-Directing Person-alities

A child first perceives himself as a depend-ent personality whose life is managed for himby the adult world. At home, at play, in church,in the community, and in school, he expects thewill of adults to be imposed' on him. Moreover,the action of adults tends to encourage andreinforce this self-concept of dependency.

Society expects children to be learners. Edu-cation is a child's full-time occupation, thesource of his rewards and self-fulfillment, andit is generally regarded as a more or less pas-

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sive role of receiving and storing the informa-tion adults have decided children should pos-sess. Only as a child matures and develops doeshe begin to see himself as a self-directing per-son.

An adult sees his role in society not as a full-time learner but as a producer or doer. Hischief sources of self-fulfillment are his per-formance as a worker, spouse, parent and citi-zen. His self-concept is that of a self-directingpersonality, able to make decisions, face theirconsequences, and manage his own life. More-over, most adults also experience a deep need tobe perceived a self-directing rather than de-pendent personalities. Adults tend to avoid,resist, and resent situations in which they feelthey are being treated like children. An adultstudent, therefore, will resist learning underconditions that are incongruous with his self-concept as an autonomous individual.

Unfortunately, the personal experiences ofmany adults lead them to expect to be treatedlike children when entering an educational ac-tivity. This expectation is frequently so strongthat adult students often put pressure on theirteachers to behave toward them in this way.Once an instructor puts adult students into adependent role, however, he is likely to experi-ence rising resistance and resentment. On theother hand, adults exposed to a self-directedlearning environment, in which they are in-volved in mutual inquiry with the teacher andare responsible for their own learning, oftenneed a period of adjustment. But once an adult

makes the discovery that he can handle self-directed larning, he experiences a sense of re-lease .inrexhilaration. He then enters intolearning with deep ego involvement, and theresults are frequently startling bothiterhiThselfarul "s teachers. Instructors whq can helpr. .ents achieve such breakthroughsshe. d this experience to be most reward-ing.

Adult Reservoir of ExperienceThe difference in experiences between child-

ren and adults has many consequences foradult learning. In the first place, adults havemore to contribute to other students, for theyare themselves a rich resource, often bringingas much or more experience to the classroomthan the teacher. While this can result in deep-er understanding of educational materials, in-structors must also realize that some adultshave acquired a number of fixed habits andpatterns of thought which make them lessopen-minded and receptive to new ideas.

Secondly, an adult's experience defines hisself image in a way that is significantly differ-ent from a child's self image. For a child, anexperience is something that happens to him; itis an external event that affects him, not anintegral part of him. If you ask a child who heis, he is likely to identify fl;mse:f in terms ofwho his parents are, who his brothers or sistersare, what street he lives on, and what school heattends. His self-identity is largely derivedfrom external sources

But an adult defines himself in terms of hisaccumulation of a unique set of experiences. Ifyou ask an adult who he is, he is likely to identi-fy his occupation, where he has worked, wherehe has traveled, what his training and experi-ence have equipped him to do, and what hisachievements have been.

Because an adult defines himself largely byhis experience, he has a deep investment in itsvalue. Therefore many adults, particularly theelderly, who find themselves in a situationwhere their experience is rejected or minimized,feel it is not just their experience that is beingquestioned, but their worth as a person.

Finally, instructors should be aware of theadult student's prior school experience. Unfor-tunately, many adults believe they are no long-er capable of academic work. This is especiallytrue of the adult who has had previous unre-

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warding school experiences. The consequentanxieties and feelings of inferiority can form aserious obstacle to adults becoming involvedagain in education. If the instructor is to enticethose adults back to systematic learning, therewards of learning must outweigh the antici-pated pain.

Adult Readiness to LearnIt is well accepted that children learn best

those things that help them advance from onephase of development to the next. Psycholo-gists have dubbed these "developmentaltasks."I

Developmental tasks of the adult years areprimarily the products of the evolution of so-cial roles. Robert Havighurst divides the adultyears into three phases: "Early adulthood;""middle age;" and "later maturity." He identi-fies ten social roles of adulthood: worker, mate,parent, homemaker, son or daughter of agingparents, citizen, friend, organization member,religious affiliate, and user of leisure time.Adults are consumers in all ten roles. The re-quirements for performing each of these socialroles change as the person moves through thethree phases of adult life, thereby setting upchanging developmental tasks and, therefore,changing readiness to learn. Consumer educa-tors must learn to recognize these three phasesand adapt consumer education programs tomeet the needs of the adult's developmentaltasks.

For example, the developmental tasks of ear-ly adulthood (between 18 and 30) concern theadult's job or career, the selection of a mate,establishment of a home A n d rearing children,involvement with the neighborhood or commun-ity, and molding a satieying social life. Thedevelopmental tasks of the middle-aged (be-tween 30 and 55) pertain to establishing andmaintaining an adequate standard of living,educating children, gaining the esteem of peers,assisting teenagers to become responsible andhappy adults, succeeding at work, and plan-ning for retirement. The developmental tasksof later maturity (over 55) relate to decreas-ing physical strength and health, retirementand reduced income, making satisfying use ofincreased leisure time, adjusting to the death ofa spouse, and finding new social relationships.

The concept of developmental tasks providessome guidance for the grouping of learners.

Homogeneous groups assembled according todevelopmental task may be effective. For inst-ance, in a program on nutrition, young parentswould have quite a different set of interestsfrom the parents of adolescent children. Heter-ogeneous groups would be preferable in othersubjects. In a program on consumer protection

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in which the objective is to help people under-stand their rights and locate sources of help, itwould be important for the groups to cutacross differences such as age, status and sex.

1 Robert J. Havighurst, Developmental Tasks and Fduca-tion (New York: David McKay, 1961), p. 2, by permission.

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3. SUGGESTED CONTENT AREAS FORCONSUMER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Adult education programs are generallybased on the assumption that to attract adultsin significant numbers, education must haveimmediate application to student problems.Instructors and students should work togetherto develop course content based upon the needs,skills, interests, social attainments, aspira-tions and income levels of students in eachclass.

One effective method of organizing a coursein consumer education is to poll student opinionas to the problems they wish to cover in fourareas of consumer interest:

(1) The Consumer as an Individual(2) The Consumer's Alternatives in the

Marketplace(3) The Consumer as a Member of Socie-

ty(4) The Consumer's Rights and Respon-

sibilitiesAfter students have had the opportunity to

propose topics of interest to them, it may beappropriate for instructors to advance addi-tional areas of interest or channel studentideas into a workable curriculum.

The following suggested content areas areintended to serve as a "springboard" for elicit-ing the ideas of students and teachers alike.They are not all-inclusive of possible areas ofstudy. Instructors should consider each with aview toward adapting it for use in meeting theneeds of his particular students.

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The Consumer as an Individual

PERSONAL VALI:ES

Socio-economic influencesCultural influencesPsychological influencesTechnological influences

PERSONAL GOALS, ACHIEVEMENTS, EXPEC-

TATIONS

Short-term goalsLong-term and lifetime goalsInterrelationships of values and goals

PERSONAL RESOURCES

Human: energy, talent, skills, knowledgeTime: work, leisureMaterial: income, physical possessionsCommunity: library, schools, public trans-

portation, health clinics

The Consumer's Alternatives inthe Marketplace

FOOD PURCHASES

NutritionBasic food groups

CostsSpecial dietary considerations

Food stampsEligibilityHow to make application

Commodity foodsAvailabilityPreparation

Shopping techniques utilizing availableinformationUnit pricing, open dating, packaging,

nutritional and ingredient labelingStandards and gradesLaws governing food production and distri-

butionRoles of United States Department of Agri-

culture and Food and Drug Administra-tion

Roles of local regulatory bodies

CLOTHING PURCHASES

Functio isStylesFads and fashionsWardrobe planning and budgetingShopping methodsCare of clothingLaws governing flammability, labeling,

quality

HOUSING

Types of dwellingsDesign featuresConstruction quality

OwnershipTypes of ownershipFinancingRisks of ownershipProblems in purchase and sale.Closing costsCosts of maintenance, improvement

RentingLeasing vs. rentingRent subsidiesLandlord and tenant responsibilitiesTenant associations

Remodeling costs, financing alternatives,

TRANSPORTATION

Public transportation alternatives

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IntercityIntracity

Automobile ownershipFinancing, insurance, warranties, depre-

ciation, service and repairs

HEALTH CARE AND SERVICE

Basic health care componentsHospitalMedicalDentalNursing homesRehabilitation servicesPreventive medicine

Medicines and drugsGeneric and brand namesSelf medication, over-the-counter drugsCost comparisons

Health insuranceGroup policiesIndividual policiesTypes o! coveragesWorkmen's compensationMedicare and Medicaid

Safety, accident preventionPublic services: alcohol, drug related serv-

ices, family planning, mental health,prenatal care

HOUSEHOLD FURNISHINGS AND EQUIPMENT

Acquisition plansFinancingMaintenance, repair costsLabeling standardsConstruction qualitySafety in design and use

LIFE INSURANCE

Types of policiesPrice comparisons of policiesTypes of companies: stock and mutualDividendsCash surrender valuesDouble indemnityWaiver and premiumLaws governing life insurance companies

PROPERTY, CASUALTY, AND AUTOMOBILEINSURANCE

ProtectionAmount neededCosts

Fire and comprehensiveHouse location and type as cost factorsFire department influence on costs

