Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences 116.4 by AAFCSconnect

J O U R N A L O F

Focus on Youth

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

• Family Financial Socialization: Exploring Racial/Ethnic Differences Among Students

• Timing of age-supported housing education

• Helping Parents with Financial Literacy: A Collaborative Resource for Rural Families

• The Zeitgeist

• Exploring Gen Z Knowledge of Sustainable Home Textiles through a Teaching Module

Karin Athanas,

Scott Hall, JFCS

Portia L. Johnson; Kimberly Watkins; Megan McCoy; Kenneth J. White; Jamie Lynn Byram

SCHOLARSHIP PRACTICE

Michael Gawrys; Kim Skobba

Eric L. Batts

Catherine Amoroso Leslie

Ragul Senthil; V.An Paulins

Editor

ScottS.Hall,PhD,CFLE ProfessorofFamilyStudies Chair,Dept.ofEarlyChildhood, Youth,andFamilyStudies BallStateUniversity Muncie,IN

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BarbaraStewart

CarylJohnson

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DonnaLong

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FrancineHultgren

JacquelineHolland

JanaHawley

JenniferMartin,Ph.D.

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JoiceA.Jeffries,Ph.D.

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MiaRussell

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Patricia(Trish)Manfredi

RebeccaLovingood

SandraEvenson

SharonADeVaney

SharonHoelscherDay

TammyKinley

V.AnnPaulins

VirginiaVincenti

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FREE Professional Development Hours Online!

Calling middle level and high school science, agriculture, FCS, and health educators who teach in the U.S. and/or in DoDEA and U.S. territory schools, who are interested in FREE online professional development training from FDA. This program consists of four separate classes – one for each of the following curriculum topics:

Science and Our Food Supply: Exploring Food Agriculture and Biotechnology

Science and Our Food Supply: Examining Dietary Supplements

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Science and Our Food Supply: Investigating Food Safety from Farm to Table

Choose training in all four curriculum topics or just those that are relevant to the classes you teach. Complete the FREE online training program to earn one CEU per course upon completion. Approximate time investment is 10 hours.

This FREE PD program is supported and directed by the FDA and administered by Graduate School USA.

To learn more about the curriculum and register for courses please visit www.teachfoodscience.org.

Modern Challenges in Family and Consumer Sciences

Karin Athanas1 1 Executive Director, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences

Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences

Vol. 116, Issue 4, 2024

It can seem like every year a new challenge arises that communities must face, create solutions for, and persevere. And in those times, Family and Consumer Sciences professionals step up to offer support and solutions. These patterns can repeat, like childhood obesity, body image, and a lack of health and nutrition knowledge. Others are newer and present new obstacles, such as artificial intelligence and smart technology.

To date, twenty-one states have passed legislation related to personal finance education, ensuring that high school students are prepared to manage their finances after graduation. But where do those educators come from and how does that education get folded into current educational pathways? Luckily, the family and consumer sciences (FCS) body of knowledge has always included personal finance, financial literacy, and resource management and as such, FCS professionals are well prepared to teach these courses.

The next challenge is harder, attacks on and reductions to FCS programs over the years – both at the secondary and higher education levels – has led to reductions in available educators. Schools have had to look elsewhere to find individuals with the needed competence to teach these courses. This has overburdened the system, because these individuals then need additional education and training to teach these subjects and/or leave the education system quickly to pursue higher paying jobs in industry.

But here is the good news. Enrollment rates from higher education programs on Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies have increased by twelve percent (12%) in the last 4 years. 1 Meaning, more FCS professionals are seeking expertise in personal finance and financial literacy and can fill those employment gaps.

Enrollment in K-12 has also grown. 2 In reviewing Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) data from 2021 – 2024, membership in FCCLA programs has risen 300% in several states and a median rate of 100% among all states. 3 Meaning, more students are seeking knowledge in family and consumer sciences and those

courses at the K-12 level are leading to their pursuit of degrees in higher education.

The next step for Family and Consumer Sciences is to work with our counterparts in higher education to ensure that those students can find positions and ultimately succeed in the financial space after graduating from their FCS programs. This could be in the finance/K-12 education area, but also at banks, other financial institutions, industry organizations, and in extension.

Another area where FCS enrollment has increased is in Apparel and Textiles. This area has experienced a 19% increase in enrollment since 2020 and as interest in sustainable textiles and supply chains persist, growth in this area is expected. FCS professionals working in this space could play a pivotal role in transitioning the industry away from disposable fashion and towards things like smart textiles and circular sustainability.

Finally, enrollment in general FCS courses has risen 5% since 2020. A sign that careers in Family and Consumer Sciences continue to be a priority for students. And there are so many to choose from it’s hard to say that Family and Consumer Sciences is not the most cross-sector discipline available today. Where else could a student complete a bachelors in FCS and pursue careers in any of 10 or more specific areas. 4

Technology enhancements such as artificial intelligence and smart design including smart textiles, smart cities, and more are going to challenge individuals, families, and communities more than ever before. It’s critical that States enhance or develop FCS programs to better prepare citizens to respond to and adapt to these changes over the coming years.

The Alliance for FCS and the AAFCS are developing guidance documents and resources to better support FCS professionals, states, and the broader community as we navigate these new challenges together. For more information, visit www.AAFCS.org

1 2 3 4

https://faeis.cals.vt.edu/data-center/ 2024 Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education FCS and Human Sciences Enrollment data, https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/2024-fcshs-enrollment-report FCCLA membership data for 2021-2023: https://fcclainc.org/document/2020-2021-annual-report; https://fcclainc.org/sites/default/files/ 2022 Annual Membership Report.pdf; https://fcclainc.org/sites/default/files/2023-2024 Annual Report_0.pdf Careers in FCS, https://www.aafcs.org/resources/careers/careers-fcs

Athanas,

Propelled Toward Good

Barbara L. Stewart, Ed.D., CFCS1a

Human Development & Consumer Sciences, University of Houston

Keywords: Potential for Good

Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences

Vol. 116, Issue 4, 2024

What is it that propels you to do good? Is it a cause, a worthy example, a good night’s rest, a personal need, or a societal dilemma? I believe we are propelled toward good predicated on a natural affinity to see the good in others. We affiliate with good endeavors and champion worthy causes. This, I believe, is an outcome based on perception that people are good and have potential for good. Therefore, we seek to support and enhance individuals and communities.

Even if good is innate, life experiences, time, and environmental influences can erode or tarnish. Yet, just like a darkened antique silver teapot that we can polish to reveal again the shining glow or brilliance, we can, with effort, renew and build individuals. Where we see that good has been diminished, we set ourselves on a path of corrections to bring good back into focus and as a standard for life. The Betty Lamp, a long term symbol of this concept, refers to the role of light in this process. It derived its name from a German word “besser” or “bete” meaning “to make better.” For me, this equivocates to good - we seek better or good and do so in our professional and personal roles as teachers, researchers, and family and community members.

FCS professionals are propelled toward good, good endeavors, and desire to enhance good in people, benefiting individuals, families, and communities. We work in schools, agencies, hospitals, and homes. We work in elementary, secondary, and higher education, and in businesses, social services, organizations, and neighborhoods. We care about the good and vitality of individuals and principles within these settings. We care deeply about good both individually and collectively, and we band together through AAFCS to increase our capabilities and impacts via professional development to enhance our individual strengths. Our AAFCS collaborations enable us to magnify and extend our reach

and advocacy to augment and codify our principles and initiatives.

With a smile we take on the work of improving the good around us. Ours is a task that takes effort and fortitude day in and day out. Neither reaching the one nor impacting society happens automatically. FCS professionals put in the arduous work to personally touch individuals; share, teach, and apply improved and uplifting practices; and engage in research to improve the quality of life. What a delight it is to be so positively engaged! Our AAFCS mission elevates us by “. .inspiring research, leadership, and service to empower individuals, families, and communities.” This is the work we are propelled to do - enhancing good in the lives of individuals, families, and communities.

We often hear the phrase “the greater good” in popular jargon. This ,too, reflects a desire to make positive impacts across diverse settings and walks of life. As FCS professionals we do not have a corner on the market of “good.” We are joined by legions of individuals and organizations who share our passion. It’s so great to have compatriots! These individuals and groups join us for noble causes and solutions, good people working together to revitalize the good in individuals, families, and society.

Our task, then, is to continue to seek good, to use our natural instincts to enhance and develop good. It is likely that we each chose to be a FCS professional because of our desire to assist others. What a great profession it is to be so intertwined with and motivated by good! We are propelled toward good!

Barbara L. Stewart, Ed.D., CFCS

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CCBY-4.0). View this license’s legal deed at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 and legal code at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode for more information.

Stewart, B. L. (2024). Propelled Toward

A Question of Perspective

Scott S. Hall, Ph.D.1a

1 Dept of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies, Ball State University

Keywords: Stress, Distress, Community, Individuals, Families, Resilience

Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences

Vol. 116, Issue 4, 2024

How do Family and Consumer Sciences alleviate individual, family, and community stress? I have been focusing much of my time lately on studying the concept of stress. What we label as “stress,” however, can include different things. Sometimes we use the term to describe a cause of (usually negative) outcomes, like too much stress causing a heart attack. Sometimes we use the term to describe an outcome of problems, like pressure at work leading to bodily stress or stress in the family. Furthermore, we sometimes use the term to denote a particular process, like an interaction between a person’s abilities and environmental demands. Thus, we could accurately say that stress stresses stress, though that would not be particularly enlightening. I have found it helpful in my own mind, and in writing (Hall, 2024a, 2024b) and teaching about family stress, to think about the outcome part of stress as distress (or levels of distress). With that in mind, I might rephrase my question to how does FCS alleviate individual, family, and community distress? I also like to think about the causal aspect of stress—or the trigger—as pressure (or pressure to respond). Thus, the question could be how does FCS address pressures on individuals, families, and communities that lead to distress? But I also like to think about the process aspect of stress as a coping process (or managing responses to pressure in helpful ways), which could change the question to how does FCS foster a coping process that addresses pressures on individuals, families, and communities that lead to distress?

