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In 1976, Congress amended the Vocational Education Act to include, among other things, categorical funding for consumer and homemaking education. The purpose of this study was to discover why consumer and homemaking education received categorical funding in that legislation. This research was a policy formulation study. In order to formalize the study, the purpose was divided into specific research questions. They formed the structure of the study. The study consisted of three stages. The first stage involved a review of congressional meetings, a study of publications of interest groups and a review of historical accounts of pre-1976 legislation for home economics education. Stage two involved the development of interview questionnaires. Stage three involved interviewing key persons who worked on federal legislation for consumer and homemaking education. This stage also included a study of personal papers, unpublished documents and transcripts of closed meetings relating to federal funding for consumer and homemaking education. It was found that, in 1976, home economics educators not only had to encourage Congress to continue categorical funding, but they were divided about how to affect the continuation. One group wanted to prepare legislation that would closely meet the visions held by the members of Congress. While another group wanted to lobby for provisions favored by home economics educators. Categorical funding was obtained with neither method exclusively. It was obtained through the efforts of home economists, lobbyists, and congressional aides who analyzed proposed provisions and who, through compromise, prepared legislation that was acceptable to all parties. It is recommended that home economists continue to work with Congress and that they improve the image policy makers have of their program. These professionals should develop strong state-level power structures and extensive legislative networks. Furthermore home economics educators should work closely with professional associations to draft acceptable home economics legislation. / Ed. D.

The Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change was used to assess change in investing behavior among Investing For Your Future home-study course participants. The goal of Investing For Your Future is to help people improve their personal finance behaviors leading to financial security in later life. On average, after course participation fourteen of the fifteen investing behaviors were identified in the desired stages of established behavior. The study was based on Prochaska's Transtheoretical Model of Change (1979), including five different stages of behavior. This study investigated at what stage of change course participants are in for certain investing behaviors since completing Investing For Your Future (O'Neill et al., 2000). The stages of behavior are: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. The desired stage was either the action or maintenance stage, which indicated that the investing behavior has been established. A person in the precontemplation stage is not thinking of future needs, not taking any actions to prepare for investing. Someone in the contemplation stage has set investing goals, but is not otherwise preparing to do the investing behavior. Someone in the preparation stage has both set goals and actively sought after information about the investing behavior. An individual in the action stage has not only done the preparatory actions, but has also engaged in the investing behavior. Finally, an individual in the maintenance stage has met the investing behavior action over an ongoing period of time. The quantitative survey design of this study was adapted from Dillman's Mail and Internet Surveys (2002). A survey questionnaire was created online using multiple choice and open-ended questions and was sent to the sample as a link in an email. The population consisted of Investing For Your Future (O'Neill et al., 2000) online course participants from April 1, 2001 through April 11, 2005. The initial sample consisted of 1,123, however at least 415 members of the sample never received the survey, reducing the sample to 708 people. Upon sending out the email, many error reports were received stating that the recipient did not receive the email. Response rates for the survey were very low, and can be attributed to multiple problems. / Master of Science

