Consumerism

CONSUMERISM

UNIT 21

Comprehension check.

1. How can a company protect its confidential information?

2. What does the law of protection of confidential information allow?

3. What does the lack of formal protection mean?

4. How is the sanctioned protection of information viewed from public disclosure?

5. How do you understand the term ‘intellectual property’?

6. What is the difference between trade secrets and trademarks protection?

7. What have you learnt about trademarks protection?

Grammar: Complex Sentences. Types of Clauses: adverbial clauses.

Assignment 1. Read and learn the following words and word combinations.

consumerism – споживацтво, захист прав споживача (консумеризм);

right – право, consumer ~s and protection – захист прав споживача, ~ to safety – право на безпеку, ~ to be informed – право на інформацію, ~ to be heard – право бути почутим/вислуханим, ~ to redress – право на відшкодування /компенсацію, ~ to healthy environment – право на здорове довкілля/оточуюче середовище, ~ to consumer representation and participation – право на представництво та участь споживачів;

statute – статут;

standard for food quality – стандарт якості їжі;

standard for weights and measures – стандарт ваги та мір;

Consumer Bill of Rights – Закон про захист прав споживача;

eventually – згодом, зрештою;

safety requirements – вимоги щодо безпеки;

physical injury – фізична травма;

complaint – скарга;

to seek redress – звертатись за відшкодуванням;

faulty products – неякісні продукти;

environmental consequence – наслідки для довкілля;

to bear responsibility – нести відповідальність;

to reduce waste, pollution and toxic releases – зменшувати кількість відходів, забруднення та токсичних викидів;

United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection – Основні напрямки захисту прав споживача, розроблені ООН;

basic framework – основна модель/план;

baseline – базис, основа;

to be respected between nations – бути визнаним націями;

pressure group – група впливу/тиску;

Consumer International (CI) – Міжнародна Організація Споживачів;

World Consumer Rights Day – Міжнародний День Захисту Прав Споживачів.

Assignment 2. Read and translate the text.

There is no single, agreed definition of consumerism. The essence of consumerismis the promotion of consumer rights and protection. Consumers have long been protected by laws. The earliest national consumer protection statute in Britain was adopted in 1238 when standards of fineness for gold and silver were established. There existed Medieval local laws relating to standards for food quality and standards for weights and measures. However, it was not until the 1960s that the concept of consumerism really began to be developed.

In 1962 US President John F. Kennedy introduced the term ‘consumerism’ and outlined the first four consumer rights. Kennedy’s ‘Consumer Bill of Rights’ included: 1) the right to safety; 2) the right to be informed; 3 ) the right to choose; 4) the right to be heard. Eventually several more consumer rights were added: 5) the right to redress; 6) the right to consumer education; 7) the right to healthy environment; 8) the right to consumer representation and participation.

The right to safety. Making a purchase a consumer has the right to expect that the product is safe to use. This means setting safety requirements, providing full information about potential risks, protecting consumer against physical injury.

The right to be informed. Itguarantees that consumers are provided with objective adequate information on the features and prices of the products available.

The right to choose. Consumers can make an informed choice among goods and services offered at competitive prices.

The right to be heard. It allows consumers to express their opinion on the product in case of any complaint that should be fairly and promptly treated.

The right to redress. Consumers have the right to receive advice and help when seeking redress or compensation for faulty products or for injury or damage resulting from the use of goods and services.

The right to consumer education. Consumer education provides consumers with practical skills necessary to operate wisely in the market, making efficient choices and careful use of resources. Educated consumer looks at the product critically first from his/her point of view as an individual, then with the interest of the community itself. Consumer education modifies our attitude towards consumption. Critical consumers ask not only if products are safe, but if they are necessary.

The right to healthy environment. Increasing consumption leads to ever-growing use of natural resources and consumers must understand the environ­mental consequences of it. People should bear individual and social responsibility for damage caused to our environment. People should consume more wisely, reducing waste, pollution and toxic releases and ensuring that nature and natural resources are not destroyed by irresponsible producers, corporations, governments and others.

The right to consumer representation. It guarantees that consumers can participate in the development of policies which affect them. Administrative and political bodies that are responsible for consumer affairs must include con­sumer representatives.

