Home Economics Research Journal最新文献

In Oaxaca, Mexico, some Indian villages have long-established weaving tradi tions. Originally, craftspersons wove textiles for their own use or for local trade. These textiles were replaced by commercially produced items. To survive in a changing world, some entrepreneurial weavers turned to production for tourist and export markets. Craftspersons, based in home workshops in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca, provided examples of entrepreneurs who developed tourist and export markets. These entrepreneurs were studied to understand how production and marketing were adapted to these new clients. Entrepreneur profiles were developed from case studies (N = 27) that used in-depth interviews and partic ipant observation in home workshops and markets for data collection. The pro files were based on personal background, production methods, marketing tech niques, and business practices salient to each group. The four entrepreneur pro files identified were Externally Oriented, Mass-Production Entrepreneurs; Internally Oriented, Local Showroom Entrepreneurs; Outdoor Market Entrepre neurs; and Design Entrepreneurs. The profiles are discussed in relation to profiles of midwestern U.S. manufacturing entrepreneurs. Findings serve as examples of possible roles for handcraft producers who are developing export and tourist markets.

Acquiring in-depth understanding of a target consumer market is an important marketing strategy for businesses to employ in attracting and maintaining cus tomers. The purpose of this research was to generate consumer profiles for fiber, clay, and wood crafts. The profiles were used for hypothesis testing and contrib uted to a data base from which craft producers could draw in making marketing decisions. Fifty-three consumers who had purchased crafts in at least two media during the previous year were interviewed in depth. During interviews, the re spondents ranked three sets of craft stimuli and discussed the reasons for their rankings. Data were analyzed using content analysis and hierarchical cluster anal ysis. Five consumer profiles emerged for fiber crafts; four consumer profiles were developed for both clay and wood. Aesthetics, workmanship, function and use, and strong sensory or affective attachment were themes important to consumers across all media. Other themes were more specific to the particular types of media. Hypotheses are proposed for future research in which domestic consum ers of U.S. regional crafts would be compared with international tourist consum ers and with domestic consumers of international crafts.

The objective of this study was to investigate competition in the cellulosic and non-cellulosic fiber industry among the major exporting regions of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). Markov analysis was used to analyze the competition among the OECD exporting regions from 1975 to 1986 and to project their market shares from 1987 to 2000.

The results of the Markov analysis indicated considerable variations in retention rates for the five exporting regions. In the case of non-cellulosic fibers, changes in market shares were projected to continue through the year 2000, whereas few changes were projected for the cellulosic fibers. This result is in keeping with the maturity of the cellulosic fiber industry. These projections must be interpreted with caution in view of major economic and political changes that have occurred, and continue to occur, in Europe and elsewhere since 1986. However, the pro jections are still of use because a comparison of actual and projected market shares will indicate changes in the underlying set of forces affecting the market shares of various exporting regions.

An exploratory study was conducted to empirically assess perceptions and be haviors related to reducing dietary fat among individuals over 45 years of age. A mail questionnaire was sent to randomly selected male and female heads of household (n = 800) in the Pacific Northwest, with a 63% response rate. More than half of the respondents had reportedly tried and maintained 25 different behaviors to reduce dietary fat, including avoidance, substitution, and modifica tion behaviors. Knowledge about ways to reduce dietary fat was widespread. However, other perceptions about the experience of, or outcomes associated with, reducing dietary fat implied that many consumers were ambivalent about this issue. Frequent consumption of a high-fat food pattern was related to failure to initiate or maintain behaviors to reduce dietary fat, limited knowledge of ways to reduce dietary fat, infrequent exercise, and relatively higher household incomes. Directions for future research are discussed.

In this study, the readability of books recommended to consumers by profes sional nutrition and dietetics organizations was determined. Representative text samples from 32 publications were evaluated. Writing style and Flesch reading ease scores were assessed with microcomputer analysis. Flesch human interest scores were calculated by two evaluators. The grade level required to read the recommended books was 10.3 (± 2.7). More than 40% of the recommendations required a reading level that exceeds that of popular magazines. Only one rec ommended book was written at a level that was understandable by adults with low literacy skills. Mid-range human interest scores reflect the use of how-to information and examples preferred in nutrition print materials by consumers. Publications containing more passive sentences tended to be more difficult to understand and were slightly less personalized. For many consumers, the com prehension and application of the concepts presented in these recommended books will probably require interaction with professionals.