Not to belabor the point, but distress (and its levels) is a term loaded with negativity and, at best, neutrality. Over the past few decades, family stress scholarship has shifted

to be more explicit about emphasizing positive outcomes, not just the absence of negative ones. Concepts like resilience and flourishing have become increasingly popular and heralded by scholars and practitioners alike. What if we focus on how people can do more than just diminish experiencing high levels of distress but learn to develop new strengths and capacities as they cope with life’s challenges? Furthermore, what if our aim is to cultivate flourishing—the prominence of positive emotions, healthy social engagement, thriving relationships, meaningfulness, and satisfying accomplishments? We can modify the question to how does FCS foster a coping process that addresses pressures on individuals, families, and communities and cultivates resilience and flourishing?

I offer one more tweak to the question. Instead of just looking at the status quo, which can certainly be valuable for assessing where we are, we can also look toward the future, and imagine things as they could be. To that end, I alter the question to how can FCS foster a coping process that addresses pressures on individuals, families, and communities and cultivates resilience and flourishing? Answers to this question could vary depending on the unit of analysis—individual, family, or community. Of course, all three levels intertwine, but the approaches toward targeting a whole community can differ dramatically from those that target a family and those that target an individual.

Now that you have the question, what’s the answer? Don’t look at me, I had a hard enough time coming up with the question!

References

Hall, S. S. (2024a). Family stress: Understanding and helping families in diverse circumstances Cognella.

Hall, S. S. (2024b, September 1). Family stress research and theory LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/ posts/family-relations_blog-on-family-stressactivity-7243248283974873089-FN5d/

Johnson, P. L., Watkins, K., McCoy, M., White, K. J., Byram, J. L., & Muruthi, B. (2024).

Family Financial Socialization: Exploring Racial/Ethnic Differences Among Students and Lessons for FCS Professionals. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 116(4).

Family Financial Socialization: Exploring Racial/Ethnic Differences Among Students and Lessons for FCS Professionals

Portia L. Johnson, Ph.D.1a , Kimberly Watkins, Ph.D.2b , Megan McCoy, Ph.D.3c , Kenneth J. White, Ph.D.4d , Jamie Lynn Byram, Ph.D.5e , Bertranna Muruthi6f

1 Auburn University, 2 Dept. of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics, University of Georgia, 3 Department of Personal Financial Planning, Kansas State University, 4 Norton School of Human Ecology, University of Arizona, 5 EVOadvisers, 6 Department of Counseling and Family Therapy, Drexel University

Keywords: Financial Socilization, Financial management, Stress, Optimism, Youth and Teens

Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences

Vol. 116, Issue 4, 2024

This brief is derived from findings in White et al. (2020), “How Financial Socialization Messages Relate to Financial Management, Optimism, and Stress: Variations by Race,” in which the authors examined explicit family financial socialization (e.g., overt communication messages provided by caregivers). More specifically, the focus was on the relationship between three explicit socialization messages (saving, banking, and investing) and three financial well-being outcomes (financial management, financial stress, and financial optimism) among 14,662 college students at 52 institutions of higher learning across the United States. Financial socialization is related to children’s financial well-being, specifically through the development of financial attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge (Gudmunson & Danes, 2011) and financial behaviors (Hudson et al., 2017) Financial wellbeing is a function of one’s financial behaviors, individual characteristics, and financial stressors (Gutter & Copur, 2011) and encompasses objective measures such as income, spending, assets, and debt. Financial well-being is also inclusive of subjective perceptions like financial optimism and stress (Rutherford & Fox, 2010; Xiao et al., 2009).

To date, very little literature exists on the correlation between specific financial socialization messages and financial well-being. The publication, which is the focus of this brief, addressed this gap through two research questions: 1) How do the types of financial socialization messages given by parents to their children vary by race and ethnicity? and 2) How do the relationships between particular financial socialization messages and financial outcomes vary by race and ethnicity?

The purpose of the present brief is to highlight the applicability of findings from White et al. (2020) to Family and Consumer Science (FCS) practitioners and educators. The empirical findings are extended to recommend techniques

useful to help improve financial attitudes and behaviors among teenagers and young adults through direct intervention and education informing parents and caregivers on financial socialization.

Family Financial Socialization Theory

Family financial socialization "is the process of acquiring and developing values, attitudes, standards, norms, knowledge, and behaviors that contribute to financial and individual well-being (Danes, 1994, p. 128). To provide a summary, the theory purports three assumptions: 1) the family unit, particularly the parent-child relationship, is the primary source of socializing, 2) socialization has indirect effects on one’s financial outcomes, and 3) socialization is a lifelong process (Bakir et al., 2006; Gudmunson & Danes, 2011; Mandrik et al., 2005) For an in-depth review of family financial socialization, see Gudmunson & Danes’ (2011) review of 40 years of family financial socialization literature from 1970-2010.

Parental financial socialization has a significant influence on financial well-being. Parents may socialize their children to have less favorable attitudes, behaviors, and skills pertaining to money (including higher stress and lower optimism; Gudmunson & Danes, 2011). Although open communication in the family is one way to reduce financial stress and increase optimism (Jorgensen et al., 2017; LeBaron et al., 2018), parents often feel inadequate in their own knowledge of financial matters (Jorgensen et al., 2019; Trachtman, 1999) or avoid money conversations to protect or shelter their child (Luhr, 2018; Romo, 2011). Nonetheless, it is important for parents to have explicit financial socialization with children (Jorgensen & Savla, 2010; J. H. Kim & Torquati, 2019) The White et al. (2020)

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I have a weekly or monthly budget that I follow.

I track my spending in order to stay within my budget.

Financial Management

I track all debit card transactions/checks to balance my account.

I am confident that I can manage my finances.

I manage my money well.

I feel stressed about my personal finances in general.

Financial Stress

I worry about being able to pay my current monthly expenses.

I worry about having enough money to pay for school.

I have enough money to participate in most of the same activities as my peers do.

I have enough money to participate in most activities that I enjoy.

Financial Optimism

When I think about my financial situation, I am optimistic about the future. After graduation, I will be able to support myself financially.

I think that the cost of college/university is a good investment for my financial future.

paper focused on explicit financial socialization while highlighting racial and ethnic differences. Because categorical differences exist among racial and ethnic groups, these considerations should be accounted for in financial education. For example, Latinos and African Americans exhibit lower levels of financial well-being (Porto, 2016; Yakoboski et al., 2019)

Study Summary

White et al. (2020) used data from the 2014 Study on Collegiate Financial Wellness (2014), formerly known as the National Student Financial Wellness Survey (NSFWS), which surveyed undergraduate students at 52 colleges and universities nationwide. Variables were created using a statistical method called exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The three scales were financial management, financial stress, and financial optimism, which are all indicators of financial well-being. See Table 1 for factors included in each measure. All responses across scales ranged from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 4 (Strongly Agree). The three key independent variables of interest in White et al. (2020) correspond to explicit financial socialization messages that students received from parents before attending college (Montalto et al., 2019).

Takeaways for FCS Professionals

White et al. (2020) revealed that significant differences exist by race and ethnicity in the financial socialization messages students received from parents prior to college attendance. Differences also exist by race and ethnicity in the relationships between the messages received and the financial well-being measures included in the study. The findings also provide valuable indications on ways FCS educators and practitioners can facilitate improvements in financial management, increase financial optimism, and re-

duce financial stress among clients and customers. In this section, we align key results of White et al. (2020) with practical recommendations for FCS educators and practitioners, highlighting a few examples of financial education curricula and activities.

Focus on African Americans and Hispanics

White et al. (2020) found that African Americans:

• Received the least saving and banking messages.

• Who received investing messages had a greater average increase in financial management and financial optimism than both Asian and other students.

• Who received messages to save money had a greater average decrease in financial stress than Asian students who received similar saving messages.

Similarly, Hispanics were found to receive the least:

• Investing messages of all groups.

• Saving and banking messages of all groups, except African American students.

Further, compared to African American students, Hispanic students who received saving messages were less likely to report financial optimism. Hispanics and African Americans share similar beliefs and values about dealing with financial institutions. Both have a general distrust, the former often due to immigrant status and non-citizenship (Porto, 2016), the latter due to a history of disproportionate discrimination on the part of banks and lending institutions (Goering & Wienk, 2018; Hunter, 2019). FCS educators and practitioners can help parents, especially those who are African American and Hispanic, prepare for conversations with children that encourage saving, banking, and investing.

Alongside direct services, FCS practitioners can support parents in engaging in explicit financial socializations. Par-

ents must also be targeted by interventions to help them understand the power of financial communication and socialization. Not only regarding saving and banking, but also about how the stock market works and how to participate in investing. If parents do not have an awareness of stock market participation and the ability to invest, this may continue to negatively affect children’s financial socialization regarding investments.

Current financial education for K-12 curricula should be adapted to center on how to teach parents and their children about investing as a family. Much of the Consumer Protection Bureau (CFPB) content is available for download in Spanish and is compatible with Google Translate, which includes 133 languages. Developing technology could also be another resource. Hispanic and African American application and digital creators have made financial education apps that are inclusive of the culture of both groups. Hispanic users may benefit from an app such as Finhabits, “a bilingual digital platform designed to make savings and investment accessible for Latinos” and is a registered investment adviser (RIA). “OfColor” is a “Black-owned financial wellness startup on a mission to improve the financial lives of workers of color.” Finhabits and OfColor provide content, tools, and access to financial coaches to help users.

As found by White et al. (2020), African American and Hispanic populations were among the least likely groups to receive messages related to investing. It has been estimated that only 28% of Hispanic households and 39% of African American households invest in the stock market compared to 66% of white households (Desilver, 2024) However, lack of participation alone does not explain why so few Hispanic and African American households invest. In other literature, immigration status, language barriers, financial exclusion, limited capital, and lack of knowledge were found to be primary reasons for low investing behaviors (Blanco et al., 2019).

Additionally, FCS practitioners should ensure that their financial education interventions be in languages and dialects commonly used by members of the Hispanic and African American communities and provided by a facilitator who is a trusted person for either group who best understands the culture of the group. Partnering with organizations such as UnidosUS, the Urban League, or local community groups would be beneficial as they provide resources and research on financial empowerment for both groups.

FCS practitioners can help members of both communities by working with trusted banks, such as Cooperativa Latino Credit Union and OneUnited Bank. Those financial institutions provide translation services and financial professionals to members of their local communities. Also, such organizations might help practitioners identify webinars, brochures, and other financial education materials that are in the primary language of the practitioners’ customers, clients, and constituents.

