住まいに関する消費者教育の研究

ー社会教育機関による住教育の実状一

抄録

Recently it has become much more difficult for consumers to select pertinent housing, because there is a tendency for housing costs to take up too much of the total budget. Also there are often various problems about the contracts concerning buying, refurnishing or enlarging houses. Moreover there exists an overflow of both accurate and inaccurate information on housing through the mass-media. In order to overcome such difficulties, it is important not only to strengthen the power of authorities to take countermeasures but also to learn the nature of the problems on the side of consumers themselves. From this point of view, the aim of this paper is to point out existing problems of the present situation concerning consumer education of housing by educational institutions. An interview was carried out by the planning staff of a seminar about housing during May in 1987 and November in 1988, and various brochures published by public and private educational institutions were collected. From a survey it can be concluded that there is no such curriculum planned dealing with selection of pertinent housing systematically. This is true even though such public agencies as consumer centers adopt such topics as how to use and maintain electric appliances, and some private institutions open periodical seminars concerning such themes as acquisition of houses, selection of housing appliances and furniture, and interior coordination.