Data on attrition from the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) were analyzed to determine whether there have been changes in the characteristics of the low-income audience served by the program. Data from the 1986, 1988, and 1989 programs in a Washington State county were used. Dropouts differed significantly in selected sociodemographic characteristics from year to year, but in ways that reflected year-to-year differences in enrollees. A pilot pro gram tested in 1989, which used new recruitment and instructional methods, led to enrollees and dropouts with higher levels of education, income, and dietary adequacy than had been seen in the previous years. There was also evidence that the program in all three years tended to lose clients in the lower income brackets and to retain clients who were less educated and of Asian-American ethnicity. Dropouts in each year had dietary inadequacies, although these inadequacies varied from year to year. Implications of the different patterns of attrition are discussed relative to program evaluation and future research.

The main purpose of this study was to examine variables influencing changes in the market shares of textile fibers in the United States. Three major fibers (cotton, wool, and man-made) and three end-use markets (apparel, home furnishings, and industrial) were identified for the study. The market shares of the major fibers were based on domestic consumption in each end-use market using annual data from 1960 to 1983. The generalized choice model used in this study consisted of two parts. The first part was concerned with total fiber demand in each end-use market and variables influencing total demand. The second part focused on interfiber competition. The results of the study suggested that (a) demand for man-made fibers was inelastic with respect to fiber price, (b) man-made fibers were substitutes for cotton and wool, and (c) non-price factors such as quality were important in interfiber competition, particularly in home furnishings and industrial uses. The importance of general economic conditions to fiber demand was also reported.

This exploratory study focused on determining the views held by executives in the home equipment and related product industries in regard to home economists and their career advancement potential. Questionnaires were mailed to the executive supervisors of senior home economists in these industries. Usable responses represented 37 percent of the original population of executives surveyed and 49 percent of the identified companies in this group of industries. Paired t-tests were used in data analysis. Statistically significant (p ≤.05) differences were found between the five qualities that executives said were necessary for advancement to upper company levels and the qualities used to describe business home economists: human relations, need for advancement, tolerance of uncertainty, creativity, and decision making. Other results showed that the majority of executives describe home economists as not likely to: take calculated risks, have knowledge of or use company politics, use informal company social networks, or have a mentor or sponsor. It was concluded that many executives within this industry have a generally positive image of home economists and believe that many home economists have more advancement potential than they are now realizing. Limited opportunities do exist for their advancement to upper company levels. In this paper, specific suggestions for improving advancement potential and implications for the profession are given.

A care label is one cue that might influence evaluation of a garment because different care instructions are associated with different fabrics as well as different levels of expenditure of time and money. The purpose of this study was to determine whether care instructions affected perceptions of garment quality, predictions concerning a garment's future performance, a garment's estimated retail price, and a customer's likelihood of purchasing a garment. Two variations of care instructions were used: hand wash and dry flat, and professionally dry-clean. Undergraduate females (N = 84) enrolled in textiles and clothing classes volunteered to serve as subjects. Subjects received a sketch of a garment along with one of the two care instructions, recorded their perceptions of garment quality and price, predicted the garment's future performance, and indicated their likelihood of purchasing the garment. Analysis of variance revealed that care instructions did not influence perceptions of quality, price, or likelihood of purchase but did influence predictions of future performance. Care instructions indicating that the garment should be professionally drycleaned resulted in favorable predictions about future performance, as compared with care instructions indicating that the garment should be hand washed and dried flat. Study results suggest that care instructions are a cue used by consumers to predict the future performance of a garment.

The purpose of this paper is to review theoretical orientations and to advance an understanding of systematic inquiry in the design field. Multiple paradigms are reviewed utilizing Ritzer's (1975) model of paradigms: social facts, social definition, and social behavior. Research questions are formulated that identify paradigms and theories utilized, orientations to problem solving within the larger academic design field, and connections for future program development. This descriptive, introspective case study builds upon the breadth of research and creative endeavor being conducted over a two-year period in one environmental design program. Benefits are seen in rigorous integration of multiple paradigms in research/creative endeavor, teaching, and practice.