Focus on Investing Education

Although not touched on yet, it is important to note that saving and investing messaging was particularly high among Asian students. Yet financial stress was also high,

and their optimism and financial management scores were low. Asian students as compared to:

• The other races/ethnicities, were most likely to receive saving and investing messaging.

• African American students who were encouraged by their parents to save money, Asian students who also received the saving message were more likely to report financial stress.

• African American students who were encouraged by their parents to invest money, Asian students who also received the investing message were less likely to practice positive financial management and less likely to be optimistic about their financial futures than African American students.

The White et al. (2020) study shows that for all racial/ ethnic groups, when investing messages were communicated, higher financial management scores, higher financial optimism, and lower financial stress resulted. This highlights a need for education on investing curriculum development and dissemination, especially among Asian students who are likely having investing conversations in the home. Moreover, since 58% of students, regardless of racial or ethnic categorization, did not receive investing messages from parents prior to attending college, investing education could be beneficial for all students. More curricula offerings on investing should be included in FCS programming. Such investing programs should cover risk, time value of money, and financial goal setting.

Love Your Money (www.loveyourmoney.org) is an educational resource funded by a grant from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and coordinated through the University of Tennessee. In addition to modules and quizzes on basic investing, the site covers topics such as spending, budgeting, and fraudulent schemes concerning money.

Financial services companies like Fidelity have information to help parents teach their teens about investing (https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/teach-teens-investing). The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) offers resources for classrooms and students to introduce investing to teens (https://www.investor.gov/additional-resources/information/youth/resources-classrooms). Private companies, such as Everfi, offer free lessons for K-12 teachers and school districts to teach investing to students (https://everfi.com/ courses/k-12/investment-education-high-school/). Organizations such as Money Matters for Youth offers financial literacy programs, which includes a component designed to teach youth about investing (https://www.moneymattersforyouth.com/)

Focus on Family Units

In short, the White et al. (2020) study supports previous findings that financial socialization is important as students who engaged in financial conversations at home with their parents were more likely to have better financial outcomes (Fan & Chatterjee, 2019). Further, FCS professionals might target family units as they may be collectively expe-

riencing especially high stress and lower optimism related to finances. White et al. (2020) observed that as parents’ income level increased, student financial stress decreased, and financial optimism increased.

Money Habitudes (www.moneyhabitudes.com) is a cardstyle, game-like tool that aids people in understanding their habits and attitudes towards money. Questions included in the game allow people to consider how, when, and why they use money. Cards can be ordered in English and Spanish, and a teen version is also available. This game can provide the opportunities for parents to have explicit financial socialization messages in a gamified way.

Opportunity Knocks (www.opportunityknocks.net) is a television show on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) that chronicles the experience of six families on their path to financial transformation. The series showcases the potential for expert financial coaches, community non-profits, and not-for-profit credit unions to partner with families to break down systematic barriers to financial capability.

Focus on Women and Girls

White et al. (2020) also found that on average women had lower financial management scores, high financial stress and lower financial optimism than men. This finding isn’t surprising, considering that financial literacy is often lower among women (Lusardi & Mitchell, 2008) FCS practitioners might strategically seek to increase financial messaging with girls especially since low financial literacy in women as compared to men is well documented in the personal financial literature (Agnew & Cameron-Agnew, 2015; Bucher-Koenen et al., 2012; Chen & Volpe, 2002)

Increasing programs that target young and teen girls and parents of female students by partnering with organizations whose mission is to elevate, empower, or educate girls such as Financial Literacy Organization for Women and Girls (FLOW) or the Girl Scouts of America (GSA) could also be fruitful. FLOW programs are focused on economic literacy, entrepreneurship, and asset building. GSA offers girls the opportunity to earn over 50 badges related to financial literacy and entrepreneurship from kindergarten through high school (GSA, n.d.). GSA programs include financial education activities that are centered on skills related to goal setting, decision-making, money management, people skills, entrepreneurship, and business ethics. In one study, an abbreviated summer camp program showed that even short financial education programs can lead to an increase in young girl’s financial knowledge and confidence (Watkins et al., 2018) Similar camps could be replicated by FCS educators with partner organizations that focus on girls and personal finance.

Focus on Age-Appropriate Education

Finally, although age is incorporated in the White et al. (2020) study only as an independent variable in the analysis, it is important for FCS educators to consider the age-appropriateness when introducing financial concepts. Youth develop a greater capacity to comprehend and reason as they grow, and financial concepts build on each other.

Therefore, education should be appropriate to the student’s level of cognitive development. There are several guidelines on introducing age-appropriate financial topics. Generally, such guides suggest introducing the concept of saving first, banking next and investing last. For example, the Money Milestones for Kids infographic (Johnson, 2022) outlines financial concepts stages and tools for ages 1-18 with saving being introduced in early middle years (ages 6-8), banking in late middle years (age 12-14), and investing in early and late teen years (12-18). The money milestones infographic is comprised of key early financial capability concepts found in resources such as the Financial Building Blocks (CFPB). The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Financial Building Blocks suggest that educators think of financial concepts as building blocks to financial capability. CFPB resources offer topics, books, games, and activities at each developmental stage.

One component of the CFPB’s offerings, Money Monsters (www.Consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/educator-tools/youth-financial-education/teach/money-monsters/), is a series of stories for ages 6 to 9 about the Money Monsters, a group of creatures who are new to our universe, and how they learn about managing their own money through videos and activities. Children’s books with financial themes can be useful tools to read even to toddlers. Milton the Money Savvy Pup (www.miltonthesavypup.com) is an example of a series of children’s books about money. This series features Milton, the savvy pup, as he uses his money smarts to teach readers about valuing and managing money. The site also provides free resources including educational coloring worksheets and posters. Another great resource is the Four Money Bears (www.thefourmoneybears.com) website designed for children aged 5 to 10. The site is centered around the book, “The Four Money Bears” in which each bear represents a money function: Spend, Save, Invest, and Give. The website offers numerous resources around the Money Bears story and concept.

For teens ages 13 and older, the online program CashCourse – (www.cashcourse.org), sponsored by the National Endowment for Financial Educators (NEFE), offers online workshops for students. CashCourse covers a wide range of topics, such as budgeting and planning, spending, debt and credit cards, educational expenses, setting financial goals, and saving. MoneySmart, sponsored by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (www.fdic.gov/resources/ consumers/money-smart/index.html), is a financial education program for individuals of all ages. The program offers interactive games (www.playmoneysmart.fdic.gov) and simulated experiences to enhance financial skills and form positive banking relationships. MoneySmart also offers podcasts and other resources to foster growth.

Conclusion

Adults often feel discomfort with their money management skills, experience financial stress, or lack optimism about their financial futures. For these reasons, adults may deliberately shield their children from conversations about money and interaction with financial concepts. However, family financial socialization is linked to better financial

outcomes, as individuals who discussed financial matters as children with their parents were more likely to experience better financial well-being (Fan & Chatterjee, 2019; Gudmunson & Danes, 2011; J. Kim & Chatterjee, 2013; J. H. Kim & Torquati, 2019; Serido et al., 2010; Shim et al., 2015; Watkins et al., 2023). FCS educators and practitioners can facilitate greater family financial socialization through tar-

geted education and outreach, giving parents the tools to confidently engage their children with finances.

References

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Johnson, P. (2022). Money milestones for kids (No. FCS-2644). Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama A&M University and Auburn University. https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/finance-career/ money-milestones-for-kids/

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Resources for Financial Educators

Educational Resources

1. CUInsight (Credit Union) https://www.cuinsight.com/ financial-education-for-kids-creating-a-financiallyinclusive-society/

2. Financial Building Blocks (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ consumer-tools/educator-tools/youth-financial-education/teach/

3. JumpStart – Financial Smarts for Students https://www.jumpstart.org/

4. SmartPath (University of Cincinati) www.smartpathlearning.com

5. Peter Pig - Practical Money Skills (VISA) www.practicalmoneyskills.com/play/peter_pigs_money_counter

6. Milton the Money Savy Pup www.miltonthesavypup.com

7. Everfi (Blackbaud) https://everfi.com/

8. Four Money Bears – www.thefourmoneybears.com

9. Fidelity - https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/ personal-finance/money-smart-kids

10. Finhabits https://finhabits.com/

11. CashCourse – www.cashcourse.org

12. Love Your Money - www.loveyourmoney.org

13. Money Habitudes - www.moneyhabitudes.com

14. Money Matters for Youth https://www.moneymattersforyouth.com/

15. Money Milestones for Kids - https://www.aces.edu/ blog/topics/finance-career/money-milestones-forkids/

16. MoneySmart for Young People (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - FDIC) (www.fdic.gov/resources/consumers/money-smart/index.html)

17. MoneySmart for Adults Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - FDIC) (www.fdic.gov/resources/consumers/money-smart/index.html)

18. Opportunity Knocks – www.opportunityknocks.net

19. US Securities and Exchange Commission (U.S. SEC) https://www.investor.gov/additional-resources/information/youth-resources

Potential Partner Organizations

1. Cooperativa Latino Credit Unionhttps://latinoccu.org/

2. Credit Abuse Resistance Education (CARE) www.Care4yourfuture.org

3. Financial Literacy Organization for Women and Girls (FLOW)- http://sitting-pretty.org/about-us.html

4. Girl Scouts of America (GSA)https://www.girlscouts.org/

5. OfColor - https://www.ofcolor.com/

6. OneUnited Bank - https://www.oneunited.com/

7. Urban League - https://ulgatl.org/

8. UnidosUS - https://unidosus.org/

Gawrys, M. R., & Skobba, K. (2024). Timing of Age-Supported Housing Education. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences 116(4).

Timing of Age-Supported Housing Education

Michael R. Gawrys, Ph.D.1a , Kim Skobba, Ph.D.2

1 Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, Virginia Tech, 2 Housing and Consumer Research Center, University of Georgia

Keywords: Housing, Housing Awareness, Age Supported, Youth, Partnership with 4H

Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences

Vol. 116, Issue 4, 2024

Individuals aged 12 to 18 are establishing housing connections that could significantly impact their future housing choices when they are particularly susceptible to external influences. Recognizing the impact of early life experiences can enhance educational initiatives to assist adolescents in making more informed housing decisions. The research underscores the connection between age and the development of housing awareness. In particular, the period from 14 to 15 year olds emphasizes the role of timely intervention in shaping how adolescents think about their future accommodations. Primary sourced survey research, conducted in partnership with 4H, provides a critical opportunity to better understand when to engage these adolescents with housing education.

