Abstract
Little empirical evidence exists on how adult literacy learners act as consumers. Yet, adult literacy programs often employ a "functional" approach to consumer education and assume that adult learners are deficient in consumer skills. Data from a qualitative study of the consumer behaviors of adult literacy learners are used to explore how adult learners negotiate the marketplace. The findings challenge the validity of a functional model and support the conceptualization of consumer literacy as a social practice, which includes reading and writing skills, personal and social skills, and the ability to manage the stigma of low literacy.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 251-268 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Adult Education Quarterly |
Volume | 55 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 1 2005 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Adult literacy
- Consumer literacy
- Coping behaviors
- Stigma
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education