TheftAutomobile: State regulations, bodily inju-

ry, property damage, fire and theft,collision, medical payment

No-fault automobile policyTravel insurance

INVESTMENTS

'Reasons for investingTypes of investment

StocksBondsReal estate

Regulatory agenciesLaws providing protection

PRE - RETIREMENT PLANNING

Sources of retirement incomePension fundsSocial SecurityAnnuitiesInvestments and other assetsPart -time vranloyment

Use of time: recreation, social service work,partial employment

LEISURE TIME

Factors contributing to increased free timefor some Americans

Development of, and investments in, hob-bies, talents, skills, and education

Home-study coursesVacationsRecreation and recreational equipment

CostsSafety hazardsLand

ESTATES, WILLS, TRUSTS, FINAL COSTS

Reasons for planning

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Legal assistanceCostsTaxesLaws governing estates, wills and trustsFuneral and burial costs, modes of service

MONEY

FunctionPlanned spending (budgeting)Transfer of money: checks, money orders,

bank draftsCredit

BANKS

Checking accountsWriting checksOverdraftsAccount reconciliationsDeposit insurance

Other bank servicesSavings accounts (types)Loans (types)

NON-BANK FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

Credit unionsSavings and loan associationsMutual savings banks

SAVINGS

Purposes: emergencies, major purchases,education, vacation

Factors to consider: safety, returns, liquid-ity, purchasing power protection, conven-ience

Modes of saving: savings accounts, cashvalue life insurance, check; ,ccounts

CONSUMER CREDIT (EXCEPT f (GAGES)

Installment loans and open-end creditNon-installment loans and open-end creditCredit cardsBilling proceduresApplications for creditCredit bureausSources: credit unions, banks, consumer

finance companies, retail credit, cashvalue insurance policies, pawnbrokers

Loan sharks

Costs: credit insurance, service charges,interest

Truth-in-lendingContracts and lender remedies

Waivers of borrower rightsConfession of judgmentHolder-in-due-course doctrineCollection techniquesWage garnishmentWage assignmentDelinquency chargesBalloon paymentsAcceleration of paymentsRepossession

State laws governing interest ratesModel legislation for debtors' rights, credi-

tors' rightsBankruptcy and Chapter XIIIDebt prorating

The Consumer as a Member ofSocietyTHE ECONOMIC SYSTEM

Function of competitive or free enterprisesystem

Business organizations: sole proprietor-ship, partnership, corporation

Supply, demand, and uricPower of Consumer dollar: Impact of con-

sumer spendingCollective consumer decisions: effect on

production and the quality of life

THE MARKETPLACE AND THE CONSUMER

Choice of goodsAdvantages and disadvantages of mass

productionDistribution methods: retail stores, door-

to-doorMarketing techniquesPromotion: advertising, personal selling,

packagingNon-business information sources.Deceptive practices: bait-and-switch ad-

vertising, mail order frauds, slack-fillpackaging, fraudulent home improve-ments, phony repair services, pyramidsales companies, referral schemes

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FAMILY LIFE AND THE CONSUMER

History of the American familyChanges in living patterns and life styles:Family life cycleMoney and marriage: family relationships,

financial management and security

THE CONSUMER AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Consumption effects on resource depletionConsumption and energy useSolid waste disposalPackaging and litterPollution control costs effect on prices

POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AND THECONSUMER

Role of local, State, and Federal govern-ments

Laws and regulationsServices and protection

The Consumer's Rights andResponsibilitiesRIGHTS

Right to make an intelligent choice amongproducts and servicesOpen competitive market: ideal or reali-

ty?Anti-trust laws affecting monopolies,

oligopolies, price-fixing, unfair tradepractices

Laws restricting competition and con-sumer choice

Right to accurate informationFull disclosure in advertising and promo-

tion, product packages and labels,warranties, contracts, point of sale

Deceptive practicesRegulation and enforcement

Right to safetyLocal and state responsibilityFederal responsibility: Consumer Prod-

uct Safety Commission, Food and DrugAdministration, Federal Trade Com-mission, Department of Agriculture,Department of Commerce, Departmentof Transportation

Standards: private and publicProducers' and merchants' responsibili-

tiesConsumer responsibilities

Right to register dissatisfactii.,a and beheardMediation and mediation service agen-

ciesBusiness complaint departmentsLocal and State government complaint

bureaus, Federal agenciesArbitration of complaintsCourts and private action sumsSmall claims courts

ACTION AND RESPONSIOILITIES OF CITIZEN-SHIP

Consumer's role in societyHow to take an active part in the legisla-

tive processParticipation in regulatory proceedingsInformation sources: private and publicState agenciesConsumer protection officesOffices of Attorneys GeneralLocal agencies: city and countyFederal agencies/Voluntary consumer organizations.Better Business Bureaus

I See Chapter 6.

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Business and trade associationsNewspapers

Action columnsGeneral features and news

Consumers Union publicationsPeriodicals and booksCredit unions and cooperatives

Voicing consumer complaints and satisfac-tionsProcedure for voicing complaints

In the marketplaceAt the local and State levelAt the Federal level

Documentation of complaintsWrittenVerbal

Voluntary consumer organizaConsHistory of consumer movementKey role of citizen action in influencing

public opinion and governmentOrganizations: local, national, interna-

tionalMethods utilized by consumer activistsMember services

Individual consumer's responsibilities toothersBehavior as a customer and influence on

business costs and pricesReporting abuses: shoplifting, misuse of

credit, exchange and refund privilegesIndividual consumer's responsibilities to

himselfCare in use of productsNeed to be informed, prudent buyer

4. DESIGNING ADULT CONSUMER EDUCATIONPROGRAMS

A successful adult consumer education pro-gram is the result of careful planning, skillfulcoordination and continuous evaluation. Al-though each instructor may have his ownmeans of achieving success, this chapter fol-lows the seven-step guide for implementationproposed by Dr. Malcolm Knowles of BostonUniversity.1 The steps are as follows:

1. Creation of a structure for mutual plan-ning;

2. Establishment of a climate conducive toadult learning;

3. Self-diagnosis of needs for learning;4. Formulation of objectives;5. Development of a general design;6. Selection and execution of techniques and

materials;7. Planning of evaluation.This chapter is primarily concerned withclassroom learning experiences, but it can alsobe applied to non-classroom programs.

The Croatian of a Structure forMutual Planning

The basic element in adult consumer educa-tion is involvement of students in planningtheir own learning under the instructor's gen-eral guidance. The adult student provides themotivation to learn, the objectives, and theplan of attack. As previously noted. "le learnsbest by working at his own pace and may evenwithdraw from the program if the instructorattempts to impose activities upon him.

The functions of planning are to translatediagnosed needssuch as knowledge of con-sumer lawinto specific educational objectivesand to design and conduct learning experiencesto achieve these objectives. In adult educationthe learners and the instructor can profitablyshare a mutual responsibility for performingthis function.

CONDITIONS OF LEARNINGThe learners accept a share of the

responsibility for planning and oper-ating a learning experience, andtherefore have a feeling of commit-ment toward it.

The learners participate activelyin the learning process.

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHINGThe instructor shares his thinking

about options available in the de-signing of learning experiences andthe selection of materials and meth-ods, and involves the students in de-ciding among these alternativesjointly.

The instructor helps the studentsto organize themselves into projectgroups, learning-teaching teams, orindependent study in order to shareresponsibility in the process of mu-tual inquiry.

15

The Establishment of a ClimateConducive to Adult Learning

The physical environment should makeadults feel at ease. Furnishings and equipmentshould be informally arranged, adult-sized andcomfortable; meeting rooms should have goodaccoustics, be as inviting as possible, and bedecorated attractively.

Symbols reminiscent of childhood or the tra-ditional school setting should be excluded asmuch as possible from the learning environ-ment. These symbols might include a schoolbuilding itself. In that event, other availablefacilities such as churches or even privatehomes are appropriate. Use of a podium on astage makes students feel the instructor istalking down to them, so he should positionhimself at a small table during class meetings.Many adults associate rows of chairs withchildhood regimentation and passivity, andprefer informal seating arrangements. A few

adults find that blackboards are symbols withunpleasant childhood associations. Therefore,newsprint pads on easels may be preferablewhen visual aids are required.

The psychological climate of an adult con-sumer education program is even more impor-tant than its physical setting. It should makethe learners feel accepted and respected as ifthey and the instructor are joint inquirersseeking a common goal, and they can expressthemselves without punishment and ridicule.

The behavior of the instructor probably in-fluences the learning climate more than anyother single factor. He conveys in many wayseither an attitude of respect for the student'sideas and experience or a view that he is thesole fount of wisdom. He must remember thatsome adult students may be much older than heand others may be more knowledgeable aboutsome consumer matters. Listening to what thestudent says is the most important way inwhich the instructor can demonstrate an atti-tude of respect for his students.

CONDITIONS OF LEARNINGThe learning environment is charac-terized by physical comfort, mutualtrust and respect, mutual helpful-ness, freedom of expression, and ac-ceptance of differences.

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHINGThe instructor provides physical

conditions that are comfortable. Heaccepts each student as a person ofworth and respects his feelings andideas.

The instructor seeks to build rela-tionships of mutual trust and help-fulness among the students by en-couraging cooperative activities andrefraining from inducing competi-tiveness and being judgmental.

The instructor reveals his ownfeelings and contributes his re-sources as a partner in the spirit ofmutual inquiry.

