Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal最新文献

Payday loans are disproportionately used by African Americans and women including single mothers. Little empirical research exists incorporating data from payday loan employees. This exploratory study used a phenomenological approach and in-depth interviews to examine the lived experiences of two groups: African American single mothers who used payday loans and former payday loan employees who extended and collected on payday loans. The interviews resulted in four themes from the single mothers' experiences including “right decision at the time” and “it's addictive” and five themes from the former employees including “help the customer come back” and “relating to the customers.”

Since 2009, the Family & Consumer Sciences Research Journal (FCSRJ) has annually selected the Best Papers published in each of the subdisciplines of FCSRJ. The authors are honored at the June annual conference of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). This paper focuses on the 13 Best Papers in Personal Finance for the time period of 2008 to 2020 and also includes five additional papers in Personal Finance in which the author was designated as an Emerging Scholar for that specific year. The results demonstrated the importance of the history of home management, food insecurity, college student financial behavior, college student loans, housing, and retirement and saving decisions.

This study assesses whether households buy foods of low nutritional value and use coupons and store savings as effective budget-stretching measures to alleviate food insecurity. Interview and food-acquisition data for a sample of 4,235 households from the National Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey and mediation regression models were used. The study found little evidence of compromised nutritional quality as a budget-stretching practice. Stretching budget through coupons and store savings negatively predicted food insecurity, but it was not associated with income, suggesting that the poorest households might not consider coupons and store savings a viable option to maintain food access.

Research on housing discrimination and segregation usually focuses on federal-level actions, yet access to housing is determined locally. Local government leaders influence whether or not their communities provide housing to meet all residents' needs. This study uses a statewide survey of local leaders from 240 different municipalities in one Southeastern state to better understand their perceptions of local housing opportunities. The findings, which present areas for future research, suggest that the perceptions of some local leaders may be shaped by the housing needs of an idealized community. Additionally, the needs of some residents may be less visible to local leaders.

University students learn about interior design through secondary Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) classes; however, it is unknown what interior design content is taught given the flexibility in FCS curriculum. An online survey was administered to FCS educators in Idaho, Utah, and Washington to uncover if and what interior design content is taught. The study revealed that residential interior design and historical content is taught, educators took one interior design course, and educators would utilize interior design resources if available. Including interior design content in FCS courses can broaden students’ understanding of how interior design impacts occupants and clarifies misconceptions about the profession.