Consumer empowerment in consumer education. Experiences from educational and consumer studies of youngsters

Abstract

The aim of consumer education has mainly been to teach and educate students to be and act as informed, rational and prudent consumers. This understanding of consumption as reasoned behaviour or action is inadequate in the late modern society, where consumerism is first and foremost characterised by globalisation, cultural change and the liberation of the individual. The results of a research study involving Danish pupils aged 12–19 present a picture where consumption is both connected to material and immaterial aspects of life. Consumption as such has a significant impact on and meaning for the single person: it becomes a way human beings communicate and interact. Consumption is part of children's and youngsters’ formation and socialisation, and plays a role in the development of identity and self‐conception. Formal institutional consumer enlightenment and the education of students in a class stand in contradiction to informal consumer socialisation and the education of individuals. The educational project may be described as ‘educating for critical consumer awareness and action competence’. But consumer education is located in the field of tension between ‘consumership’ and ‘citizenship’. The pilot study seeks to address and integrate consumer socialization and consumer education in order to reflect on empowerment as part of education.

Family life in grocery stores – a study of interaction between adults and children

“…While society is changing, teaching methods and pedagogical tools need to be reconsidered to fulfil the aims of consumer education. Benn stresses that ‘Consumer education must be a part of subject areas and cross‐curricular projects’, meaning that there is a need to integrate consumer socialization and consumer education 41,42 . Some parents in the study demonstrated that they could work to convey both practical skills and theoretical knowledge while making food purchases, as when teaching the child about a rape fruit or high‐quality products.…”

“…Benn stresses that 'Consumer education must be a part of subject areas and cross-curricular projects', meaning that there is a need to integrate consumer socialization and consumer education. 41,42 Some parents in the study demonstrated that they could work to convey both practical skills and theoretical knowledge while making food purchases, as when teaching the child about a rape fruit or highquality products. This informal method of consumer education from parents to children can furthermore be seen as the necessary link between theory and practice, and may thus be fruitful as an intervention in school and everyday life.…”