The Self Diagnosis of Needs forLearning .

The instructor should find out the basic con-sumer motivations which bring the students tothe classroom. Although he may come from a

16

different background, the instructor must beable to appreciate the adults' diverse reasonsfor attending class and reinforce the students'motives by constantly stowing them theconnection between the current lesson and thestudents' original objectives.

An adult learner can diagnose his needs forlearning through the following three-phaseprocess:

1. Constructing a model to demonstrate theknowledge, understanding, skills, and atti-tudes required for a consumer to performhis role more to his own satisfaction. Thelearner must clearly understand whatconstitutes prudent consumer behavior,and the model will help him do so, particu-larly if he helps to build it.

2. Helping the learner measure discrepanciesbetween his present performance and thatrequired by his constructed model, so thathe experiences a dissatisfaction about thegap between his current position andwhere he would like to be. Self-realizeddissatisfaction coupled with clear sense ofdirection for self-improvement provides astrong motivation to learn. The followingillustrate this phase with regard to hous-ing:

A. An instructor pursues his urbangroup's concern about the high cost ofhousing by showing, with costs, apart-ment layouts and housing budgets offamilies from three different incomelevels.

B. The instructor opens a discussion byasking, "What factors other than costare important in choosing where tolive?" or "How much of a family's in-come should be spent for housing?" or

"What are some of the problems andpitfalls in house selection?" He invitestwo real estate brokers from differentparts of the city to discuss what to lookfor in buying or renting apartments.

C. The instructor asks the adults to listthe advantages and disadvantages oftheir present housing. He then asks thestudents to sketch their own apartmentlayouts and calculate how much andwhat percentage of their income isspent on housing.The above models, experiences, and

measurements of performance shouldenable the students to understand theirown housing needs, to see their problemsand to meet their needs.

3. Using the learner's dissatisfaction be-tween the discrepancy of his present per-formance and that projected by the modelto help him assess resources available toachieve the desired performance.

Many constraints may prevent the con-sumer from achieving the performancestipulated in the model. For example,homemakers in isolated rural areas maynot be able to shop in towns at times whenthe best food buys are available becausethey cannot find adequate means of trans-portation. Adult consumer education pro-grams might help people in this situationto organize car pools. They could assessthe need for forming a food buying club ora cooperative.

COMMONS OF LEARNINGThe learners feel a need to learn.

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHINGThe instructor exposes students to

new possibilities for self-fulfillment.He helps each student clarify his ownaspirations for improved behavior.He helps each student diagnose thegap between his aspiration and hispresent level of performance. Theinstructor helps each student identi-fy the life problems they experienceas a result of their inability to satis-fy present inadequacies.

The Formulation of ObjectivesAn instructional objective describes an in-

tended outcome. The skillful adult instructorshould explore proposed objectives with thestudents early in the program. Together they

17

must decide how the program should improvetheir performance as consumers and establishpriorities among objectives.

A consumer education program objectivemight provide the consumer with the ability to:

distinguish quality of goods and services;avoid excessive debt;recognize deception in advertising;cope with high pressure salespersons;

provide his family with nutritious food atlow costs;

exercise and promote responsible behaviorin the marketplace.

CONDITIONS OF LEARNINGThe learners perceive the goals of

a learning experience to be theirgoals.

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHINGThe instructor involves the stu-

dents in a mutual process of formula-tion of learning objectives in whichthe needs of students, the institution,the instructor, the subject matter,and the society are taken into ac-count.

The Development of a GeneralDesign

Consumer education programs should be de-signed to demonstrate the immediate and fu-ture practical applications of new concepts andbroad generalizations to the everyday market-

place. Program design should permit studentsto planand even rehearsedaily applicationof their new knowledge. Consumer educationinstructors should ask educators, members ofthe community at large, local and Stategovernment agencies, and consumer organiza-tions to assist in the development of a meaning-ful design.

CONDITIONS OF LEARNINGThe learner participates actively

in the design of the adult progr,:m.

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHINGThe instructor helps the student

design a program that is relevant tothe experience, problems and inter-ests of the adult learner.

The Selection and Execution ofTechniques and Objectives

Adult programs should emphasize as manyvarieties of learning techniques as possible,but they should avoid use of the familiar tech-niques of youth educationcanned audio-vis-ual presentations, lectures, and assigned read-ings.

Because adults are themselves rich resourcesfor learning, emphasis can be placed on tech-niques that tap the experiences of adult learn-

18

ers, such as group discussion, the case method,simulation exercises, role playing, field proj-ects, action projects, laboratory methods,demonstrations, seminars, work conferences,counseling, group therapy, and community useof TV and press.

In a course, workshop, conference, institute,or other educational activity, exercises inwhich the adults are helped to look at them-selves more objectively and free their mindsfrom preconceptions will be useful in the earlyphases.

CONDITIONS OF LEARNINGThe learning process is related to

and makes use of the experience ofthe learners.

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHINGThe instructor helps the students

draw upon their own experiences asresources for learning through theuse of such techniques as discussion,role playing, case method.

The instructor gears the presenta-tion of his own resources to the levelsof experience of his particular stu-dents.

The instructor helps the studentsto apply new learning to their experi-ence, and thus to make the learningmore meaningful and integrated.

The Planning of Evaluative Proce-dures

Adult consumer education often uses a proc-ess of self-evaluation of the student's progressrather than a traditional system of grading bythe instructor. Under this approach, the teach-er helps the student find evidence for measur-ing progress toward his own educational goals.For most adult students their own sense ofadvancement is the most effective encourage-ment to learning, and their greatest reward isthe satisfaction which comes from a successfulperformance. Traditional grading not only

makes certain adults feel childlike, but it some-times measures the wrong aspects of the learn-ing experience. .

This shift from traditional grading to self-evaluation places a heavy burden on the in-structor. He must set an example by being opento feedback regarding his own performance asa consumer, and he must be skillful in estab-lishing a supportive climate in which criticalpoints about one's own performance can beconsidered objectively. The adult educatormust be able to create new ways for students toobtain comprehensive data about their per-formance as consumers.

CONDITIONS OF LEARNINGThe learners have a sense of prog-

ress toward their goals.

PRINCIPLES OF TEACHINGThe instructor involves the stu-

dent in developing mutually accepta-ble criteria and methods for measur-ing progress toward the learningobjectives.

The instructor helps the studentsdevelop and apply procedures for self-evaluation according to these criter-ia.

I Adapted from Malcolm S. Knowles, The modern Practiceof Adult Education-AndregogY Versus Pedagogy (NewYork, Association Press, 1970)

19

5. CONSUMERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

This chapter is intended to serve as an intro-duction to the particular problems of thoseconsumers with special needs: the low-income,elderly, rural, black, Indian, and Spanish-speaking. Although efforts have been male toassist these groups of consumers, distinctproblems remain for them.

To gain a more complete understanding ofthese problems, instructors should supplementtheir reading with some of the specially desig-nated resource material listed in Chapter 6.

The Low-Income ConsumerIn 1970, 25.5 million Americans had incomes

below the officially defined poverty level.1 Thepoverty level population consists of about 17.5million whites, 7.7 million blacks and .3 millionothers 2.

Purchasing food: Many low-income consum-ers would not be able to meet even basic nutri-tional needs without food stamps. The foodstamps, available through local welfare de-partments and issued by banks, some post off-ices and other community centers, are used ascash to buy groceries. Virtually every retailfood store in food stamp areas signs up to ac-cept food coupons.

Consumer education programs for low-in-come consumers in food stamp areas might wellconsider a unit on how to apply for food stamp

21

assistance and how to obtain the most nutri-tional value for various food stamp allotments.

Commodity foods are sources of assistance tosome low-income consumers, but not all of the23 foods offered by USDA are available at localdistribution centers. Unfortunately, some re-cipients cannot read the directions for prepa-ration, nor are they familiar with some of thefoods.

Clothing: Low-income consumers often lackinformation about care of fabrics, durability,and flammability. They face several problemswhen they utilize second-hand goods purchasedat budget stores or community and church cen-ters. Correct sizes are difficult to find, selectionis limited, and used clothes may appear shabbyand deteriorated in quality.

Housing: Low-income consumers must oftenendure crowded, dilapidated, unsafe and insani-tary conditions because decent housing is be-yond their means.

Most low-income consumers rent, rather thanown, property. Some do not have leases and canbe forced to move relatively often and at shortnotice. If they have leases, they may have trou-ble understanding them. If repairs are needed,they may experience difficulty in communicat-ing the problem to the landlord.

The percentage of absentee landlords is veryhigh for most low-income housing. Aware of thehousing shortage and fearing retaliatory evic-

tions where no legislation exists to protectagainst them, many low-income housing resi-dents fail to report even the most serious viola-tions of safety and sanitation codes. If anyconditions involving expense are corrected bythe landlord, he sometimes may raise the rentas a deterrent to future complaints.

Low-income homeowners may fall prey to"fly-by-night" housing repair schemes usuallyinvolving contracts which can it effect be sec-ond mortgages on their homes.

Other potential hazards for low-income con-sumers include undetected accumulations oflead-based paint, unrepaired or improperlylighted stairways, and the presence of disease-carrying rodents and insects.

Adult consumer education programs ought toconsider a unit on housing which would ex-plain the consumer's rights under state andlocal fair housing laws and ordinances, how tocontract for home repair services and avoiddealing with unscrupulous building contrac-tors, how to recognize and cope with majorsafety and health hazards in the home, and hov.to speak up about building code violations.