Introduction

Historically, research on adolescents and housing has concentrated on the physical and cognitive development within their current living arrangements. These investigations regularly emphasize the pivotal role of housing quality and stability in childhood development (Clair, 2019; Coley et al., 2013; Matel, 2020) While previous studies acknowledge the impact of a child’s environment on housing outcomes (Matel, 2020), much of this literature portrays adolescents as passive recipients of family housing (Brewer, 1986) However, children actively engage and influence their residential experiences, emerging as some of the most intense users of the housing environment (Brewer, 1986; Elliott et al., 2016)).

The socialization of adolescents plays a significant role in shaping their behavior, with parental and family housing choices reflecting the opportunities available to both parents and their children (Bartlett, 1997) Adolescents learn and develop their understanding of socially acceptable behavior through exposure to various formal and informal structures, and these influences impact their decision-making processes. The developmental transitions within adolescence introduce a challenging phase, marked by sustained social influences from schools, peer groups, social media, and the community, often testing adolescents’ decision-making abilities (Bradley & Corwyn, 2001). In the absence of educational or curricular support, decision-making tends to be influenced by social comparisons to peers, particularly as adolescents have lower cognitive resistance to these external pressures (Presser et al., 2004)

Therefore, the purpose of the study is to explore the interaction of age and influence during a formative life tran-

sition. The focus is on the manifestation of future housing-related outcomes during a period of adolescence. Specifically, how often do adolescents think about the future residence in which they would like to live? The results of this research may provide insights in supporting more informed housing decision-making both now and in the future.

Literature Review

Adolescents aged 12 and 18 undergo significant social development while becoming more consciously aware of their surroundings (De Leeuw, 2011) This transition is often characterized by questioning beliefs, evaluating selfagency, and attempting to exert control over their environment (Bradley & Corwyn, 2001) Any lack of adequate housing-related support during this transition will accentuate a gap in how adolescents evaluate their living standards and gain exposure to various housing alternatives (Severson & Collins, 2020) Over the past few decades, public education has disinvested in housing-related curricula despite the significant impact of housing on individuals’ lives (Joo et al., 2017). Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS), formerly home economics, has regularly fallen victim to budget cuts across numerous school systems. An estimated 153 FCS educator preparation programs have been eliminated recently, and 13 states no longer offer programmatic support (Bowers & Myers, 2019). Initially, what was a localized issue in specific school districts has now escalated to become a nationwide challenge, affecting both the availability of teachers and the curriculum (Barnum, 2018)

As adolescents gauge their circumstances against broader reference groups, encompassing peers, neighbors,

Visiting Assistant Professor Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor

and even more abstract connections to county and state residence, propositions become more age-dependent. Formal and informal structures influence adolescents to adhere to socially acceptable behaviors (Bradley & Corwyn, 2001) This conformity contributes to the noteable evolution of housing attitudes during adolescence, a transformation occurring over a relatively brief period of time. Shifts in housing attitudes coincide with substantial physical and cognitive development during adolescence (Borgers et al., 2000; Crockett & Crouter, 1995; De Leeuw, 2011)

Therefore, preparing adolescents to meet their housing needs and gain insight into housing decisions as future housing consumers should arguably be integral to a comprehensive education (Barnum, 2018; Emmel & Cummings, 1999) Housing shares similar educational goals as other publicly supported initiatives, such as healthy behaviors, financial literacy, food safety, sustainable consumption, and overall well-being (Bowers & Myers, 2019). However, housing is rarely recognized for its salient contributions to public school curriculum and broader educational development (Barnum, 2018; Browne et al., 2006)

Existing research overlooks a critical progression in housing behaviors during adolescent development. Educators and other community stakeholders recognize that housing opinions and attitudes develop earlier than expected within one’s life cycle (Brewer, 1986) Unlike apathetic consumers, youth are shown to be individual agents of change, indicative of their future housing demands (Brewer, 1986). The existence of opinions, attitudes, and awareness at a younger age, regardless of immediate action, plays a significant role in perpetuating socially motivated behavior. The contrast between influence and control introduces a temporal misalignment, wherein current events, typically perceived as an external locus of control, diverge from long-term preferences, where individuals can exercise more internal control over life decisions (Liu & Aaker, 2007) Without structured support, these timely influences risk projecting an ill-informed interest in or inconsistency with today’s educational development (Joo et al., 2017) Research suggests adolescents start conditioning their housing expectations based on informal supports, potentially hindering later and more informed decision-making (Brewer, 1986).

The current study investigates the role that individual characteristics, including age, race, sex, and residence, have on the timing of future housing decisions. After all, housing-specific outcomes are a sequence of roles, events, and social transitions (Elder, 1994) Individuals’ lives are shaped by the physical and social circumstances in which they live (Elder, 1994, 1998). As a result, demographic characteristics raise awareness about the factors that shape future outcomes and the emergence of specific needs. Age represents a critical variable, focusing research efforts on studying an adolescent population, yet it remains imparative to test and control for similarly defining charactertics.

Method

The purpose of this study was to assess the value proposition of housing among adolescents in relation to their

age development. The evaluation was based on the premise that awareness of housing increases with age, and the research aims to determine when adolescents become cognitively engaged in developing future housing preferences. Of particular interest is obtaining these results from a targeted adolescent population between the ages of 12 and 18 years. Cognitive functioning becomes “formally operational” during these formative years of development, enabling formal thinking, negation, and logic (De Leeuw et al., 2012; Presser et al., 2004) This development is a fundamental shift in adolescents from understanding what is real to perceiving what is possible. A critical shift toward understanding the intertemporal impact of current influences upon future life decision-making.

The sample of adolescents for this research comes from Georgia’s 4H program in collaboration with state extension agents. The participation criteria for 4H programming, in which the researcher specifically collected the data, closely mirrored the targeted population. The organization holds an annual conference in late fall that offers a critical opportunity to engage adolescents within a central location. The mix of age, county, and socioeconomic status of participants at this conference provided to a diverse sample for evaluating the research.

The survey is a modification of Dr. Gwendolyn J. Brewer’s 1986 work on housing awareness among pre- and earlyadolescent children in Appalachian Kentucky. Brewer’s research influenced the design and questions of the current study, but the methodology was updated to remove openended responses, minimize forced-choice options, and clarify wording. These changes were crucial for maintaining a consistent and supportive survey environment (Dillman et al., 2009) The scope was expanded to include middle and high school students, accommodating a broader population. Consequently, the survey was developed specificially for the education, reading, and language skills of the intended.

Data collection involved a cross-sectional, self-administered survey, which included identifying nondescript, general demographic information. The research adhered to the approved Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol, which included specific considerations to the age of research participants such as excluding sensitive information and ensuring participant anonymity. A letter was sent to all participating 4H members one month in advance of the conference requesting their involvement. The letter notified participants and their legal guardians that the research was a voluntary activity offered during community service workshops and opting-out would have no bearing on the participants conference experience. Additionally, in order to ensure adequate participant engagement, the researcher conducted a pilot test with local high-school students during a 4H monthly meeting. The results, exempt from formal analysis, helped gather participant feedback and gauge initial survey outcomes. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, noting the survey’s clarity and brevity. Commentary included suggestions for replacing the term “dwelling” with “residence”, clarifying what is meant by a “neutral” response, and improving picture supported selections. Final

edits of the survey incorporated all relevant suggestions from pilot participants.

The research outcomes focused on the results of a one specific survey question: “How often do you think about the residence you would like to live in?” The null hypothesis asserts the absence of statistical relationships, capturing homogeneity in variable relationships. The independent variables represent the participant demographics; including age, sex, race, and residence. The dependent variable represents the frequency level with which a participant thinks about their future residence; including not at all, a little, and a lot.

Ho: There is no significant relationship between the frequency an adolescent thinks about their future residence and (i) Age, (ii) Sex, (iii) Race, and (iv) Residence.

Chi-square testing assesses the association between demographic characteristics and future housing considerations. The testing is chosen to accommodate the categorical nature of the independent and dependent variables. The rejection level is set at the standard p < 0.05 for statistical significance, with the relationship’s direction and magnitude measured accordingly.

Findings

Overall, the researchers worked closely with statewide 4H administrators to properly distribute and collect pertinent information. Conference guidelines were set for eligibility based on 4H membership status and age thresholds. A total of 447 surveys were completed, resulting in a response rate of 46.9 percent. Majority identified as female (62.0 percent), White non-Hispanic (70.9 percent), and were an average age of 14.3 years. The participating sample of 12to 18-year-olds were statistically representative of conference demographics. Additionally, only 20 participants, or 4.3 percent of the unadjusted completions, failed to meet age criteria and were removed from the research. The results, however, were less than 9.3 percent of the total 4-H members in attendance outside the target range.

Survey participants were asked to indicate the frequency with which they consider future housing accommodations: not at all, a little, or a lot. The corresponding proportions of responses were 25.7 percent, 50.0 percent, and 24.3 percent, respectively. To ascertain whether these outcomes exhibit a significant correlation with participants’ age, sex, race, or residence, Table 1 presents the results of chi-square testing. The variable of race did not meet the criterion of having below 20 percent of their expected count less than 5, leading to reliance on the likelihood ratio test as an adequate alternative measure for variable relationships. Conversely, age, sex, and residence satisfied the assumption. Further inclusion of Cramer’s V in the analysis was to account for the interaction of variables where the proportions are not equal (Creswell & Creswell, 2017). Therefore, the sequence of testing validates variable significance at heightened levels of complexity.

The results in Table 1 reflect a significant association of future residence with categories for age and residence, exhibiting p-value(s) < .01. The variable effects, further indi-

cated by Cramer’s V, substantiate their impact on the associated dependent variable. Race demonstrates a significant relationship of p-value < .05, but its impact diminishes with the effects of Cramer’s V. Combining this outcome with its failed assumption results in its exclusion from further significance testing. Therefore, the proceeding analysis focuses on the primary relationship between future housing considerations and the independent variable of age.

The average age for each response was 13.8 years for “not at all,” 14.2 years for “a little,” and 15.0 years for “a lot.” The results suggest that time spent thinking about future housing increases with age. Figure 1 illustrates the mix of responses of participants ages in years. The bars on the graph denote the frequency of responses for each selection as compared across years.

