Lifestyle

In sociology a lifestyle is the way a person lives. This includes patterns of social relations, consumption, entertainment, and dress. A lifestyle typically also reflects an individual's attitudes, values or worldview.

Having a specific "lifestyle" means engaging in a characteristic bundle of behaviors that makes sense to both others and the self in different times and places. Therefore, a lifestyle can be used to forge a sense of self identity and to create cultural symbols for the way a person is. The behaviors and practices within lifestyles are a mixture of habits, conventional ways of doing things, and reasoned actions.

In business, "Lifestyles" provide a means of targeting consumers as advertisers and marketers endeavor to match consumer aspirations with products. Lifestyles refer to patterns in which people live, spend time and money. These patterns reflect by demographical factors (the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level and so on… that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group); that include things such as the individual’s activities in addition to their interests. As a construct that helps consumers interact with their worlds, lifestyles are a subject to change every time. Consumer behaviour research uses lifestyle data to determine which consumers by products.

In environment, "Lifestyles" are often assocaited with particular footprint. Green lifestyles are those lifestyles that consume less of the planets resources then other types of lifestyles. If everyone on the planet had a lifestyle like the typical north american then we would need over 40 earths to sustain the global population.

The term "lifestyle" first appeared in 1939. Alvin Toffler predicted an explosion of lifestyles ("subcults") as diversity increases in post-industrial societies. Pre-modern societies did not require a term approaching sub-culture or "lifestyle", as different ways of living were expressed as entirely different cultures, religions, ethnicities or by an oppressed minority racial group. As such the minority culture was always seen as alien or other. "Lifestyles", by comparison, are accepted or partially accepted differences within the majority culture or group. This tolerance of differentiation within a majority culture seems to be associated with modernity and capitalism.

Within anarchism, lifestylism is a belief that by changing one's own personal lifestyle, and by retreating from class struggle, an anarchist society can be formed.

The term "the lifestyle" can also mean what is more commonly called swinging or may refer to those who engage in BDSM activities. Also called the "alternative lifestyle," people in "the lifestyle" most commonly are part of a couple; often a married couple. They meet other like-minded couples or occasionally singles to engage in sexual acts or activities involving BDSM "play." Not all BDSM activities are sexual, so they may also meet to educate, support, or help others who are in "the lifestyle." People in the lifestyle meet on various different websites, as well as in private and public clubs. They may or may not be active within their group, and they may or may not make their "lifestyle" known to others. Therefore, being active in the lifestyle doesn't mean they are "out" in the lifestyle.