Household Furnishings and Equipment: Thefurniture purchased by low-income consumersis often poorly made, over-priced, and soldthrough exploitative schemes.

Some dealers sell furniture to low-incomeconsumers with the knowledge that they can-not possibly meet the payments. The scheme isto secure as large a down payment as possible,repossess the furniture when the payments arenot met, sell the contract to a collection agencyor threaten to take the buyer to court, re-sellthe same furniture to another buyer, and per-haps repeat the process.

Another practice common among disreputa-ble furniture dealers is "bait-and-switch" ad-vertising. Low-income consumers may respondto advertisements offering furniture or appli-ances at a ridiculously low price only to findthat the advertised deal is not available andthat the dealer offers a sales pitch for higherpriced merchandise. In other words, the con-sumer has been "baited" with an advertl3tmentand "switched" to a more costly item. Eventhough bait-and-switch advertising is widelycondemned, the practice continues in manyareas.

Adult consumer education programs couldeasily include lessons on the most common

22

types of deceptive practices in furniture andappliance sales. Consumer organizations couldbe asked to provide guest lecturers to eAplainthese practices and the consumer's rights. Onthe positive side, home economists could beused to help the consumer determine his truefurniture and appliance needs and how to rec-ognize good quality merchandise.

Health Care and Services: Private healthcare is extraordinarily expensive in relation tothe budgets of the poor, many of whom do notqualify for Medicaid, a medical insurance forthe poor, or Medicare, medical insurance forthe elderly. In some areas physicians refuse totreat a patient who cannot pay. Some hospitalshave been known to refuse patients who havenot been able to produce the required advancedeposit. This can be a large sum when there isno insurance coverage. Medicare and Medicaidpatients are not accepted by some private phy-sicians, who tell the patients they are alreadyoverloaded. A few physicians refuse services topartially insured patients from whom they areunsure of collecting the deductib portion ofthe commercial insurance, Medicaid or Medi-care benefits.

Adult consumer educators could focus thestudent's attention on proper financial prepa-ration for serious illness and routine preventa-tive health care.

Transportation: Public transportation serv-ices vary from fair to nonexistent in many ur-ban low-income areas. High fares and lack ofspace to carry packages may make use of bustransportation for family shopping trips im-practical, and taxi drivers often refuse to gointo low-income neighborhoods fearing crimeor inadequate tips.

Adult consumer education programs couldstress how to use local public transportationsystems and how to develop alternatives suchas car pools.

Credit: The poor have difficulty obtainingcredit because they have very low incomes, norecord of previous credit experience to showtheir history of handling such responsibilities,and unstable employment. As a result manylow-income consumers are restricted in theirchoice of retail store credit and often resort tounregulated lenders such as loan sharks. Aconsumer course might focus on the advan-tages and disadvantages of retail installment

plans and the possibility of gaining access tocredit from financial institutions.

Insurance: Many low-income families buy lifeinsurance. Often their life insurance policieshave relatively small face values and are of the"industrial insurance type"a small weeklypremium for a specified dollar amount of cover-age. Some low-income families buy cash valueinsurance because they feature "investment"and "dividends," thereby connoting middle-class status. In some areas, automobile insur-ance agents and brokers charge higher rates tolow-income people than they do to insure mid-dle-income drivers or they may sell excessivecoverage by pretending that it is required bylaw.

Consumer education programs for low-in-come adults could usefully include a unit oninsurance divided into sections on life, health,and auto insurance. Methods of cost compari-son, insurance needs in relation to financialresponsibility, and legally required coverageswould be important components of such a unit.

Redress for the Low-Income Consumer: Thelow-income consumer whether located in theinner city or rural area must be provided witheffective means to make himself heard and toobtain redress for his grievances in themarket-place.

In theory, small claims courts provide anopportunity for consumers to recover damagesfrom unscrupulous or recalcitrant merchants,but the practical obstacles, particularly forthe elderly and non-English-speaking, are al-most insurmountable. The problems whichmight be encountered include the necessity tomiss work in order to file a claim and to testifyon the day of the hearing and the lack of ade-quate interpretation services for the Spanish-speaking.

Low-income consumer education programsmay wish to consider a unit on the consumer'slegal remedies including available legal aidservices and effective use of small claimscourts.

The Elderly ConsumerOlder Americans represent a large consumer

market. Their aggregate consumer expenditureis estimated to be over $60 billion annually. Yetmost elderly consumers are not full partici-pants in today's complex and affluent market-

23

place. Many elderly do not take advantage ofthe wide variety of goods and diverse methodsof marketing beca-ise they prefer the olderproducts and stores they have always knownand relied upon. More often their choice ofproducts is limited by physical impairment orfixed income restrictions.

Food and Nutrition: Nutritional deficiency isa major problem of elderly Americans and amatter for national concern. At the WhiteHouse Conference on Aging in December 1971,it was announced that one-half to one-third ofthe health problems of the elderly are believedto be related to nutrition.3 Assuming financialability to provide nutritious meals, many elder-ly have inadequate diets because transporta-tion is unavailable or they are unable to makeuse of it; they lack food storage facilities; theyhave little access to nutritional information oreducation; or they lack motivation or the ener-gy required to prepare meals. Those who needspecial dietslow salt, fat-free, or low-calorie,for examplemay be unaware of their need orunable to afford or to prepare the correctfoods. Rising food prices too often erode theability of those on fixed incomes to maintaineven past standards of nutrition and food in-take.

The elderly who live alone arc less likely toprovide hot, nutritious meals for themselves.Through the Federal Senior Citizen NutritionProgram, $100 million has been made availableto supply meals in an attractive setting. Forthe house-bound, there are "meals on wheels."Some elderly consumers, however, may havecultural habits or patterns that are not takeninto account by those responsible for prepar-ing the food.

In addition to nutritional problems, the pack-aging of foods discourages older Americanswho buy in small quantities and cannot takeadvantage of unit cost savings obtained byput chasing large size packages. Some seniorcitizens, particularly those who live alone, pre-fer smaller packages.

Consumer education programs for the elderlycould usefully stress topics related to improvedfood and nutrition, such as how to obtain andtake advantage of various types of food assist-ance and basic nutritional information.

Housing: Many elderly consumers find theirhouses too large for their life styles or too ex-pensive to maintain. Even minor repairs are

difficult or impossible to perform, and help withthe household chores is often unavailable orexpensive. Many others leave their homes be-cause of new highway construction, urban re-newal projects or because they want to retireto a warmer climate.

The choices available when the elderly con-template a housing change include the pur-chase of a mobile home or a smaller house, rent-al of an apartment, or a room in a boardinghouse, rooming house, nursing home, or movinginto a retirement community.

Whatever their housing needs, however, theelderly too often lack reliable informationnecessary to make the best decision, and theymay be easily misled by enterprising salesmenor promotional advertising and make the worstpossible choice.

Consumer education for the elderly and thoseof pre-retirement age could usefully stress thepitfalls of home repair contracts and how toshop for alternative housing arrangements.

Health Care and Services: Medicare was cre-ated to help provide adequate health care forthe elderly at a time of rapidly rising costs inhealth services. While there is no doubt thatMedicare has assisted the elderly in handlingthe increased burden of medical care, totalspending in public programs providing person-al health care on behalf of the aged coveredonly $470 of the $791 cost to each aged Ameri-can in fiscal 1970.4

There have been cases of inadequate andunsafe care in nursing homes. However, mea-sures have been taken recently by the FederalGovernment to upgrade the process of inspec-tion and to improve grievance procedures.

The elderly are particularly susceptible tofraud and deception in buying pharmaceuticalproducts, for they often respond readily toadvertising claims to improve health or ap-pearance. A survey by the Arthritis and Rheu-matism Foundation has disclosed that approxi-mately $300 million is spent annually on worth-less arthritic remedies, such as alfalfa tea,phony "radiation" treatments, and copperbracelets. Many older people buy hearing aidsfrom salesmen without the benefit of medicaladvice, only to find their particular kind ofdeafness cannot be helped by a hearing aid.Some never utilize comparative shopping formedicine and drugs while others may fall forphony mail-order health insurance plans.

24

Consumer education programs for the elderlyshould usefully include a unit on health care,especially how to apply for Medicare, how toselect a nursing home, and how to detect healthfrauds.

Transportation: Older Americans have spe-cial transportation problems. Some are nolonger physically able to drive automobileswhile others are faced with rising insurancerates. Public transportation facilities may beinadequate, or the equipment may be unsuita-ble for the elderly, handicapped, or infirm.

The Department of Transportation and localofficials have cooperated in demonstration"dial-a-ride" service programs for the elderlyin eight cities. Some supermarket chains andshopping centers have found it good businessto provide this service free of charge to olderconsumers.

An important part of consumer educationprograms for the elderly should be informingthem of transportation opportunities such assenior citizen fares, dial-a-ride service and carpools.

The Rural ConsumerRural farm and non-farm consumers account

for less than one-third of the population of theUnited States, but they account for almost halfof its poverty. Only one rural family in fourlives on a farm. Most live in towns and vil-lages.5

Health Care: The medical care problemswhich all Americans face such as the shortagesof doctors and clinics are often more severe inrural areas. As the nation has become increas-ingly urban and its medical practitioners morespecialized, personnel and facilities for healthcare have concentrated in larger towns and cit-ies with fewer and fewer country doctors left toserve the rural population.