Master of Science

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Dissertation (Master of Consumer Science)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The role which education can play in the upliftment of individuals and families has been receiving increasing attention by the South African government because it is regarded as each individual's right to reach his/her full potential. However, the way in which education is presented is the defining factor, which determines the sustainability of the subsequent development. The purpose of the study was to determine how Consumer scientists could contribute to transformative learning as well as the increasing of individual's levels of empowerment and knowledge. A literature study was undertaken to present a synopsis of emancipation education and transformative learning within the context of Consumer Science. Several methods of education, the underlying concepts to transformative learning, methods to bring about transformative learning, several phases in transformation of perspectives, the outcomes of the emancipation education method, the role of the Consumer scientist as emancipation educator as well as practical teaching methods were also included to support the empirical part of the study. A housing literacy programme was adapted and presented according to two different methods of education, namely emancipation and technical methods to represent the empirical part of this study. The housing literacy programme was presented to women in Calvinia and Williston living in government subsidised houses. During the implementation of the emancipation method of education, the transformation framework was used in conjunction with the action research model to adapt the programme and to identify any transformation that took place. In experimental design, the emancipation and technical methods were compared in terms of an increase in empowerment and knowledge. The status of empowerment and knowledge of both groups was determined before the programme, directly after the programme as well as two months thereafter. Quantitative data was obtained from the questionnaires on empowerment and knowledge, while qualitative data was obtained from the action research model as well as the transformation framework. The result of the quantitative data showed a clear difference between the group taught with the emancipatory method, and the group taught with the technical method in tenus of the increase in levels of empowerment and knowledge. The group taught with the emancipatory method showed higher levels of empowerment and knowledge than the group taught with the technical method directly after the programme as well as two months thereafter. The levels of empowerment and knowledge of the group taught with the emancipatory method showed significant statistical differences from before the presentation of the programme until two months thereafter. This suggests the sustainable character of an increase in empowerment and knowledge. Results obtained from the qualitative data also indicated the occurrence of distorted meaning schemes as well as modification thereof. This study showed that using the emancipation method of education when presenting a Consumer Science programme could induce transformation. The quantitative data also proved the emancipation method of education to be more effective than the technical method when aiming to increase an individual's level of empowerment and knowledge. It is therefore important that Consumer scientists be aware of all the characteristics of the emancipation method of education as well as transformative learning in order to induce change in individuals and families and to lead them to selfdependence. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die rol wat onderwys in die opheffing van individue en gesinne kan speel, het die afgelope paar jaar toenemende aandag van die Regering van Suid-Afrika gekryaangesien dit as elke individu se reg gesien word om sy/haar volle potensiaal te bereik. Die wyse waarop onderwys aangebied word, is egter die bepalende faktor in die volhoubaarheid van die ontwikkeling wat daardeur teweeggebring word. Die doel van die studie was daarom om te bepaal hoe Verbruikerswetenskaplikes kan bydra tot transformatiewe leer en die verhoging van bemagtigingsen kennisvlakke van individue. 'n Literatuurstudie is onderneem om 'n oorsig oor emansipasie opvoeding en transformatiewe leer binne die konteks van Verbruikerswetenskap te gee. Verskeie onderrigmetodes, die konsepte onderliggend aan transformatiewe leer, metodes om transformatiewe leer te bewerkstellig, verskeie fases in perspektieftransformasie, die uitkomste van die emansipasie onderrigmetode, die rol van die Verbruikerswetenskaplike as emansipasie opvoeder en praktiese onderrigtegnieke is bestudeer om die empiriese gedeelte van die studie te ondersteun. Vir die empinese gedeelte van die studie is 'n behuisingsgeletterdheidsprogram aangepas en volgens twee verskillende opvoedingsmetodes, naamlik die emansipasie- en tegniese metode aangebied. Die behuisingsgeletterdheidsprogram is aangebied aan vroue van Calvinia en Williston wat in staatsgesubsidieerde huise woon. Met die toepas van die emansipasie opvoedingsmetode is die transformasieraamwerk saam met die aksienavorsingsmodel aangewend om die program aan te pas en die transformasie wat voorgekom het te identifiseer. In die eksperimentele ontwerp is die emansipasie en tegniese metodes met mekaar vergelyk in terme van bemagtiging- en kennisverhoging. Bemagtiging- en kennisstatus van albei groepe is voor die program, direk na die program, sowel as twee maande daarna bepaal. Kwalitatiewe data is uit die aksienavorsingsmodel en die transformasieraamwerk verkry, terwyl kwantitatiewe data uit die bemagtigings- en kennisvraelyste verkry is. Die resultate van die kwantitatiewe data het aangedui dat daar wel 'n verskil is ten opsigte van die verhoging van bemagtiging- en kennisvlakke tussen dié groep wat volgens die emansipasie metode aangebied is en dié groep wat volgens die tegniese metode aangebied is. Die groep wat volgens die emansipasie metode onderrig is se totale bemagtigingsvlak, sowel as hul kennisvlak was direk na die program asook twee maande daarna hoër as dié van die groep wat volgens die tegniese metode aangebied is. By die bemagtiging- en kennisvlak van die groep wat volgens die emansipasie metode onderrig is, het daar 'n betekenisvolle statistiese verskil van voor die programaanbieding tot twee maande daarna voorgekom, wat op die volgehoue aard van bemagtiging- en kennisverhoging dui. Die resultate wat verkry is uit die kwalitatiewe data het verder aangetoon dat daar wel verdraaide betekenisskemas by die deelnemers voorgekom het asook wysiging daarvan. Tydens hierdie studie is bevind dat transformatiewe leer teweeggebring kan word met die aanbied van 'n Verbruikerswetenskapprogram volgens die emansipasie opvoedingsmetode. Die kwantitatiewe data wat verkry is, het ook getoon dat die emansipasie onderrigmetode meer effektief as die tegniese metode is om die verhoging van individue se bemagtiging- en kennisvlakke teweeg te bring. Verbruikerswetenskaplikes moet daarom kennis dra van die eienskappe van die emansipasie opvoedingsmetode en transformatiewe leer om sodoende volgehoue verandering by individue en gesinne teweeg te bring en om hul tot selfstandigheid te lei.