Consumer rights are promoted and protected at different levels: local, nati­onal and international. The process of consumer rights protection resulted in the creation in 1985 of the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection. Like the UN Declaration of Human Rights the Guidelines present both a basic framework for governments to adapt to their specific situations, and a baseline for establishing a minimum standard of protection to be respected between nations.

Consumers are organized into pressure groups, unions and organizations. Consumers International (CI) is a non-profit organization founded in I960 and registered in Netherlands as the International Organization of Consumer Union (IOCU). It is a federation of consumer organizations dedicated to the protection and promotion consumers’ interests worldwide. Consumers International has 245 members in 110 countries. Every March 15 consumer groups all over the world commemorate World Consumer Rights Day.

Assignment 3. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the essence of ‘consumerism’?

2. How were consumer rights protected in early times?

3. When did the concept of consumerism begin to be developed?

4. What do you know about J. F. Kennedy’s contribution to the development of consumerism?

5. What are the basic consumer rights?

6. Why is consumer education important for nature conservation?

7. What do the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection outline?

8. How are consumers organized?

9. What international consumer organizations do you know?

10. What are the main aims of consumer unions?

Assignment 4. Ask questions to fit these answers.

1. The essence of consumerismis the promotion of consumer rights and protection. 2. The earliest national consumer protection statute in Britain was adopted in 1238. 3. John F. Kennedy introduced the term ‘consumerism’. 4. Consumer education provides consumers with practical skills necessary to operate wisely in the market. 5. Consumer rights are promoted and protected at local, nati­onal and international levels. 6. Consumers International was registered in Netherlands as the International Organization of Consumer Union.

Assignment 5. Complete the following sentences.

1. The right to safety means …. 2. The right to be informed guarantees that …. 3. The right to choose states that …. 4. The right to be heard allows consumers …. 5. The right to redress says that …. 6. The right to consumer education provides consumers with …. 7. The right to healthy environment states that …. 8. The right to consumer representation guarantees that ….

Assignment 6. The words given below are synonyms though there is s slight difference in their meaning. Consult the dictionary and match the words with their definitions.

Consumer	A person who buys something (a formal word)
Buyer	The people, especially rich people, who regularly use a shop or restaurant or the services of a professional person.
Customer	Someone who buys goods from a particular shop, restaurant, or company.
Client	Someone who is buying something expensive such as a house, company, or painting, usually from another person.
Clientele	Someone who pays for services or advice from a professional person or organization.
Purchaser	A person who buys and uses goods and services.

Assignment 7. Agree or disagree with these statements. Explain your attitude using the following phrases:

That’s wrong …

That’s (quite) right …

That’s not quite true to the fact …

According to the text…, etc.

1. The earliest national consumer protection statute was adopted in the USA. 2. John F. Kennedy introduced the term ‘consumerism’ and outlined the first eight consumer rights. 3. The right to be informedguarantees that consumers are provided with objective adequate information on the features and prices of the products available. 4. The right to be heard allows consumers to express their opinion on the product in case of any complaint that should be fairly and promptly treated. 5. The right to healthy environment guarantees that consumers can participate in the development of policies which affect them. 6. The 16^th of April is the World Consumer Rights Day.

Assignment 8. Translate into Ukrainian.

The essence of consumerism; to establish standards of fineness for gold and silver; Medieval local laws relating to standards; to expect that the product is safe to use; to set safety requirements; to provide full information about potential risks; objective adequate information; to make an informed choice among goods and services; any complaint should be fairly and promptly treated;

injury or damage resulting from the use of goods and services; to modify an attitude towards consumption; ever-growing use of natural resources; political bodies responsible for consumer affairs; to be dedicated to; to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day.

Assignment 9. Translate into English.

Єдине визначення; приймати статут; ввести термін; згодом було введено ще декілька прав споживачів; захищати споживача проти фізичних травм; характеристики наявних товарів; пропонувати товари за конкурентними цінами; виражати думку; розумно діяти на ринку; з точки зору; нести відповідальність за збитки, спричинені довкіллю; безвідповідальні виробники; представляти уряду основний план; основа введення мінімальних стандартів.

Дата добавления: 2014-11-29