The American Medical Association reportsthat there is only one doctor for every 2,145residents in the most thinly populated countieswhile in the most densely populated areas thereis one doctor for every 442 residents. Moreover,they report 132 counties are without a singlepracticing physician.

The more rural a county, the poorer itshealth care services are likely to be. Medicalspecialists are in particularly short supply.Rural hospitals are generally smaller thanurban hospitals and are more often inade-

staffed, poorly equipped, and lacking in out-patient and extended care facilities.

Consequently, rural adult consumer educa-tion programs should place special emphasis oncommunity health care programs, the availa-bility of health care insurance and the possibil-ity of training local medical and nursing assist-ants.

Community Services: For all practical pur-poses, consumer services usually found in ur-ban areassuch as legal aid, consumer protec-tion offices and licensing bureausare difficultto reach or are non-existent for the rural con-sumer. If these services are available, thetransportation cost in reaching them is greaterthan for the urban consumer. There are fewvoluntary consumer groups in rural areas.

Extension Services, through Federal andState Departm 'its of Agriculture, are in manycases the only consumer resources for ruralconsumers. The initial function of the Exten-sion Service was to provide assistance to ruralpersons, but as the cities have grown, the Ex-tension Services, too, have had to divide theirenergies and focus more attention on urbanproblems.

Rural consumer education programs shouldstrive to inform students of the consumer re-sources already available to them as well asencourage the organization of new communityconsumer programs.

The Black ConsumerAccording to the 1970 census, 22.5 million

black people live in the United States; nearlythree-fourths reside in urban areas.

The black population and all other social orethnic groups face many similar consumerproblems. Due to differences in income or agedistribution, for example, one population groupWill experience more or less of those consumerproblems related to income or age. Individualblack households vary significantly from oneanother in socio-economic and other character-istics, but nonetheless there are some impor-tant differences from the overall U.S. popula-tion that should be taken into account by anyprogram of consumer education.

In the first place, the large number of blacksliving in a city environment gives the problemsblacks face in the marketplace a particularlyurban cast. More than other consumers, theysuffer from the difficulty of moving out of run-

25

down inner city areas. Secondly, some face thetwin discriminations against poverty and racewhich affect their ability to obtain better hous-ing, health care and access to credit. Finally,in many cases their educational opportunitieshave been far below those of other consumers.This is particularly true of the elderly black, ofwhom about one sixth over the age of 65 are il-

literate.6Black consumer education programs, there-

fore, need to take into account the growingurban character of the black population, thelower rates of educational attainment thanthose found in the white population, and thebehavioral factors influencing black consumerexpenditures.

The Spanish-speaking ConsumerIn order to understand the consumer prob-

lems of Spanish-speaking Americans, it is im-portant to understand that there are threemajor Spanish-speaking groups in the UnitedStates: Mexican-, Puerto Rican-, and Cuban-Americans. As each of these groups has a dis-tinct culture and history, it would be worth-while for the instructor to learn some basicfacts about the various Spanish cultures be-fore attempting to teach Spanish-speakingstudents.

Spanish-speaking consumers, of which thereare 9 million in the United States, have all theproblems of other consumers of correspondingincome and family size compounded by the lan-guage barrier. They are at a disadvantagewhen dealing with firms with non-Spanish-speaking employees and when seeking servicesof public and private agencies which provideforms, booklets, and instructions only in Eng-

lish.Contracts in English are full of hazards for

the Spanish-speaking consumer. Unless he isbilingual or has competent assistance, he maynot fully understand his obligations under thecontract, or the costs and penalties for non-fulfillment of it.

Metric units of weight, volume and distanceare used in Spanish-speaking countries, andthe unfamiliar measurement system adds to thedifficulty of understanding labels in anotherlanguage.

The Spanish-speaking consumer's specificneed to learn English may make him easy preyfor deceptive advertising related to English

language courses. The sales pitch for thesecourses may include a guarantee that the stu-dent will learn English in a short time andthereby have access to higher paying jobs.These courses may be very expensive. When thestudent realizes, months later, that he has notlearned to speak English, it is too late to re-scind the contract.

Thus, consumer education programs for theSpanish-speaking must make a special effort todeal with the problems created by the languagebarrier in addition to the consumer problemspreviously cited.

American Indian ConsumersPresident Nixon stated in a special message

to Congress on July 8, 1970, "The first Ameri-cansthe Indiansare the most deprived andmost isolated minority group in our nation. Onvirtually every scale of measurementem-ployment, income, education, healththe con-ditions of the Indian people rank at the bot-tom."

Reliable and accurate information aboutconsumer behavior of American Indians is ex-ceedingly difficult to obtain. The U.S. SenateSpecial Committee on Aging began a recentreport, "We are appalled to discover that sta-tistics for many matters of vital concern to theIndians and those who work with Indians areinadequate, inaccurate, or not available at all.Census figures, for example, have been ostensi-bly collected by non-Indians who could neitherspeak the indigenous language nor even locatethe living quarters of Indians."

The 1970 Census (preliminary) shows 791,839American Indians. 53% of all Indians lived inonly five states (Oklahoma, Arizona; Califor-nia, New Mexico, and North Carolina). The1970 population exceeded 1960 by over 50%.

Reservation Indians: The single, most criticalfactor underlying consumer problems of thereservation Indian is inadequate income. Butlanguage also complicates certain aspects ofIndian consumer behavior. In this respect, Indi-an consumer problems are similar to those ofSpanish-speaking people.

Additional problems are caused by the factthat Indian reservations are located in ruralareas far from distribution centers. Goods arethus frequently more expensive than in majorcities, and in many cases Indians do not have a

26

wide range of options in the selection of partic-ular merchandise. It is not uncommon for trad-ers who have a near monopoly over the sale offoods and gasoline to charge unusually highprices.

To get a charge account at a trading post, anIndian often signs or thumbprints an agree-ment transferring his mail to the trader's postoffice box. When the customer enters, he some-times signs over to the trader his paycheck orwelfare check; the check may never leave thetrader's hand as he holds it for signature. Thetrading post has an even tighter hold on itsIndian clients in the case of a welfare depart-ment ruling that a person cannot change trad-ing posts while he is indebted to one.1

In purchasing durable goods such as stovesand refrigerators, it may be difficult or impossi-ble to receive the benefits of warranties orservicing, even for those Indians who are suffi-ciently close to the marketplace and have thebasic education required to understand thefrequently complex documents. Standards ofquality may be generally unknown to the pur-chaser and of little value in those cases whereonly one kind of a particular commodity is of-fered. Purchasing and financing major dura-bles by Indians whose existence is based on acooperative life style rather than private own-ership can involve unfamiliar experiences andcause expensive mistakes.

Transportation expenses put additional bur-dens on the people. On some reservations, smallcommunities are located more than five milesfrom the neatest trading post, gas station, orrunning water. and 25 miles from a doctor, hos-pital, or school. In or near many reservations,roads are marginal.

The law is a problem for Indians who need toknow not only their rights as citizens of theUnited States, their State and locality, but alsotheir special status as Indian citizens. Tribalgovernment shares some of the major responsi-bilities with other governments, and the legaldetermination of the place of domicile, or pointof purchase, and other factors complicate thedetermination of the consumer rights of Indianresidents.

Urban Indians: Urban Indians face many ofthe same problems of other city residents, butsometimes have the additional problems of so-cial and economic discrimination and culturaltransition and adjustment. Package sizes of

consumer goods may differ between large ur-ban stores and the limited selection in mostrural stores. Religious objects and traditionalfoods, clothing and jewelry may be unavailable.

i The standard of poverty used by the government for sta-tistical purposes is based on U.S. Department ofAgricul-ture measures. See Current Population Reports, Series P-23, No. 28, for a detailed explanation.

2 The Social and Economic Status of Negroes in the Unit-ed States, 1970. BLS Report No. 394. Current Popula-tion Reports, Series P43, No. 38, p 35.

1971 White House Conference on Aging. Reports of tileSpecial Concerns Sections, page 23.

27

Indian consumer education programs cannotbe effective unless the designer tt kes cogniz-ance of the unique consumer problems of ruraland urban Indians.

4 A Pre-White House Conference on Aging Summary ofDevelopment and Data. U.S. Senate Special Committeeon Aging, November 1971, p. 18.

5 The Economic and Social Condition of Rural America inthe 1970's. U.S. Senate Committee on Government Oper-

ations, May 1971. 4

6 The Social and Economic Status of Negroes in the Unit-ed States, 1970. Op Cit., p. 78.

Ibex Co., "Consumer Affairs and Selected MinorityProblems," Oglala Sioux Problems as They Relate toConsumer Affairs, Rob Roy, Aril 1970.

6. INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCESThe following list of instructional resources is far from exhaustive and

is intended to be a sampling of references. A morecomprehensive listing ofspecific curriculum development materials, teaching aids, and governmentresources can be found in the Consumer Education Bibliography preparedunder the direction of the Office of Consumer Affairs. It can be purchasedfor $1.00 from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Print-ing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. One of the most complete lists of Gov-ernment consumer publications is the Consumer Product Information In-dex, available free from Consumer Product Information, Pueblo, Colorado81009.

