Consumer education is closely related to the development of the values of people to whom it given; it especially aims at forming consumer's thinking. However, this education should not be an attempt to indoctrinate people with a particular ideology. Instead, we should present to consumers a variety of life-styles and values that support them. We should let our students critically consider these　defferent life-styles so as to assist them in obtaining the ability to make voluntary selection from the available alternatives. Consumer education in the future information society, that is, mass consumption society, should aim at developing independent consumers who have awareness about their responsibility as citizens for such public affairs as ecological problems.

View full abstract

When we discuss the basic position of consumer education, we should always bear in mind its universality. Considering the fact that this subject covers a broad scope of problems and has an extremely close relation with peoples’ lives, the author will deal with this topic mainly from the follwing viewpoints: the relation between human knowlege and society, some examples related to clothing and the importance of generality in consumer education. First of all, the author will emphasize the need to add philosophical ideals to the guiding principles so as to help the public cultivate their values. Then, he will present several persuasive examples of consumer education which he has studied. In conclusion, the author expresses his hope that consumer education will contribute to the evolution of more intelligent consumers.

View full abstract

The prime factor in our diet life is the safety of food. In recent years, some worrisome problems have arisen about this. For example, new carcinogenic substances have been found in food additives, while imported foodstuffs are posing such problems as post-harvest pesticide, antimicrobial agents, antibiotics and mold. This paper discusses how to consider fundamental issues of food safety in consumer education rather than individual questions. Then the paper deals with several typical trends concerning food which are expected to be more important in the years ahead. Among these is consumer orientation toward the maintenance of health. Discussions cover the background and present condition of this trend and diet's role for health improvement. Other themes dealt with include the problem of information sources helpful to the betterment of health, basic, knowledge on diet and consumer education and problems relating labeling to health.

View full abstract

In offering instruction to consumers in sales contracts, the following must be taken into consideration: (1) When considering the subject of properness of a decision made by a consumer in his making a contract, a full instruction must be given as to the contents and the form of transaction as well as to the changes of economy and society, which lie behind. (2) When reviewing a contractual trouble in which a consumer is involved, it is necessary to properly grasp the cause of it : whether it is due to the deficiency in his decision-making ability or to the contents or the form of transaction. (3) Receipt of quality information is inecessary even few rather than receiving so many ones. (4) It is necessary to have the consumer understand why the contract must be abided by. (5)Instruction must be given to the consumer as to the necessity of recongnizing the importance of his rights and exercising them properly.

View full abstract

In the age of ”Soft‐nomics” some Of the principles guiding consumer education need to be changed. Further more there need to be a change in man's way of life ― princ pally, a shift of focus from the relationship between man and materials to man and services and/or informations. We need to distinguish the shadow of the market mechanism from the substance of the quality of life, and the restrictive role of the ”exchange process” especially from family resource management. New perspectives and insights gained from the study of living systems can furnish us with significant new principles for consumer education. An economics that is broadly based and give endogenous treatment to intrinsic values can work wen to improve the living conditions of every consumers in the age of “Soft‐nomics”.

View full abstract

The purpose of this article to suggest an adaption of the socialization approach to the study of consumer behavior through the life cycle which is significant for consumer education. We call the socialization approach applied to the consumer study ”consumer socialization”. It is defined as ”the process by which young people acquire skills, knowledge, and attitudes relevant to their effective functioning as consumers in the marketplace” (Ward, 1974). Before, the concept of consumer socialization was applied only to children and adolescents. Today, the life cycle perspective must be adopted. Three types of theories buttress the concept of consumer socialization, the cognitive developmental theory, social learning theory, and social-system theory. A general conceptual model of consumer socialization suggested in this study consists of the three main elements, antecedent variables, socialization processes, and outcomes. Our consumer education will have to be considered in the context of consumer socialization.

View full abstract

With change of society, consumer life comes to have closer relation to its environment and social problems. ”Rental use” habit on the part of consumers not accustomed to business contract often causes troubles between them and retailers. Continuing the last report, we kept studying rental dress problems and conducted consumer training for students to improve their service business adaptability. After training, students became more consumer conscious, more objective and they developed their own criteria in making decisions on consumer adaptability but not to the extent of self deployment. 　For the next step we would like to adopt role playing method and VTR audiovisual training, looking forward to new information or learning materials to be provided by the ”Consumer Education Support Center”.