Based on the graph, the proportion of participants who selected “a little” remains relatively consistent across the entire distribution. The response largely avoids unexpected age shocks except for small movements at 15 and 16 years of age. Meanwhile, the pronounced activity occurred in the outer responses of “not at all” and “a lot.” Therefore, additional consideration is given to where these responses intersect. Between the ages of 14 and 15, the proportion of responses experienced a noticeable change. Participants who are less than 14 years are less likely to have responded “a lot,” but those who are older than 14 years are less likely to have responded “not at all.” This trend continued suggesting a measurable linear relationship between variables. As age increased between 12 to 18 years, a growing proportion of participants increased the frequency in which they thought about future housing outcomes.

In summary of the hypothesis, sex, and race lack adequate evidence in their statistical relationship with the frequency of future housing considerations. While the geographic residence does offer a statistical association, its value in predictability as an independent variable remains uncertain. Yet, age shows a moderate-to-strong statistical relationship with how often participants think about the residence in which they would like to live. Chi-square testing and simple linear regression provide statistical support for this outcome.

Discussion

The research study highlighted how individual characeristics of age, race, sex, and residence can influence the timing of future housing considerations. In adolescence, individuals take steps to question family dynamics, navigate social expectations, and discern peer inequalities (Svetina et al., 2013) While understanding improves with age, the persistent pressure to conform to socially acceptable behavior endures (Svetina et al., 2013) Adolescents consistently assess themselves compared to others (Zlotnik & Toglia, 2018), yet whether this evaluation aligns with actual conditions remains uncertain. As age increases the scope of reference widens, adolescents shift their focus from within the household to more extensive social comparisons. Yet, despite increasing cognitive abilities, adolescents ultimately remain susceptible to growing external pressures and outward comparisons (Presser et al., 2004).

Table 1. Chi-Square Testing for Future Housing Considerations

Figure 1. Frequency Distribution

The research supports the presence of future housing outcomes in participants as young as 12. While these individuals have limited control over current housing conditions, prior research has shown these adolescents to be engaged in early life experiences (De Leeuw, 2011). Although the research showed that even the youngest adolescents demonstrated housing awareness, translating current conditions into a future state required a more age-specific dependency. As suggested by prior hypothesis testing, those 15 years and older were more likely to consider future housing, reflecting the subtle coincidence of adolescents’ transitioning from middle to high school (Gawrys & Skobba, 2024)

The research had two primary limitations. First, the study’s population had an expansive geography, which restricted the ability to include more localized socioeconomic variables. The questions were designed as assuming a secondary sources could be used for broader economic data (i.e., Census Bureau), but lacked depth of sample density at any particular location. Thus, the research relied on participant responses in describing thier own socioeconomic conditions, often in comparison to their peers. Second, social pressures may have influenced participant responses, especially regarding more sensitive topics. The researcher was aware of these issues throughout the process and steps were taken to ensure anonymity and mitigate social concerns by staggering start times and arranging students in different locations around the conference room. At no point, were answers to be shared with participants during or after survey completion.

Application

Housing education has long been underrepresented in school-based curricula. Once a cornerstone of the family and consumer sciences program, housing education is now available in a limited capacity within school classrooms (Bowers & Myers, 2019; Joo et al., 2017) FACS educators play a crucial role in facilitating adaptation to change, and there is a growing need for these professionals to advocate and enhance the quality of education of future housing consumers (Barnum, 2018) Until housing education is prioritized, informal social relationships will continue to fill the void of educating these young and inexperienced housing consumers (Joo et al., 2017; Swafford & Rafferty, 2016). Prior analysis indicates a significant disparity in stakeholders’ aptitude to address housing-related topics (Joo et al., 2017). Additionally, adolescents should be notified of this disparity as a broader social challenge for which they must inevitably share the responsibility (Emmel & Cummings, 1999)

To adequately equip today’s youth for future challenges, there is a need to incorporate housing-related content into educational resources (Barnum, 2018) The medium of education is critical to the future of housing as educators currently working in elementary, secondary, and adult programs are found to instigate some of the most meaningful changes in the immediate future (Good, 2000) Such programmatic integration could take various forms, such as establishing a separate curriculum, utilizing existing housing education programs (Habitat for Humanity, n.d.), leveraging the role of extracurricular (i.e., 4H) during the school day, or building upon the recent emphasis on financial literacy. Effectively delivering this content helps prepare students to be college and career-ready by focusing on life

skills while integrating and reinforcing other core academic subjects (Barnum, 2018). Yet, if funding remains a significant issue, targeting specific times or life stages when intervention techniques can be efficiently deployed becomes paramount. As indicated in the preceding research, transitioning between middle and high school may offer the timeliest opportunity. It provides a natural transition to deliver housing content with the most meaningful and direct

impact on this population. As a result, educators must engage the structured supports and necessary materials during such critical age junctures (Barnum, 2018; Emmel & Cummings, 1999; Good, 2000). This provides a possible solution that satisfies the needs of the students while balancing the growing demands on public education resources.

References

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Batts, E. (2024). Helping Parents With Financial Literacy: A Collaborative Resource for Rural Families. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences 116(4).

Helping Parents With Financial Literacy: A Collaborative Resource for Rural Families

Eric Batts, Ed.D.1

1 Department of Adolescent, Career and Special Education, Murray State University

Keywords: Financial Literacy, Family Resource, Rural Families

Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences

Vol. 116, Issue 4, 2024

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators are often tasked with teaching financial literacy to high school students. Many states have adopted financial literacy as a high school graduation course requirement. However, the need for financial literacy does not end in high school. Many parents could benefit from additional financial literacy resources, especially for people living in rural communities. This paper addresses a gap in the literature by helping FCS educators lead a community financial literacy program for rural families through collaboration with local financial experts.

Helping Parents with Financial Literacy: A Collaborative Resource for Rural Families

Adult and Community Learning

Community education promotes collaboration among a diverse group of individuals, creates an environment for lifelong learning, and provides a response to address community issues (Florida Atlantic University, 2024) Adult education is part of community education and offers additional opportunities that are not present in teaching children. Knowles (1984) developed the theory of adult learning called andragogy. Knowles’s theory consists of the following: growth in people’s maturity changes their learning style from dependent to self-directed; maturity leads to an experience that serves as a valuable resource for learning; maturity leads to an increase in readiness to learn based on problem-solving; adults are motivated to learn through intrinsic motivation (Knowles, 1984). Adult learners are older and can use their past experiences in their learning. Because of this, instructors are better suited to act as facilitators of information as opposed to serving in a pri-

mary teaching role. By allowing the facilitator to provide “bits” of information as helpful tips, adult learners can apply their experiences to the information provided by the facilitator. This process can motivate adults to learn by empowering a sense of self-directed learning (Goddu, 2012)

Parenting Today

Words often associated with the role of parenting include, among others, nurture, structure, love, care, and stability. A role often overlooked is intentionally teaching their children how to make sound financial decisions. The word “intentionally” is important because parents are teaching their children financial decision-making by their financial behaviors, whether they realize it or not. Parents who communicate with their children about sound financial behaviors can positively affect their children’s future financial decisions through adulthood (LeBaron et al., 2020) This can only occur if parents have sound financial knowhow, which is a vital point considering research has shown the majority of people with a low level of financial literacy seek guidance on the most important financial decisions from their parents, friends, or acquaintances (Rooij et al., 2007).

Economic Challenges

Being a parent can come with excess stress and concerns, especially financially. Housing, transportation, food, clothing, medical, and child care are all financial responsibilities that parents consider when raising a child. With the link to higher poverty levels in rural communities, financial concerns are even more pressing. Data from a Pew Research Center study revealed that 37% of lower-income parents struggled to pay for health care, while 38% of parents stated

the inability to pay for child care at various times throughout the year (Braga, 2022).

The latest USDA report on the cost of raising a child indicates parents will spend an estimated $233,000 to raise a child through the age of 18 (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2017). Current economic conditions in the United States indicate the cost of raising a child is even greater today. For example, in 2022 alone, food prices at grocery stores rose over 11% and an additional 5% in 2023. Restaurant dining also increased by nearly 15% over the two years (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2024). Housing prices have hit record highs too. Between January 2022 to January 2023, consumer prices for shelter rose nearly 8%, representing a 12-month increase that has not been recorded since 1982 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023a) Average retail gasoline prices in March 2024 were $3.43 per gallon, a number that was $1.84 per gallon four years earlier (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2024). While these numbers are staggering, it is concerning when housing, transportation, and food represent 63% of U.S. household annual expenses (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023b)

Financial strain can have devastating effects on the entire family. Research has shown that financial stress experienced by parents can directly and indirectly affect a child’s behavior. The effects are greater in low-income households (Ponnet, 2014) Being prepared is often a strategy to help decrease stress in certain situations. A recent study shows that parents are learning to build financial resiliency by changing their financial strategy (New York Life, 2023). This information is evidence that parents are motivated to seek out opportunities to achieve stronger financial health.

Financial Literacy in Rural Communities

Financial literacy is heavily associated with sociodemographic characteristics and family financial knowledge (Lusardi et al., 2010). The latest national income data shows rural communities have a poverty rate of 15.4 percent, which is 3.1 percent higher than poverty levels in urban communities (U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, 2023) The elevated poverty rates of rural communities are even more of a concern since rural residents lack the level of financial literacy of those in urban areas.

Financial literacy is associated with better financial outcomes, leading to less debt, stronger credit management, and an understanding of how to save for short and longterm financial needs (Valladares, 2020) People with higher levels of financial literacy are also better prepared for financial emergencies. A study revealed people with a higher level of financial literacy are more capable of covering a $400 emergency expense or generating $2,000 within 30 days of a similar need (Hasler et al., 2018). The COVID-19 pandemic, which contributed to a 10 percent decrease in rural jobs in 2020, is a recent example of how financial conditions can suddenly change (Davis et al., 2023)

The Five-Step Process

An opportunity exists when there is a need. In this instance, the financial literacy need for parents in rural communities is evident, and FCS educators have an opportunity to lead a community initiative for parents in their community. A five-step process is outlined below to help FCS educators lead the initiative.

Step 1: Collaborate

When building a collaborative team, members must be knowledgeable about the topic, understand the overall goal, share resources, and be willing to contribute. While it is beneficial to have members from the local community, adding experts from the surrounding communities is advisable if the primary community lacks certain resources. This can be common in rural areas. An example team may include the following: FCS educator, FCS extension agent, banker, insurance agent, accountant, financial advisor/ planner, attorney, and family financial counselor.