This chapter is organized as foi1ows:

A. Aids for Teaching AdultsB. Consumer Education Texts and BibliographiesC. Aids for Teaching Adult Consumer Education

CoursesD. Aids for Teaching Special Need ConsumersE. Studies in Consumerism

A. Aids for Teaching Adults

Administration of Continuing Education, edit-ed by Nathan C. Shaw, 1969. 437p. $8.00, hard-back, $6.00, paperback. National Associationfor Public Continuing and Adult Education,1201 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.

Continuing Education in Action: ResidentialCenters for Lifelong Learning, by Harold J.Alford, 1968. 153 p. $6.95. John Wiley & Sons,New York.

Creative Methods for Adult Classes, by JohnMcKinley, 1960. Bethany Press, St. Louis, Mis-souri.

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F. Consumer RemediesG. Consumer PeriodicalsH. Consumer OrganizationsI. Adult Education OrganizationsJ. Federal Agencies Serving the Consumer

Forty Ways to Teach in Groups, by Martha M.Leypoldt, 1967. Judson Press, Valley Forge,Pennsylvania.Less Time, More Options: Education Beyondthe High School, 1971. 45 p. $1.95. CarnegieCommission on Higher Education, New York,McGraw-Hill.The Modern Practice of Adult Education: An-dragogy Vs. Pedagogy, by Malcolm S. Knowles,1970, 384 p. $12.95. Association Press, NewYork.

The Sc , . ; Treasury of Techniques for Teach-ing Adults, 1970. 49 p. $2.00. National Associa-tion for Public Continuing and Adult Educa-tion, 1201 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.

20036. Booklet with approaches for teachingadult students, especially disadvantagedadults.Adult Education Procedures, Methods andTechniques: A Classified and Annotated Bib-liography, 1953-1963, by George R. Aker. $7.00.Library of Continuing Education, Syracuse,New York and University College, SyracuseUniversity. Available from Syracuse Universi-ty Press, Box 8, University Station, Syracuse,New York 13210. Covers all methods and tech-niques with a special section of 41 referenceson residential education.

Books Related to Adult Basic Education andTeaching English to Speakers of Other Lan-guages,1970. 18 p. 30g. U.S. Office of Educationand National Center for EducaVonal Communi-cation. (Cat. No. HE5.213:13039) Superintend-ent of Documents, GPO, Washington, D.C.20402. Bibliography of textbooks and profes-sional resources on adult basic education andteaching English to speakers of other lan-guages.Handbook of Adult Education in the UnitedStates, edited by Malellm S. Knowles, 1960.Adult Education Association of the U.S.A.,1225 19th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.Footnotes and chapt( r references togetherconstitute a selected biLliography covering theadult education field at publication date. Thisbook also contains information on the organi-zation, work and publications of about 150adult education organizations.

B. Consumer Education Texts and Bib-liographies

The Consumer, edited by Gerald Leinwand,1970. 190 p. 75g (paper). Washington SquarePress, 630 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York10020. One of a series of volumes designed astext materials for urban schools.The Consumer in American Society, by Arch W.Troelstrup, 4th ed., 1970. 668 p. $10.95. Mc-Graw-Hill, New York. A substantially revisedconsumer text which deals with personal andfamily finance.

Consmner Decision Making, by Roman F.Warmke, Eugene D. Wyllie, and Beulah E. Sell-ers, 1972. 482 p. $6.04. South-Western Publish-ing Co., Cincinnati, Ohio. Presents buying

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practices and consumer behavior in relation-ship to an individual's spending decisions andin the context of the entire economy.

Consumer Education Materials Project, by theEducational Services Division of ConsumersUnion. 1972. $3.00, one book. $15.00, boxed setof all six books. Consumers Union of UnitedStates, Inc., Mount Vernon, New York 10550.Produced under a research grant from theUnited States Department of Health, Educa-tion, and Welfare, this series of six books pre-sents case studies and techniques for consumereducation. Programs are identified for theseeducational levels: Early Childhood ConsumerEducation; Elementary Level Consumer Educa-tion; Secondary Level Consumer Education;Preparing the Consumer Educator; ConsumerEducation in Junior and Community Colleges,Post-Secondary, Vocational and Technical In-stitutes; and Adult Consumer Education in theCommunity.

The Consumer's Guide to Better Buying, bySidney Margolius, 1972. 436 p. $1.25 (paper).Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster,Inc., New York. Provides facts, information,and guidance on how to spend less, get bettervalues, and make the most of your income inmany aspects of family purchasing.Economics for Consumers, by Leland J. Gordonand Stewart M. Lee, 6th ed., 1972. 719 p. $10.95.Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York. Anexamination of consumer behavior, marketingand pricing processes, consumer control ofpurchasing decisions and private and govern-mental aids to consumers.The Money Tree, by Catherine Crook de Camp,1972. 352 p. $1.50 (paper). Signet Books, TheNew American Library, Inc., New York. Offerssimply stated, vital information, samples andillustrations of worksheets, records and othercomprehensive guides to success in personalfinance problems and economic security.Personal Finance, by Paul Hastings and Nor-bert Mietus, 1972. 472 p. $9.95. McGraw-Hill,New York. Basic principles and informationneeded for effective personal and life-longmanagement of property and income, writtenfor college students .

Personal Finance, by E. Bryant Phillips andSylvia Lane, 2nd ed., 1969. 536 p. $9.95. JohnWiley, New York. Credit, savings, investments,

personal expenditures, and lifetime financialsecurity are some of the areas included in thiscollege text.Personal Finance, by Maurice A. Unger andHarold A. Wolf, 3rd ed., 1972. 735 p. $10.95. Al-lyn & Bacon, Boston, Mass. College text cover-ing the budgeting of income and purchases,insurance and annuities, investments, taxes,and assets.Personal Finance: Principles and Case Prob-lems, by Jerome B. Cohen and Arthur W. Han-son, 4th ed., 1972. 951 p. $15.95. Richard D. Ir-win, Inc., Homewood, Illinois. This college textincludes lifelong financial choices coveringtaxes, credit, investments, estate planning, andcase problems.Suggested Guidelines for Consumer Education,Grades K-12, 1970. 58 p. 650. The Office ofConsumer Affairs. (Cat. No. Pr36.8:C76/Ed8)Supt. of Documents, GPO, Washington, D.C.20402. A basic resource. Designed to serve as aspringboard for use by teachers, faculties, cur-riculum teams and supervisory or administra-tive personnel in planning individual programsof consumer education.Consumer Education Bibliography, 1971, 185 p.$1.00: Office of Consumer Affairs. Superintend-ent of Documents, U.S. Government PrintingOffice, Washington, D.C. 20402. A topical list-ing of books, pamphlets, leaflets, articles, andaudiovisuals with brief annotations, addressesand price information.Dec eloping a Resource Center in ConsumerEducation: An Annotated Bibliography, by E.Thomas Garman, Floyd L. Crank, and JulienneV. Cochran. 1971. $2.00. Northern Illinois Uni-versity, Business Education Department,Wirtz 323, DeKalb, Illinois 60115. Identifiesmany excellent consumer education materials.

Survey and Evaluation of Consumer EducationPrograms in the United States, by Joseph Uhland others, 1970. 2 vols. 666 p. $33.40; $2.50(microfiche) ERIC Document ReproductionService, National Cash Register Co., 4936 Fair-mont Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20014. Pro-duced under a research grant from the UnitedStates Department of Health, Education andWelfare, this study identifies consumer educa-tion programs and provides a description ofeach. Volume I is a survey and evaluation ofinstitutional and secondary school consumer

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education programs. Volume II is a sourcebookof consumer education programs.

C. Aids for Teaching Adult ConsumerEducation Courses

The Consumer and His Dollars, by DavidSchoenfeld and Arthur A. Natella, 1970. 365 p.$6.00. Oceana Publications, Inc., New York.Text designed to be used in high school andadult consumer education classes. Covers suchtopics as the family budget, buying a car, howand where to borroc , and taxes and invest-ments.

Family Finance and Consumer Education forSecondary Schools and Adult Education, 1966.196 p. $1.00. State Board for Vocational Educa-tion, 518 Front Street, Boise, Idaho 83702.Teacher's guide with consumer education objec-tives, concepts and learning experiences foradult and young adult programs.Teaching Social Living Skills, 1968. $18.00.National Association for Public Continuingand Adult Education and the National Educa-tion Association, 1201 16th Street, NW, Wash-ington, D.C. 20036. Kit designed to help thewage earner spend his money more wisely andto alert him to the high cost of credit. Includesteacher's manual, lesson plans and worksheets.Series of shopping for money transparencymasters with text, filmstrip and manual forgetting credit with tape-recorded narration,and 25 33-rpm, 7" discs (plastic) on gettingcredit and banking services.Where Does the Money Go?, by Hazel TaylorSpitze and Patricia H. Rotz, 1969. 94 p. $1.08.Steck-Vaughn Co., P.O. Box 2028, Austin, Tex-as 78767. Designed for adult basic educationcourses, this simply written book focuses onwise consumer buying and money managementwhile providing reading practice. Teacher'smanual and key included with class orders.Apply for quantity price.Bibliography of Research on Consumer andHomemaking Education, by Anna M. Gormanand Joel H. Magisos, 1970. #ED036336. $3.29;650 (microfiche). ERIC Document Reproduc-tion Service, P.O. Drawer 0, Bethesda, Mary-land 20014, A subject bibliography of materialsavailable in such areas as teacher education,research methodology, homemaking education,

vocational education programs, and the disad-v antaged.