View full abstract

Consumer troubles of damaged textiles by fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) have not been resolved since the FWAs were included in laundry detergents. Judging from the analysis of data of consumer enquiries and complaints to KAO Corp., not a few problems of damaged textiles seem to occur every Year. These textiles troubles apply to the relation between the I textile color ( iight color and non-fluorescent white textiles) and the type of detergents (including FWAs)' The main focus of textile troubles is that fabrics tape on a faded appearance. The fabric care label is not enough to prevent these troubIes. Consumers themselves don't know the effect of FWAs and have little understanding of the special care needed light colored textiles. Under the present situation. cooperation between detergent makers and textile makers is necessary in order to reduce the troubles. Each maker should put warning signs clearly on the detergent label and fabric care label. Consumer education is also impotant to teach the principle of textiles troubles caused by FWAs and make standard the practice of checking the labels of detergent and textiles.

View full abstract

This report clarifies the kind of the information consumers are interested in and their means to get the information. The purpose of the research is to get the data to improve the information for consumers. The main focus of this research concerns housewives and university students. Both of those two groups get information mainly from mass media. Housewives try to get essential information for their daily lives. University students, however, are not so much interested in consumer information close to their lives. Among those students, the knowledge levels of male are significantly lower than those of females. Further studies on effective ways for consumers to get and use information throughout their lives will be made based on the result of this research.

View full abstract

Most products are sold with a manual which explains how to use the product safely. If the manual is incomprehensible or erroneous, it is impossible for users to make full use of the product. They could suffer serious damage, or even worse, risk their lives by an inadequate explanation. I have been interested in the possibility of manual making at the elementary school level and have looked for suitable material for more than ten years, but could not find any. However, student today are forced to cope with various manuals, and the situation . has caused a number of problems. There is a unit called ”Sewing by Machine” at the fifth grade. I finally decided that making their own sewing machine manuals while they do the actual sewing would help students get used to the machine. For that purpose, I have compared and studied various sewing machine manuals. For elementary school students, sewing machine manuals contain too much information and the explanations are hard to read or understand, not to mention to write. Besides, photo. graphs and illustrations required for quick comprehension are even harder to make. On the part of teachers, ”Sewing by Machine” has also been considered one of the most difficult units to teach. Some of the reasons are as such; the number of sewing machines at school is often smaller than that of students, they are not necessarily the same model of the same manufacturer: they are often different from the model explained in the textbook, manuals are often missing, students have little experience at home, manuale are hard to understand. Considering all these, the idea of making sewing manuals put into practice. This included examination of product names and guarantees, and the help of necessary illustrations drawn freehand by the teacher. The class evaluations by the students were generally favorable.

View full abstract

What is the origin of HEIB Education? This paper reviews the following three points of it: Ⅰ the philosophy of E. H. S. Richards and the paradigm of Mitsuaki Imai Ⅱ the proposition of A. Smith and the idea of Consumers' Sovereignty Ⅲ J. F. Kennedy's Four Consumers' Rights and the Fundamental Law of Consumer Protection in Japan

View full abstract

My previous study suggests that consumers need reliable information such as that provided in product testing magazines in order to make more effective purchasing decisions. As far as product testing magazines in Japan is concerned, circulation is quite low. Thus, consumer education is needed in order to make Japanese consumers aware of the benefits of product testing magazines. This paper shows not only how to make students aware of the advantages of reading product testing magazines, but also how to use these magazines through the 'shopping game.'

View full abstract

The aim of the research was to attemt a comparison of consumer awareness among Japanese and Taiwanese students. General differences between the two countries include the level of consumer education, the state of consumer affairs and general consumer policy. It seems that the results of the survey reflected these differences between the two groups of students surveyed. Each group clearly distinguished attitude characteristies. For example, Japanese students had a positive attitude toward life planning, while Taiwanese students had a positive attitude toward consumer protection.

View full abstract

At the children's museum in the U.S, life experience through learning is considered siriously. Children's voluntary participation is using urged, exhibitions for experiencing life culture as an important theme. Examples of this are The Buying Corner and Town Work Corner allowing the children to actual experience the transactions of buying and selling, thus deepening and accelerating their understanding through role playing They are also taught daily life activities through actually carrying them out.

View full abstract

Recentry, the problem of refuse disposal has become very severe as the environment pollution is increasing remarkably. We don't think much of throwing away kitchen refuse or other even poisonous things into trash cans or sewages facilities. Natural resourses, which we are daily making use of, are limited and not everlasting. We ought to save them and recycle them as much as possible. From this point of view, may I here introduce some exampies which are actually being done in West Germany?

View full abstract