Consumer protection efforts have evolved significantly from the early 20th century to now. Early works like Upton Sinclair's The Jungle exposed unsanitary and dangerous conditions in the meat industry, prompting President Roosevelt to push for reforms. Later, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring raised awareness of environmental issues. Today, numerous laws address consumer rights and protections in areas like banking, credit, car safety, and workers' rights. Modern technologies have empowered consumers to advocate directly through online reviews, videos, and forums, influencing corporate policies. Moving forward, businesses must adapt to increased transparency and community engagement.
1. Consumer Finance:
Consumerism - Now & Then
Fahzy Abdul-Rahman
Family Resource Management Extension Specialist
2010 New Mexico Association of Family and Consumer
Sciences (NMAFCS) Annual Meeting
April 10, 2010 - 45 minutes
3. Roosevelt:
Once Upon a Time ... “That bad?”
The Jungle (1906) book by Upton Sinclair
4. Mr. President,
The Jungle (1906) it’s 100 x worse
• "There would be meat that had tumbled out on
the floor, in the dirt and sawdust, where the
workers had tramped and spit uncounted billions
of consumption germs. There would be meat
stored in great piles in rooms; and the water
from leaky roofs would drip over it, and
thousands of rats would race about on it. It was
too dark in these storage places to see well, but a
man could run his hand over these piles of meat
and sweep off handfuls of the dried dung of rats.
These rats were nuisances, and the packers
would put poisoned bread out for them; they
would die, and then rats, bread, and meat would
go into the hoppers together."
5. President John F. Kennedy
• Consumer Bill of Rights • E.g.: In Banking industry
(1962), are the - Fair Debt Collection
following: Practices Act, the Fair
1. right to safety; Credit Reporting Act,
2. right to be informed; Truth in Lending Act,
and Fair Credit Billing
3. right to choose; and Act.
4. right to be heard.
5. rights to education
6. right to service
6. Rachel Carson - Silent Spring (1960s)
EPA; ↓ DDT, lead and cancer-causing agents
10. 1. Banking & Credit Card
• Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and
Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009
– Enforce date: February 22, 2010
– $15 billion in penalty fees
– 80 percent of American families have a credit
card, and
– 44 percent of families carry a balance on their
credit cards
16. Remember the Jungle?
Other “Muckrackers” – as coined by Roosevelt:
• Lincoln Steffens details municipal corruption in
his book Shame of the Cities
– Led to legislation that crippled the political machines
dominating the major cities in the early 20th century.
• Ida Tarbell writings on Standard Oil Company,
– Led to the break up of that company and other
monopolies
• David Graham Phillip's Treason of the Senate
created a public outcry
– Led to direct election of senators
18. Consumers in Control
• Blogs
• Reviews, Complaints: Forums, blogs, twitter
• Designs: Soda, NikeID
19. Example
• Forums
• YouTube: “DEBTORS UPDATE: BANK
OF AMERICA RESPONDS!!!” >
200,000 hits
– Ratings
– Comments
– Response by the affected party
• Bank of America to End Debit
Overdraft Fees (nytimes.com 03/10/2010)
20. New Challenges – New Solutions
Adapting to These Changes
1. Start listening - more
2. Become part of the community you serve
3. Stop being experts, start being interesting
4. Find your higher purpose
– Give but still profitable
5. Embrace the chaos
21. Consumerism:
Now & Then
Fahzy Abdul-Rahman
Family Resource Management Extension Specialist
2010 New Mexico Association of Family and Consumer
Sciences (NMAFCS) Annual Meeting
April 10, 2010 - 45 minutes
Notas do Editor
In 1906, crusading author Upton Sinclair published the book The Jungle, which exposed the gruesome conditions in the meat-packing industry in Chicago.President Theodore Roosevelt sent federal agents to Chicago in 1906 to find out if conditions were as bad as Sinclair had described them. They were a hundred times worse, the agents reported back. Within months, the U.S. Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, the first federal actions to protect the U.S. consumer from unsafe food and fraudulent medicines. To this day, the sausages, steaks, pork chops and medications consumed by the U.S. public are protected by these laws.
President Theodore Roosevelt sent federal agents to Chicago in 1906 to find out if conditions were as bad as Sinclair had described them. They were a hundred times worse, the agents reported back. Within months, the U.S. Congress passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act, the first federal actions to protect the U.S. consumer from unsafe food and fraudulent medicines. To this day, the sausages, steaks, pork chops and medications consumed by the U.S. public are protected by these laws.Federal Trade Commission, established in 1914Focused on fighting deception and monopolies
1960s with the publication of Silent Spring by marine biologist Rachel CarsonLed to the creation of the Environmental Protection AgencySince then, contamination levels of DDT, lead and cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls have declined sharplybnRGFEanuyQ
Unsafe at Any Speed (1965) book
When they plan to increase your rate or other fees. Your credit card company must send you a notice 45 days before they can increase your interest rate; change certain fees (such as annual fees, cash advance fees, and late fees) that apply to your account; or make other significant changes to the terms of your card. How long it will take to pay off your balance. Your monthly credit card bill will include information on how long it will take you to pay off your balance if you only make minimum payments. It will also tell you how much you would need to pay each month in order to pay off your balance in three years.
A 1959 Department of Commerce report projected that 51,000 persons would be killed by automobiles in 1975. That figure will probably be reached in 1965, a decade ahead of schedule. The chapter titled "The Sporty Corvair-The One-Car Accident", pertained to the first 1960–1963 models that had a suspension design which was prone to "tuck under" in certain circumstances.Auto design such as instrument panels and dashboards that were often brightly finished with chrome and glossy enamels which reflected sunlight or the light of oncoming motor vehicles into the driver's eyes. + "P N D L R“ to "P R N D L“CollisionCrashDesign-oriented
Meat industryForeign Workers – RightsHealthcare
PersonalizedPast: Sit & Listen vs. No, You Sit & ListenTraditional ways of segmenting people into age groups, Elderly are not those who sit waiting to kick the bucket … hit the floorGreener, Self-Serving, Have a Say
Less or no debtMore timeMore wealthLee familial responsibilities http://editorialexpress.com/cgi-bin/conference/download.cgi?db_name=ACE2005&paper_id=164
BlogsReviews: Forums, blogs, twitterComplaintsDesigns: Soda, NikeIDTraditional ways of segmenting people into age groups, Elderly are not those who sit waiting to kick the bucket … hit the floorGreener, Self-Serving, Have a Say