D. Aids for Teaching Special Need Con-sumers

Family and Personal Development in AdultBasic Education: Curriculum Guide and Re-source Units, by Dr. Edmonia W. Davidson,1971. 200 p. $2.95. National University Exten-sion Association, One Dupont Circle, Washing-ton, D.C. 20036. A guide for teachers of disad-vantaged adults covering background informa-tion, approaches, curricula, suggestions, andresources for teaching units on family healthand safety, money management, homemakingskills, family planning and relationships, andthe family and the community.

Institute in Consumer Education for Disadvan-taged Adults: Final Report, Beatrice Paolucci,PhD., and others, 1970. 30 p. plus appendices,$8.50; 750 (microfiche), Order No. ED 042998,ERIC Documentation Reproduction Service,P.O. Drawer 0, Bethesda, Maryland 20014.Produced by Michigan State University pur-suant to a contract with the Office of Educa-tion, this report includes consideration of con-sumer problems, educational stategies, selectedpapers on the subject, and recommended read-ings.

1. Low-Income Consumers:

About the Poor: Some Facts and Some Fictions,by Elizabeth Herzog, 1967 (reprinted 1969). 85p. 35g. Superintendent of Documents, GPO,Washington, D.C. 20402. Prepared by the Chil-dren's Bureau of the Social and RehabilitationService of the U.S. Department of Health, Edu-cation and Welfare to enhance understandingsof the problems of the poor; includes a bibliog-raphy.Consumer Education for Families with LimitedIncomes, 1971. 360 p. (looseleaf) $10.50. HomeEconomics Instructional Materials Center,Texas Tech University, P.O. Box 4067, Lub-bock, Texas 79409. A resource manual specifi-cally designed to develop those concepts of con-sumer education which will aid the teacher ofadults in economically depressed areas.

Consumer Education Package for Low-IncomeFamilies, 1971. Apply for Price. NationalFoundation for Consumer Credit, Inc., Federal

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Bar Building West, 1819 H Street, NW, Wash-ington, D.C. 20006. Unit outlines and teachingmaterials for an adult consumer educationprogram for low-income groups.

Green Power: Consumer Action For the Poor,1969. 65 p. Free. Office of Economic Opportuni-ty, 1200 19th Street, NW, Washington, D.C.20506. Designed for use in planning and estab-lishing Consumer Action Programs and theirvarious components, including credit unions,consumer organizations, buying clubs and oth-er cooperative enterprises.The Law and the Low-Income Consumer, editedby Carol Hecht Katz, 1968. 417 p. $1.00 (paper)New York University School of Law, 41 Wash-ington Square South, New York, New York10003. Discusses the legal rights and problemsof the low-income consumer. Includes a twelve-page bibliography.

The Poor Pay More, by David Caplovitz, 1967.225 p. $2.45 (paper). Free Press, New York,Survey of Consumer habits of 464 householdsin low-cost housing projects in New York City.Provides facts and figures which show how andwhy poor people are victimized by high-pres-sure salesmen, bait advertising, and "easycredit."

Poverty Studies in the Sixties, 1970. 126 p. 600(cat. no. HE 3.-38:P86). Superintendent of Doc-uments, GPO, Washington, D.C. 20402. A broadview of poverty and related problems whichcovers the literature between 1960 and 1969; aselected and annotated bibliography.Helping Low-Income Homemakers, by Margar-et Harding, 1969. 142 p. Apply for price. Col-lege of Human Ecology, Cornell University,Ithaca, New York 14850. A selected, annotat-ed bibliography with abstracts containingmany references not otherwise available. Abasic resource for professionals and social sci-ence libraries.

Poverty, An Annotated Bibliography, by Er-nestine H. Thompson, 1971. 64 p. no charge forsingle copies. Adult Basic Education Project.Southern Regional Education Board, 130 SixthStreet, n.w., Atlanta, Georgia 30013.

The Poor, A Selected Bibliography, 1969. 56 p.600 (cat. no. Al. 38:1145). Superintendent ofDocuments, GPO, Washington, D.C. 20402.Spanning fifteen years, this listing includescitations from fields of anthropology, demog-

raphy, economics, physical and mental health,psychology, sociology, and social psychology.An index of authors is included.

2. Other Special Need Consumers:

The Billion Dollar Swindle, by Amram Ducov-ny, 1969. 252 p. $5.95. Fleet, New York. Fraudsagainst the elderly, how to avoid them by know-ing what to look for and who to contact whenyou have been cheated.

Handbook for Consumer Counselors: A Re-source and Training Manual, by BarbaraWertheimer and Rose Sell, 1970. 65 p. (loose-leaf) $4.00. Metropolitan District Office of theExtension Division, New York State School ofIndustrial and Labor Relations, Cornell Uni-versity, 7K 43rd Street, New York, N.Y. 10017.A handbook designed for use by consumer coun-selors and teachers of consumer counselors forunion retirees and the elderly. Contains infor-mation on consumer problems, suggestions foractivities and classroom sessions, and re-sources on subjects such as the consumer move-ment, money management, frauds and quacks,health care, and taking effective action on con-sumer problems.

The Black Consumer, edited by George Joyceand Norman A. P. Govoni, 1971. 369 p. $4.95(paper). Random House, Inc., New York. Acollection of articles covering the black con-sumer market.

The $30 Billion Negro, by Gibson D. Parke,1969, 311 p. $6.95. Macmillan, New York. Ajournalistic analysis of the American Negromarket. Part I: "Understanding the NegroConsumer"; Part II: "Planning for the NegroMarket"; Part III: "Developing the Market."Consumer Education for Mexican Americans,by Irene Gromatzky, 1968. 19 p. $1.05; 25c (mi-crofiche). ERIC Document Reproduction Serv-ice, National Cash Register Co., 4936 FairmontAvenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20014. Order no.016563. Study originates from New MexicoState University, University Park, New Mexi-co.

E. Studies in Consumerism

The Consumer Movement in HistoricalPerspective, by Robert 0 Herrmann, 1970. 32 p.

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Single copies free; additional copies 25e. Col-lege of Agriculture, Department of Agricultur-al Economics and Rural Sociology, Pennsyl-vania State University, Weaver Building. Uni-versity Park, Pa. 16802. A brief discussion ofthe three eras of consumer activity: early1900's; 1930's; and the 1960's. Provides a his-torical perspective for the consumer educationteacher.Consumerism: The Search for Consumer inter-est, by David Aacker and George S. Day, 1971.442 p. $10.95 ($4.95 paper). Free Press, NewYork. Collection of articles and reports onvarying aspects of consumer protection.Consumerism: Viewpoints from Business, Gov-ernment, and the Public Interest, by Ralph :".Gaedeke and Warren W. Etcheson, 1972. 401 p.$5.95 (paper). Harper and Row, Inc., New York.These selections and readings offer a betterunderstanding of the conflicting economic, pol-itical, and social perspectives of consumerism.

The Dark Side of the Marketplace, by SenatorWarren G. Magnuson and Jean Carper, 1972.240 p. $a45 (paper). Prentice-Hall, N.J. An in-vestigation of the many areas in which consum-ers are exploited: cosmetics. home improve-ments, packaging, credit plans, small loans,drugs and mail frauds.

Hot War on the Consumer, edited by David San-ford, 1969. 280 p. $5.95. Pitman, New York.Collection of articles, most of which have ap-peared in the New Republic since 1965. Fo, usesa sharp light on the dark cot _rs of Ames cancommerce and offers practical remedies forconsumers.

The Innocent Consumer Vs. The Exploiters, bySidney Margolius, 1968. 227 p. $4.95 ($.95 pap-er). Trident Press, Order from Simon & Schus-ter, New York. Revealing report on the moneytraps, deceptive advertising, credit plans andpackaging-, that the unsuspecting buyer en-counters in the marketplace.

Let The Seller Beware! James Bishop, Jr., andHenry W. Hubbard, 1969. Write the authors,Newsweek Magazine, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave-nue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 195 p. $6.95.Traces the growth of the consumer movementand protective legislation and discusses thepersonalities involved in "The Consumer Revo-lution."

Who Put the Con in Consumer?, by David San-ford, 1972: $5.95, hardback, $2.95, paperback.Liveright Books, New York. A revealing ac-count of consumer fraud and consumer folly.

White House Conference on Food, Nutritionand Health, 1970, 341 p. $3.00. (cat. no. Y3.w58/16:1/970) Supt. of Documents, GPO, Washing-ton, D.C. 20402. Text of the final report submit-ted to the President.

F. Consumer Remedies

Buyer Beware, 1971. $25.00. NeighborhoodConsumer Information Center, 3005 GeorgiaAvenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20010. Manualon how to set up a neighborhood consumer in-formation and complaint handling facility inthe inner-city. Describes the NeighborhoodConsumer Information Center operated byHoward University law students.Legal Protection for the Consumer, by PaulCrown, 1963. 96 p. $3.25. Oceana Publications,New York. Where and how to get legal help as aconsumer.

The Radical Consumer's Handbook, by GoodyL. Solomon, 1972. 174 p. $1.25. BallantineBooks, New York. A complete guide to how,where, when and why to raise your voice onyour own behalf for consumer rights to retail-ers, manufacturers and legislators.

