The anthology Consumer Rights: Issues and Challenges contains cutting-edge research and critical reviews dealing with consumer economics. The material shows how an understanding of basic economics concepts and analytical tools can help consumers make sound financial decisions. The reader is organized around issues confronting typical American consumers, such as advertising practices to beware of, tips for resolving consumer complaints, car loans vs. car leases, budgeting, and earning and maintaining a good credit score. Later chapters provide a different perspective on consumer choice by addressing topics such as consumers and sustainability, and globalization vs. localization.
For each topic students will learn about the macro-level research, as well as current research on consumers’ decisions. A series of case studies tracing the life of a couple trying to appropriately allocate their financial resources and make economics decisions provides real-world examples of consumer choices and analysis of those choices.
Knowledgeable and practical, Consumer Rights is appropriate for upper level undergraduate courses in family and consumer sciences. It can also be used in general education courses focusing on becoming an informed consumer.
Yi Cai earned both his M.S. and his Ph.D. in housing and consumer economics from the University of Georgia. He is an associate professor of family and consumer sciences in the College of Health and Human Development at California State University, Northridge. Dr. Cai’s teaching interests include consumer rights, consumer economics, family economics, and family financial issues. His primary research interests center on consumer behavior and financial literacy, specifically consumer on-line decision-making and behavior, financial risk tolerance, and the international perspective on financial planning and education.