While financial experts certainly understand the financial needs in their community, having a diverse group of parents involved in the group would provide additional first-hand experiences that can help generate ideas for specific workshops. In addition, the parents can also help market the program to their network of friends and family who may benefit from the event. The parent group can either be part of the collaborative team or participate in a focus group led by the FCS educator. The ideal size for a focus group is 5-8 people, which allows all participants ample time to share their ideas.

Tip: Financial institutions are typically very supportive of these educational endeavors. In rural communities, banks not only provide financial services but also find opportunities to better serve their community. The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (CRA) encourages financial institutions to participate in community outreach by meeting the credit needs of low and moderate-income communities (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2023) Therefore, banks may also be eager to be a part of a community financial literacy initiative due to CRA credit.

Step 2: Establish Goals

It is very important to remember the target audience when establishing goals and creating a vision. Complex language and a lack of simple explanations can cause confusion and disinterest from parents. The team could research and compile useful data to help target the needs of local parents. Topics of interest may include some of the following: budgeting (e.g., food, shopping, wants vs. needs), saving money, loans, building credit or improving credit, understanding insurance products, short-term and long-term saving options, estate planning, and taxes.

Step 3: Develop a Plan

The leader must understand how communication relates to effective collaboration. Communication means more

than simply conversing between members of the group. In this instance, the team lead develops structure by communicating the expectations of the program to the team. It is important to note that goals and expectations can change based on input from the team, which can be viewed in a positive light, as the increased structure will ensure greater buy-in from team members. The team will need to develop a plan on how to achieve the goals. Will this be a single event? Will it consist of a workshop or lecture? What material will be used? Where will the event be located? Will there be food? If so, who will prepare it? All of these are valid questions that would require planning.

Tip 1: This is a great opportunity for FCS culinary students to prepare the meal if it is an option.

Tip 2: Presenters will typically provide their resources. However, it is important to verify before any event who will provide resources and learning materials if needed. There are also free financial literacy resources available online from reputable agencies (e.g. Federal Reserve System).

Marketing any event should be tailored to the target market. Social media and word-of-mouth are two of the most common and effective free avenues FCS educators can use to market this program. Print media can be in the form of newspaper advertisements but can be costly. Family and consumer science educators can also organize a sponsorship from the school’s FCS student organization, allowing the school to help promote the event. Regardless of the marketing strategy, it is important to communicate to parents that the entire family is welcome to attend the event. This can be helpful to parents who do not have childcare while attending the event.

Step 4: Execute the Plan

As with any event, simply prepare and plan appropriately to successfully execute the plan. A best practice is to have the FCS educator serve as team lead for direction and troubleshooting. In the event the FCS educator is unable to perform the lead duties, an additional team member should be designated as team lead to sustain any barriers to execution. Barriers to execution typically arise from poor planning and lack of program structure. The leader bears the

responsibility of constant monitoring during the event to ensure proper pacing and organization. Potential examples of obstacles could include troubleshooting technology, alternative delivery methods in place of unresolved technology issues, additional seating arrangements, and cancellation or modifications due to a weather event.

Step 5: Reflect

Reflection is beneficial after executing any plan. The team will want to provide a survey for feedback from the parents. Effective surveys should be clear, concise, and easy to complete, such as creating an online survey with a QR code for easy registration. The QR code can be displayed on a screen, presentation, or paper. There should also be paper copies of the survey in case participants prefer this method or in the event of technology issues. The survey can also help uncover additional community education opportunities and guide future planning. Lastly, the team should meet to review the survey results and reflect by answering the 3 following questions: What went well? What could we improve? What would we do differently next time? Answers to these questions, along with the feedback from the participants, can lead to a better experience and stronger outcomes in future events.

Conclusion

The five-step process could help bridge the gap between the lack of financial education in rural communities and parents who desire to learn effective financial solutions. The process also encourages stakeholders to be involved and offer continued support for future events. Rural communities benefit from collaboration, and many times all that is needed is for someone to initiate the process. It is important to note that while this paper focuses on rural financial literacy opportunities given the greater need, the 5-step process can also be implemented in urban areas. Family and consumer science educators have a unique opportunity to lead an initiative for the betterment of the community.

Published: December 31, 2024 EDT

References

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. (2023, October). Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) https://www.federalreserve.gov/ consumerscommunities/cra_about.htm

Braga, D. (2022, December 7). One-in-four U.S. parents say they’ve struggled to afford food or housing in the past year Pew Research Center. https:// www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/12/07/onein-four-u-s-parents-say-theyve-struggled-to-affordfood-or-housing-in-the-past-year/

Davis, J. C., Cromartie, J., Farrigan, T., Genetin, B., Sanders, A., & Winikoff, J. (2023). Rural America at a glance: 2023 edition U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. https://doi.org/10.32747/ 2023.8134362.ers

Florida Atlantic University. (2024). What is community education? College of Education. https:// www.fau.edu/education/centersandprograms/csmcc/ whatiscommunityeducation/ Goddu, K. (2012). Meeting the challenge: Teaching strategies for adult learners. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 48, 169–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 00228958.2012.734004

Hasler, A., Lusardi, A., & Oggero, N. (2018). Financial fagility in the US: Evidence and implications. Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center. Knowles, M. (1984). The adult learner (3rd ed.). Gulf. LeBaron, A. B., Holmes, E. K., Jorgensen, B. L., & Bean, R. A. (2020). Parent financial education during childhood and financial behaviors of emerging adults. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 31(1), 42–54. https://doi.org/10.1891/JFCP-20-00021

Lusardi, A., Mitchell, O. S., & Curto, V. (2010). Financial literacy among the young. The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 44(2), 358–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/ j.1745-6606.2010.01173.x

New York Life. (2023, April 18). Newsroom New York Life. https://www.newyorklife.com/newsroom/ wealth-watch-parents-financial-confidence

Ponnet, K. (2014). Financial stress, parent functioning and adolescent problem behavior: An actor-partner interdependence approach to family stress processes in low, middle, and high-income families. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 1752–1769. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s10964-014-0159-y

Rooij, M. v., Lusardi, A., & Alessie, R. (2007). Financial literacy and stock market participation. National Bureau of Economic Research.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023a, February 16).

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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023b, September 8). Consumer expenditures-2022 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ cesan.nr0.htm

U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2017). 2015 expenditures on children by families report USDA. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2024, April 25). Summary findings USDA Economic Research Service. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-priceoutlook/summary-findings/

U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2023, November). State data https:// data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?ID=17854

U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2024, April 22). Petroleum and other liquids. EIA. https:// www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/ LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epmr_pte_nus_dpg &f=m

Valladares, M. (2020). Financial literacy Is more essential than ever Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ mayrarodriguezvalladares/2020/12/15/financialliteracy-is-more-essential-than-ever/ ?sh=6032a3ba6304

Leslie, C. A. (2024). The Zeitgeist: Student Perspectives of the Spirit of Our Time Spring 2021-2023. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences 116(4).

The Zeitgeist: Student Perspectives of the Spirit of

Our Time Spring 2021-2023

Catherine

Amoroso Leslie, Ph.D.1a

1 The School of Fashion, Kent State University

Keywords: Covid-19, Zeitgeist, Student Perspectives, Generation Z

Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences

Vol. 116, Issue 4, 2024

This article presents an exploration of college student perspectives of their zeitgeist over five semesters during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. At the start of each semester, from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, between 100 and 150 individuals offered words and/or phrases which they believed characterized the spirit of the time. While this practice article does not evaluate anything formally, results from more than 500 students indicate commonalities and differences that provide insights to the mindset, interests, and concerns of Generation Z consumers of fashion goods and education.

Zeitgeist: “the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time” (Oxford Reference, n.d., para. 1).

One of the first concepts that students learn in the fashion forecasting process is that effective forecasts touch elements and attitudes that customers are feeling which are reflected in their desire for fashion goods (Divita, 2019). In the online pandemic learning environment, there was a desire to connect students with each other and the material in a more effective way (Conrad et al., 2022; Firmansyah et al., 2021; Wong, 2020). One strategy is to make learning more personal, which is what led to the concept of asking students for their input and applying it within the course. To that end, I explored college student perspectives of their zeitgeist over five semesters during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. At the start of each semester, from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, between 100 and 150 students per semester offered words and/or phrases which they believed characterized the spirit of the time. Results from more than 500 students indicate commonalities and differences that provide insights to the mindset, interests, and concerns of Generation Z consumers of fashion goods and education.

The intention of this article is to share and present the most frequently mentioned words and/or phrases which were on the minds of an example group of college students during and after the pandemic. The process and results demonstrate how FCS professionals can create learning activities that connect students’ lives with academic concepts, and at the same time offer a reflection of the times in which we live. By being the source of the material, student voices were integral, offering an assignment with meaning that then served as a foundation for understanding. Students who participated had ownership in the outcome, giving them a direct link with what was being learned in the

course. This activity reinforced the idea that there is a zeitgeist which each and every student experiences, a spirit of the time that they could harness to connect with consumers in forecasting fashion elements and styles.

The Project

The setting of this project was a fashion forecasting course in a large program at a Midwestern university in the United States. The course description is “Identifying trends to develop fashion forecasts. Interrelationships of forecasting promotion, public relations, and the fashion media will be explored.” The majority of students were third year with some in the fourth year taking as a requirement for the Fashion Merchandising major and/or Fashion Media minor. At the start of each of the five semesters (from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023), students were assigned to list five words/phrases they believed expressed the zeitgeist, or spirit of the time on the course discussion board. Students then were asked to “second” or “like” one word from each of three classmates, resulting in a total of eight words/phrases for each student enrolled in the course. The assignment was as follows:

Zeitgeist Activity: Discussion Board post

1. List FIVE words or phrases, that describe/characterize the zeitgeist of our current time in (Semester and Year).

◦ This can reference Dominant Events, Dominant Ideals, Dominant Social Groups, Dominant Attitudes, Dominant Technology, etc.

2. Then, Respond by “seconding” one word from three Classmate’s posts. Review Discussion Board posts. Post ONE word that THREE your Classmates used, that you would like to “second”

◦ Total Deliverable–FOUR posts: 1) one post with your FIVE words and 2) ONE word in response to three different classmate’s posts

Words were downloaded from the discussion board into a Word document. This required removing extra spaces between posts. Words/phrases were isolated if there was other text included in the post, such as “my words are,” or other extraneous information. This created a list for analysis. All words were then converted to lower case, spelling errors corrected, and an underscore inserted to connect words in phrases. No other editing was done from the original expression that the students made.