Primary objective in our consumer education work is to develop a financially literate community, where Lithuanian consumers can make informed decisions about financial products and services, and identify and avoid scams and swindlers. To help us achieve this objective, we have developed a consumer education strategy to guide our activities over the period 2004– 2006. As part of our strategy, we have set out: • the scope of our consumer education role; • the priority topic areas that our strategy should focus on. • the delivery mechanisms we intend to use for our consumer education initiatives. As the primary consumer protection regulator in the financial services sector, we believe that our consumer education role should include the following main elements: • Making consumers aware of the need to be informed, educated and active; • Informing consumers about: – How they can look after their money; – Scams and swindles to avoid; – Consumer rights and how to exercise them; • Helping coordinate consumer education across different groups; • Helping improve financial literacy; • Undertaking or commissioning relevant research. • Providing referral information. Its very important, that children (specialy from sheltered houses) can acquirement developink skills for the individual consumer – skills such as how to buy quality goods at fair prices and how to spot fraudulent trade practices in the marketplace, and how to be a responsible consumer (ecology problems). Consumer education... [to full text]

Thesis (M.Inst.Agrar.(Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Medicines play a pivotal role in the process of human development as their rational utilization can decrease morbidity and mortality as well as improve quality of life (Jamshed, Hassali, Ibrahim, Shafie, & Babar, 2010). Access to therapeutic drugs form an integral part of any successful healthcare system. The high cost of medicines, is a barrier to accessibility and improved health to the majority of the South African population (Bangalee, 2015). In developing countries with limited healthcare budgets, such as South Africa, generic drugs (medicines) can be a cost-saving treatment alternative, resulting in medical expenditure being reduced and access to scarce resources increased (Van der Westhuizen, Burger, Lubbe, Serfontein, 2010). There is very little knowledge on perception and attitude of South African citizens with regard to use of generic drugs (Bangalee, 2015). Consumer perception can have a large impact on the choice of medicines or drugs chosen. The study intended to find out what the current consumer beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and knowledge of generic drugs are. There was also intent to establish if lack of awareness or misconception about generic drugs influence consumer choice. The study consists of a literature review of the definition of generic drugs and original or branded drugs, their influence in the public and private health sector, factors that influence consumer behaviour, brand effect, brand trust, brand loyalty, and most importantly the South Africa acceptance of generic drugs. Primary data was collected, reported and analysed through the use of a questionnaire to determine the current consumers’ belief, attitude, behaviour and knowledge of generic drugs. The study results reveal that scepticism does exists, yet there was clear acceptance, but still lack of confidence in generic drugs. Consumer education and information is the key to increased generic drug acceptance.

Low consumer loyalty threatens the sustainability of the fair trade (FT) coffee market and corporate social responsibility investment. To provide business owners with strategies and decision-making processes to market FT coffee products successfully in the United States, this phenomenological study explored the lived experiences, perceptions, and insights of 20 FT coffee marketing managers. Planned behavior theory served as the conceptual framework. Face-to-face or Skype interviews were conducted with each of the 20 purposefully sampled FT coffee marketing managers. The data from these interviews were analyzed using Moustakas' modified van Kaam method and qualitative analytic software to collect, group, reduce, validate, and organize the interview data into themes. Nine themes emerged from the analyses. The theme analysis revealed the importance of including consumer education as a part of a marketing strategy to improve consumer understanding of the FT label and to catalyze demand. Based upon the topics participants emphasized during the interviews, another principal theme was the importance of establishing a direct relationship with a farm. Furthermore, 2 of the 20 participants provided unique insights on achieving consumer trust and the importance consumers attribute to consistent taste. Educating consumers on the effects and implications of the FT label is instrumental in increasing profits from FT coffee. The findings could catalyze beneficial social change by enabling business owners to educate consumers through marketing communications, which increase their market share of FT coffee and thereby enhance the lives of third-world farmers.