Call for Papers   

 

The Journal of Consumer Affairs   

  Special Issue on: Issues Facing Aging Consumers  

   Special Issue Editors: 

Vanessa Gail Perry, George Washington University, 

Joyce M. Wolburg, Marquette University 


  

Deadline for submissions:  June 15, 2010 

  

 

People get older, and around the world millions of consumers are moving from retirement savings, to retirement planning, to retirement, facing other problems of altered status of health, housing, education and even simple consumer tastes.  As consumers, these people face a number of changing situations and problems; sometimes the change alone is a problem as they move from work to retirement, from household to empty nest, from couples to widow/widower, or from independent to frail or less mobile. The Journal of Consumer Affairs is soliciting manuscripts for a 2011 issue devoted to theoretical and pragmatic issues facing consumers as their world changes with aging, their problems or interests as consumers in the marketplace for products, financial security, savings and health. Manuscripts esearch questions and data implications must focus on the consumer's’ point of view, but a variety of approaches are appropriate including family economics, consumer education, nutrition, public policy, consumer psychology, mass communications and marketing. Authors may submit empirical studies or conceptual work. 

  

Topics that would be appropriate for this special issue include, but are not limited to: 

  • Legal and regulatory issues for protecting interests of aging consumers 
  • Economic status of aging consumers, including retirement planning, inheritance, etc. 
  • Financial literacy and financial decision-making 
  • Access to housing and financial services 
  • Consumer understanding of medical and financial privacy practices and disclosures 
  • P ublic health issues and/or access to health care 
  • Access to goods and services 
  • The effect of product cost and availability on obesity and chronic diseases 
  • Current approaches to and best practices for improving health literacy 
  • Privacy literacy, especially of aging vulnerable consumers (e.g., low-income, etc.) 
  • Identity theft  
  • A dvertising practices, such as harmful or unhealthy messaging, stereotyping, etc.
  • Loss of youth and other social and psychological impacts of aging 

Submission Information 

  

Manuscripts are due by June 15, 2010. 

  

Please follow the submission guidelines for The Journal of Consumer Affairs as detailed on the website. Authors wishing to submit a manuscript should send two (2) electronic copies of their manuscript (one with the full title page and one copy cleaned of all information that identifies the authors) to both special issue co-editors: 

  

Vanessa Gail Perry, vperry@gwu.edu
Joyce M. Wolburg,  joyce.wolburg@marquette.edu