The list of words for each semester were copied/pasted into the text option of an online wordcloud generator (www.wordclouds.com). The wordcloud generator offers different options in font, size of text, color scheme, and shape of the wordcloud. A black background with bold colors in an oval shape was selected based on preference and could be changed easily. The result was a visualization with the most frequently mentioned words appearing the largest. The wordcloud generator also produced a report of the “weight” or number of mentions of each word/phrase. The visualization clearly showed the words that were most frequently mentioned by the students, and therefore, represented the top concepts in what they perceived as the spirit of their time. The wordcloud for each semester was shared with students by posting on the class website. Students were asked to review the wordcloud results and then to select three to five words that they would use to guide their individual project throughout the semester. These words provided a foundation for individuals to connect their brand and customer with the larger concept of the spirit of the time, in this case, the time in which the students themselves lived and identified. For the purposes of this article looking at the wordclouds over time, results were analyzed to identify patterns both within context of each semester and between semesters to provide insights in student perspectives and indications of interests that will influence desires, actions, and behavior going forward. The analysis was based on frequencies of words/phrases using a constant comparative process, relating each semester’s words to lists generated from previous and subsequent semesters.

While the students worked with a wordcloud for their own specific semester, the results of this assignment can provide insights into change and continuity during the pandemic years. To recall the sequence of events and provide context for the wordclouds, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the university went remote in March 2020. The following semester, Fall 2020, was all remote learning. This project began in January 2021 for the Spring semester when fashion merchandising courses, including Fashion Forecasting remained in the remote learning format. Over the course of five semesters from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023, a total of 523 students participated generating 1220 words/phrases. The most frequently generated words expressing student perceptions served as data for this case. As a point of comparison, results present the wordclouds (Figure 1) and highlight the five highest mentioned words for each semester (Table 1).

In Spring 2021, students most frequently indicated a sense of hope with 25 mentions/seconds of hopeful and 20 of hope. The third most frequent word was sustainability with 15 mentions. This was followed by uncertainty, also 15, and change (13). Sustainable received 13 mentions/seconds, leading to a total of 28 for the concept of sustainability and sustainable combined. When students returned to some in-person classes in Fall 2021, the most frequently mentioned words were innovative and pandemic, receiving 17 each followed closely by comfort with a frequency of 16.Other frequently mentioned words were anxious (9) and adaptable (8).

The university returned to all in-person learning in Spring 2022, with 13 mentions of excited followed by bold with 12, and comfortable with 11. Anxious was in the fourth position with 10 mentions and 10 students mentioned overwhelmed. With a vaccine requirement and the majority of Covid-19 restrictions lifted, students returned to school in Fall 2022. The most frequently mentioned word was sustainability (24) followed by activism and individuality with 18 mentions each. Students offered divided (15) and bold (12)as top mentions in this semester.

The final semester included in this study was Spring 2023 with students once more presenting sustainability as most frequent with 29 mentions. The next top words were nostalgia (17) and change (13). These were followed by hopeful and virtual with 12 mentions each. When combining the words/phrases generated over the five semesters, the top five frequencies were sustainability (75 mentions), hopeful (60), change (43), sustainable (40), and comfort (38).

Identified patterns seem to support the concept of a changing zeitgeist in the words/phrases generated by the sample of students who were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the height of the pandemic, in Spring 2021 students were hopeful for a return to normalcy, focused on sustainability, while managing a high level of uncertainty and what seemed to be constant change. In Fall 2021, student’s concerns shifted to reveal the high impact of pandemic and feeling anxious during this unprecedented time. Words indicate they were seeking comfort while being innovative and adaptable. By the time they returned to all inperson classes in Spring 2022, students expressed that they were excited and feeling bold. They had shifted from the concept of comfort to the state of being comfortable. Yet, at the same time, these participants continued to note feeling anxious as well as overwhelmed. With the height of pandemic behind them, students once more noted sustainability most frequently in Fall 2022. Connection with the previous list was seen in the word bold remaining near the top, now joined by individuality. Spring 2023 continued the frequent words/phrases of change, hopefulness, and sustainability, with nostalgia as a potential emerging trend.

Reflection

The inspiration for the zeitgeist assignment came from a desire to better connect students with the materials, to give them a feeling of ownership in the learning process. By surveying students about their thoughts in the form of words/

phrases, this process created a tangible expression of what the students were thinking. This was interesting in and of itself, giving the class and instructor a visual of what was on top of mind. The zeitgeist wordcloud gained greater value when it was applied to the student projects, extending their perceptions to the concept of a spirit of the time that could be harnessed to inform classwork and, simulate how a company would seek to meet its customer needs.

FCS professionals in different areas could utilize the tool of a wordcloud to visualize student input in a number of ways. The wordcloud generator not only works with a list of words, but text can be used to create a cloud. An example of how this tool can be used would be asking students to journal or to write essays that could be visualized in a wordcloud. The result is quite striking and revealing as the cloud emerges to show the most frequently mentioned words. The wordcloud could be used as a point of discussion or a point of departure and even a point of comparison, not only over time as in this project, but between groups or individuals in the same time. Students could use wordclouds in their own writing to see if the point they are making is coming through. They could use wordclouds with the works of others to visualize the main concepts. Wordclouds are quite effective for teaching and learning in a variety of instances.

In conclusion, this project revealed some commonalities and differences that provide insights to the mindset, inter-ests, and concerns of our students who are Generation Z consumers, highlighting their enduring interest in sustain-ability despite the influence of pandemic. Of course, this project included only one group of students from one uni-versity. The analysis could be more precise in that it may have not accurately reflected the true frequency of pre-sented concepts when expressed in different word forms. For example, if hope and hopeful were combined in a single term representing that concept, the weight would reveal increased frequency than currently presented. Further exploration could focus on certain words and reasons for their appearance or disappearance in over time. First of these may be sustainable and sustainability which were in the top five mentions in Spring 2021, then not notable at all in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, emerging again with the highest fre-quency in the post-pandemic period of Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. This case reveals that among these college students, the macro trend of sustainable thinking was not as front of mind in the height of the pandemic, yet emerged again strongly once the crisis time had passed.

Figure 1. Wordclouds by semester.

References

Conrad, C., Deng, Q., Caron, I., Shkurska, O., Skerrett, P., & Sundararajan, B. (2022). How student perceptions about online learning difficulty influenced their satisfaction during Canada’s Covid-19 response. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(3), 534–557. https://doi.org/10.1111/ bjet.13206

Divita, L. (2019). Fashion Forecasting (5th ed.). Fairchild Books/Bloomsbury Publishing. https://doi.org/ 10.5040/9781501338663

Firmansyah, R., Putri, D. M., Wicaksono, M. G. S., Putri, S.F., & Widianto, A. A. (2021). The University Students’ Perspectives on the Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning Due to COVID-19. Proceedings of 2nd Annual Management, Business and Economic Conference. https://doi.org/10.2991/ aebmr.k.210717.025

Oxford Reference. (n.d.). Zeitgeist. Oxford Reference,Com Dictionary. Retrieved September 8, 2024, from https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/ 10.1093/oi/authority.20110803133418753

Wong, R. (2020). When no one can go to school: does online learning meet students’ basic learning needs? Interactive Learning Environments, 31(1), 434–450. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1789672

Senthil, R., & Paulins, V. A. (2024). Exploring Gen Z Knowledge of Sustainable Home Textiles Through a Teaching Module. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 116(4).

Exploring Gen Z Knowledge of Sustainable Home Textiles Through a Teaching Module

Ragul Senthil1 , V. Ann Paulins, Ph.D.1a

1 Department of Human Sciences, Fashion and Retail Studies, The Ohio State University

Keywords: Generation Z, Home Comfort Products, Home Textiles, Sustainability, Teaching Sustainability

Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences

Vol. 116, Issue 4, 2024

A sustainability module was developed for a college-level textiles course that included active and participatory learning strategies about home textiles products. Through pedagogical activities it was confirmed that students began the module with a basic understanding of sustainability, a general desire to reduce carbon footprints, and desires for ethically sourced textile products. The teaching module offered ideas for students to enhance their knowledge of sustainable textiles while compiling information about limitations to students’ understanding of the complex topic of sustainability.

Since Ellen Swallow Richards first introduced chemistry as a means to “change the world” in the 19th century, family and consumer scientists have embraced many methods to teach contemporary and relevant ways to make positive differences in our society. Dreilinger (2021) noted that people want FCS courses “to teach life skills so that kids can be better-functioning adults” (p. 292) and elaborated that students should learn about “labor problems of Southeast Asian sweatshops” and “ways to limit the pollution caused by fabric dyes and create nontoxic alternatives” (p. 293). Moreover, Borsari (2016) urged the integration of sustainability education at U.S. colleges and universities, supporting Stall-Meadows’ (2010) suggestion to do so in FCS. Grant (2022) asked the question “are we doing enough?” and opined that “as a field, [FCS educators] have not done enough to ensure the success and continuation of the next generation” (p. 9). She urged action, suggesting that global sustainability must be prioritized as FCS curriculums are developed and rebranded.

Recent Challenges and Changes in Students and Educational Learning Environments

Raised in a society inundated by social media, digital technology, and environmental and political issues, Generation Z “traditional aged” college students – born between about 1996 and 2003 even had their educations disrupted by COVID-19, forcing many of them to endure virtual classes, often in their bedrooms. Members of Gen Z are concerned about social, economic, and environmental issues (Ansar, 2013) and they are prepared to pay for environmentally friendly goods (Nikolić et al., 2022) Furthermore, Gen Z members increasingly experience work-from-home career opportunities. Therefore, Gen Z students are likely to have

different views, habits, and experiences than earlier generations when it comes to home textiles, and are positioned to consume them liberally.

Sustainability Education in Family and Consumer Sciences

Sustainability is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p. 37). The AAFCS Accreditation Standards (2019) further elaborate, “sustainability involves managing resources wisely, protecting the environment, promoting sustainable practices, and creating public policy from generation to generation (p. 16).”