G. Consumer Periodicals

The Changing Times Teachers Journal. 9 peryear. Apply for price. Changing Times Educa-tion Service, 1729 H Street, NW, Washington,D.C. 20006. A guide to the use of ChangingTimes as a classroom aid in teaching consumereducation. Contains sample discussion ques-tions, suggested activities, and brief consumernotes. Particularly suited to secondary andadult classes.

Consumer Alert. Monthly. Free. Federal TradeCommission, Washington, D.C. 20580. Newslet-ter of consumer affairs and consumer protec-tion. Items relate to the FTC.

Consumer Bulletin. Monthly, $8.00. Consumers'Research Inc., Washington, New Jersey 07882.A non-profit, consumer-supported testing agen-cy reporting laboratory tests on a wide rangeof consumer goods and services. Products arerated.

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Consumer Education Forum. 3 per year. Con-trolled circulation to members. American Coun-cil on Consumer Interests, 238 Stanley Hall,University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo. 65201. Anewsletter published to encourage an inter-change of ideas among consumer specialists.

Consumer Legislative Monthly Report. Month-ly. $5.00. Office of Consumer Affairs. Supt. ofDocuments, GPO, Washington, D.C. 20402. Asubject-classified listing of legislation intro-duced in the Congress on consumer orientedsubjects. Provides bill numbers, sponsors, anumerical index to bills, and lists of legislationof consumer interest passed by either houseand by both houses. A resource for large publicand academic libraries.

Consumer News. Twice monthly. 6 p. $2.00.Office of Consumer Affairs. Supt. of Documents,GPO, Washington, D.C. 20402. Newsletter de-scribing regulations, legal actions and continu-ing programs of Federal agencies in the field ofconsumer affairs.

Consumer Reports. Monthly. $8.00. ConsumersUnion of U.S., 256 Washington St., Mount Ver-non, New York 10550. Reports the results oftests of products, ranking them as best buy,acceptable, not acceptable. Financed entirelyby the sale of its publications.

FDA Consumer. Monthly, except conbined July-Aug., Dec.-Jan. $6.50. Superintendent of Docu-ments, GPO, Washington, D. C. 20402. The offi-cial magazine of the Food and Drug Adminis-tration.

Financial Facts Newsletter. Monthly. Free(single subscription). National Consumer Fi-nance Association, 1000 16th Street, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20036. Regular report onindexes of consumer financial behavior, person-al income, personal savings, indicators of busi-ness activity, consumer price indexes, and oth-er areas of interest to those in the industry.Published since 1958. Designed for teachers.Available in bulk for class use, cost: 250 peryear.

National Consumers League Bulletin. Bi-monthly. Available to members only. NationalConsumers League, 1029 Vermont Avenue,N.W., Washington. D.C. 20006. Reports on so-cial legislation of interest to the League. Mem-

bership in the League is a minimum of $7.50 peryear.

H. Consumer Organizations

Consumers have organized into local, State,and national groups in order to increase theireffectiveness in promoting and protecting theinterests of consumers, and to stimulate a'Idi-tional consumer information and educationalprograms. There is a growing interest in theformation of these organizations as consumersbecome increasingly aware of their role in theeconomy and the need for their voi'es to beeffectively heard by those in government andbusiness who make decisions affecting theirinterests.

A manual, "Forming Consumer Organiza-tions," and an up-to-date list of national, stateand local consumer organizations can bothhelp consumers organize for greater effective-ness. These publications can be obtained freeof charge by contacting:

Office of Consumer AffairsDepartment of Health, Education, &

WelfareWashington, D.C. 20201

Consumer Federation of America, 1012 14thStreet, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. The Fed-eration seeks to promote the rights of all con-sumers through group action at the Federal,State, regional and local levels.

National Consumer's League, Inc. 1029 Ver-mont Avenue, N.W., Washington, D C. 20005.The League, originally established to aid labor-ers and migrant workers to obtain fair workingconditions, now concerns itself primarily withconsumer protective legislation and laborstandards.

Consumers' Research Inc., Washington, NewJersey 07882. Consumers' Research reports theresults of laboratory and other tests it con-ducts on a wide range of products consumersbuy and use, evaluates their relative perform-ance, defects, advantages, and disadvantages.Publishes monthly Consumer Bulletin. Educa-tional services and materials are available forteachers.

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Consumers Union of U.S. Inc., 256 WashingtonStreet, Mt. Vernon, New York 10550. Consum-ers Union carries out performance and usetests of consumer products and provides con-sumers with test results and product evalua-tions. It also conducts research on economicand social problems and publishes its findings.Publishes monthly Consumer Reports. TheEducational Services Division provide's assist-ance and materials for Consumer Education.

I. Adult Education Organizations

Adult Education Association of the USA, 122519th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.Chief among the services provided by AEA areits publications, mainly Adult Leadership andAdult Education. Also many pamphlets, books,reports and leaflets are published by AEA andare available to members at reduced prices.National Association for Public Continuingand Adult Education, 1201 16th Street, NW,Washington, D.C. 20036. NAPCAE is dedicatedto the improvement and expansion of publiclysupported adult education programs. It putsout special publications along with three news-letters ("PULSE," "SWAP SHOP," and"TECHNIQUES") and a yearly almanac.

National University Extension Association, 1Dupont Circle, Suite 360, Washington, D.C.20036. NUEA consists of universities, colleges,related organizations and their personal staffswho make their institutional and communityresources available to youth and adults, indi-viduals and groups, volunteer organizations,governmental units, and private industry.

J. Federal Agencies Serving theConsumer

Following is a partial listing of Federal agen-cies which can be useful if particular informa-tion is sought. For the most up-to-date com-plete information on Federal government con-sumer services in one source book, refer toGuide to Federal Consumer Services, 1971, bythe Office of Consumer Affairs. The publicationis available for $1.00 from the Superintendentof Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,Washington, D.C. 20402.

AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT

Agricultural Research ServiceDepartment of AgricultureWashington, D.C. 20250

Office of InformationDepartment of AgricultureWashington, D.C. 20250

Agricultural Marketing ServiceDepartment of AgricultureWashington, D.C. 20250 orone of its local offices.

Food and Nutrition ServiceDepartment of AgricultureWashington, D.C. 20250

CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD

Office of Consumer AffairsCivil Aeronautics BoardWashington, D.C. 20428

COMMERCE DEPARTMENT

National Bureau of StandardsDepartment of CommerceWashington, D.C. 20234

National Business Council forConsumer Affairs

Department of CommerceWashington, D.C. 20220

GENERAL SERVICESADMINISTRATION

Consumer Product InformationCenter

Washington, D. C. 20407, or anyFederal Information Centerlisted in local directory

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONAGENCY

Director of Public AffairsEnvironmental Protection AgencyWashington, D.C. 20460

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONSCOMMISSION

Office of Reports and InformationFederal Communications CommissionWashington, D.C. 20554

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FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION

Office of Public InformationFederal Power CommissionWashington, D.C. 20426

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM

Board of GovernorsFederal Reserve SystemWashington, D.C. 20551 or contactone of the Federal Reserve banks.

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

Federal Trade CommissionWashington, D.C. 20580, or anyfield office listed in local directory.

HEALTH, EDUCATION ANDWELFARE DEPARTMENT

Office of Consumer AffairsDepartment of Health, Education

and WelfareWashington, D.C. 20201

Office of Public AffairsOffice of EducationWashington, D.C. 20202

Food and Drug Administration5600 Fishers LaneRockville, Maryland 20852

Office of Information, HealthServices and Mental HealthAdministration

Park lawn BuildingRockville, Maryland 20852

National Advisory Council onEducation of DisadvantagedChildren

7th & D Sts. SW., 5th FloorWashington, D.C. 20202

National Institutes of HealthInformation OfficeOffice of the Director9000 Rockville PikeBethesda, Maryland 20014

Social Security Administration6401 Social Security BuildingBaltimore, Maryland 21235or to the local Social SecurityOffice.

HOUSING AND URBAN DEVEL-OPMENT DEPARTMENT

Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment

Washington, D.C. 20410, or writeto any HL D area office or HUD-FHAinsuring office.

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT

Office of InformationDepartment of the InteriorWashington, D.C. 2(' 40

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Antitrust DivisionDepartment of JusticeWashington, D.C. 20530

Bureau of Narcotics andDangerous Drugs

Department of JusticeWashington, D.C. 20537

LABOR DEPARTMENT

Bureau of Labor StatisticsDepartment of LaborWashington, D.C. 20210

NATIONAL CREDIT UNIONADMINISTRATION

National Credit UnionAdministration

Washington, D.C. 20456

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POSTAL SERVICE

Consumer AdvocateU.S. Postal ServiceWashington, D.C. 20260

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETYCOMMISSION

Office of InformationConsumer Product Safety CommissionWashington, D. C. 20014

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGECOMMISSION

Securities and ExchangeCommission

Washington, D.C. 20549

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT

O1 :ice of Consumer AffairsDepartment of Transportation400 - 7th Street, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20590

Distribution Section, HQ-438Federal Aviation AdministrationWashington, D.C. 20590

Federal Highway AdministrationDepartment of TransportationWashington, D.C. 20590

National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration

Washington, D.C. 20591

WHITE HOUSE

Special Assistant for Cor iumer AffairsExecutive Office of the PresidentWashington, D.C. 20506

ERIC Clearinghouse

SEP!, 1973

on Adult Ediatitkie

* U.S. GOVERN/PINT PRINTING COKE 1173 0-500-$24