Sustainability issues are ever-evolving, providing new opportunities for FCS (Makela, 2003; Norum, 2018; Thompson et al., 2012). Pontikis et al. (2011) focused on ways to include sustainability content in textiles courses while Norum (2018) presented a teaching module that addressed clothing production issues. This teaching activity introduces a new context – home textiles – as the focus for a sustainability learning module and capitalizes on Gen Z lived experiences in a post-COVID era. The COVID-19 pandemic fuelled consumption of “soft” furnishings for homes (Fazzare, 2020) Economically, the global home textile industry was worth almost $200 billion in 2021 with annually anticipated compound growth of 5.6% through 2030 (“The growing,” 2023).

Theoretical Considerations

McGregor (2022) noted that “philosophy guides behavior (p. 47).” The educational philosophy for this project is

based on social reconstructivism – anticipating that students gain knowledge about sustainability that will advance their learning and ultimately empower them to contribute to the betterment of society. Active- and group-based peer learning were implemented to support cognitive and attitudinal changes (Cross & Steadman, 1996).

Burns et al.'s (2019) Model of Sustainability Pedagogy provides a pedagogical framework that prepares learners to be change agents who address complex sustainability challenges. Through the model’s five dimensions, students engage in transformative learning that motivates potential shifts in their values that can result in authentic change in their own lives and in their communities. Per the Burns model, this assignment facilitated students to

• co-create content,

• engage in dialog that produced diverse perspectives,

• participate in an active and relational process,

• in the context of sustainability of home textile products education,

• with a design goal of transformative learning.

The implementation of each of these activities is described in the sections that follow.

Activity Procedures

This teaching activity was conducted at a large midwestern university in a textiles class with 28 students, all members of Gen Z. The majority of students were female (89%) and white (71%). All of the students indicated some experience with shopping for home textiles products which facilitated their ability to participate in this teaching module effectively.

Aims of the Teaching Module

The primary purpose of the class activity was to investigate consumer awareness among the students and to engage them in reflective dialog about their pre-existing knowledge, opinions, and perspectives regarding sustainability of home textiles so that pedagogies to support their knowledge growth could be identified and further developed. The students’ knowledge, opinions, and perspectives were documented so that future textiles instructors can replicate the assignment and add to the body of knowledge about Gen Z learners in a textiles context. Through their learning it is anticipated that the students will transfer their knowledge into career and consumer applications.

Learning Module Implementation

To establish a baseline of student knowledge, and to enable students to co-create the content about home textile products through active learning, they were assigned to seven groups: living room, kitchen, table top, bed, bath and pet, floor and upholstery, and outdoor accessories.

The home textiles categories were provided so that students could consider a range of products that fit into the home textiles realm. While students may or may not have actually shopped for the specific category of items to which

they were assigned, all were familiar with the categories through lived experiences. Using a brainstorming strategy as the first step in the content creation process, students collectively listed all of the home textiles products that they could think of in their assigned category and then identified brands/stores where they would prefer to purchase the products; members of each group also discussed how they define sustainability. This dialog enabled the diverse perspectives of group members to be shared and considered. Additionally, as a group, they discussed what sorts of labels or tags they have seen on the market for home textile products. The next stage in the process was individual documentation of their own preferences and tendencies to buy (or not) sustainable and eco-friendly home textile products. Students were encouraged to consider their own feelings and experiences while also reflecting on the information presented and shared by classmates; it was emphasized that there were no “right” or “wrong” answers.

Assessments

After completing and sharing out the group activity, students individually completed a survey about their preferences when buying home textile products. Each student answered six multiple choice questions that addressed their consumption and disposal behavioral experiences related to home textiles and four open-ended questions (See Table 1).

Teaching Module Feedback

The students were observed gaining awareness of their own behaviors as well as learning from their peers during the group activity. They were able to reflect on consumer perspectives that affect decisions by considering their own lived experiences. Students reported price as the most important consumption decision-making factor (See Table 2); their identified preferred brands reflect the importance of affordability, quality, and design appeal in their decisionmaking process. The students displayed a familiarity with buying home textiles through listing a range of stores where they seek the products. All students supplied the names of at least five stores where they shopped for (or could shop for) home textiles. The stores included big box, discount stores, home furnishing stores, pet stores, sporting goods stores, mainstream apparel stores, and thrift stores. Their store choices and comments reflect a strong interest in shopping in-store as well as online for home textile products. For future learning modules, using these retailers for hands-on learning projects may appeal to students as they draw from their current knowledge and experiences to develop new knowledge about the textile products in a constructivist learning manner.

While price was a key reason for making purchases in general, students also reported that sustainable products tend to be higher in quality and provide better feel than other products, providing good content for discussion about price, quality, and consumer values. Notably, some students indicated that without actually shopping in stores where they can see and feel the textiles, they are unable to

Multiple Choice Items Response Choices

1. What is your priority consideration when buying home textiles 1. Design (color/pattern)

Price

Touch and Feel 4. All of the Above

2. What is your preferred mode of shopping for Home Textiles products?

3. How frequently do you shop for home textiles?

4. Do you look into fiber composition while shopping for home comfort products?

5. Which type of “linen” do you shop for most frequently?

Online

Yes

Bed linen

Living room linen

Kitchen linen

Table linen

Other (please specify)

6. What is your preferred mode of disposal of home textile projects? 1. Garbage

Thrift store / donation

Give to friends & family

Other (please specify)

Open-Ended Questions

• What factors influence your decision to purchase and not to purchase sustainable or eco-friendly home textiles?

• Do you feel that retailers and manufacturers provide enough information about the sustainability and eco-friendliness of their home textile products?

• Have you noticed any differences in the quality or feel of sustainable or eco-friendly home textiles compared to non-sustainable options?

• How do you feel after buying sustainable products?

In response to “Your main priority when buying home textiles is” (select your priority): Responses to choices provided in survey; students listed all that applied)1

• Price

• Quality

• Design

• Texture/Feel (Hand)

1Some students selected “all of the above”; thus, totals > 100%

experience any tactile attributes of the home textile products prior to purchasing. The consistently held notion that sustainable textiles are of higher quality is an intriguing topic for further learning exploration. These responses prompt opportunities for future learning activities where students could scientifically test the comfort of a variety of textile products that fall across the spectrum of sustainability.

Collectively, students articulated a basic understanding of sustainability and their myriad of responses reflect the

complexity of the concept of sustainability and are in alignment with the United Nations and AAFCS definitions of sustainability. Notably, the phrase “ethically sourced,” though accurate, is vague and indicates opportunities for learning more specificity about how ethics can play out in home textiles development, sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution. In particular, the relatively low number of students mentioning working conditions and fair trade indicate opportunities to further emphasize human capital aspects of sustainability in future classroom modules.

Table 2: Students’ Reported Most Important Consumption Decision-Making Factor for Home Textile

Regarding the disposal of home textile products or waste, respondents expressed varied preferences and behaviors. Some preferred disposing of home textiles in regular garbage, while others opted for donation to thrift stores, giving to friends and family, or upcycling to promote sustainability. Textile disposal (both personal and retailer- or manufacturer-assisted) is another excellent future topic for learning modules about textile sustainability.

The majority of students (20 of 28 or 71%) expressed that retailers and manufacturers do not provide enough information about the sustainability and eco-friendliness of their home textile products. This suggests that there is a perceived lack of transparency and clarity in communicating the sustainability aspects of these products. Additionally, this is an area for inclusion in teaching about sustainable textiles – exploring ways that manufacturers communicate about their products and instructing students about how to learn about sustainable aspects of products on the market. Furthermore, this general perception among Generation Z students that more efforts need to be made by retailers and manufacturers to improve the transparency and information provided regarding the sustainability and eco-friendliness of home textile products offers insight for brands manufacturers to enhance communication and provide clear and easily accessible information about the sustainability credentials of their products – activities that some of these students might undertake in career roles. As future leaders in the industry, students can begin in a textiles classroom to create such communication strategies.

Limitations of the Teaching Module

This teaching activity was an opportunity to explore and benchmark students’ knowledge so that future teaching modules can be developed that build on what students know and what learning opportunities could be identified. Additionally, our small class lacked race and gender diversities; future implementation of this teaching project would be enhanced through multiple interactions among students

in a variety of class levels and geographic locations as well as with more diverse students.

Implications, Applications, and Recommendations for Future Research and Curriculum Refinement

Overall, it was observed that students drawing from their own experiences provided a rich context for understanding their baseline knowledge about textile properties, including sustainability issues related to home textile product production, selection, and disposal. Because students possess a basic knowledge of sustainability, they are ready to leverage that knowledge and their concern for environmental wellbeing to address creative solutions that can be applied in their own lives as consumers and in their future careers. The focus on home textiles and sustainability provided a forum for students’ reflection about their experiences and behaviors and for learning with a social reconstructivist philosophy – that is students can take this information and advance social reform in their roles as consumers, community members, and for some students – as industry leaders. This curricular approach is adaptable to FCS students at middle and high school levels as well as for college students.

Upon reflection of the in-class group and individual activity instrument, the following recommends are offered for the future:

• Incorporate pre- and post-assessment instruments to measure documented learning outcomes.

• Build information about specific textile agriculture and manufacturing processes into the module so that students can accurately understand and identify where sustainable fibers exist and where sustainability issues arise (e.g. processing, dying, distribution) that can negatively affect the sustainability value of fibers.

• Provide opportunities for students to test the tactile as well as performance (pilling, stability through laundering, etc.) aspects of home textiles.

• Determine with more specificity the extent to which students actually shop (or have shopped) for home textiles, and collect information about their levels of spending and source(s) of funds for spending.

• Provide on-site teaching activities where students can actually go to one or more stores, observe the home textiles offerings, and review information on the tags.

The students’ reflections and comments indicate that some “unlearning” needs to occur regarding the true sustainability of some textile items – such cellulosic rayon textiles. While students were aware of greenwashing, they were not always able to discern when what they believed to be true resulted from greenwashing.

The home textiles teaching module that assessed and built upon Generation Z students’ knowledge of sustainability highlighted a range of perspectives among partici-

pants and provided insight into strengthening the way sus-tainability knowledge can be incorporated into textiles courses in the future. Furthermore, as these students move into career positions, their own reflections of factors that affect consumption choices – beyond and in addition to sustainability – are anticipated to inform them as mer-chants, retailers, brand managers, designers, and product developers. This class of students reflected the notion that Gen Z demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainable practices, signaling a promising future for sustainable de-velopment and strong potential for responsible consumer behavior and industry leadership.

References

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