Lifestyle and Social Structure
Concepts, Definitions, Analyses
Published on 1. January 2013
241 pages
978-1-4832-6028-0 (ISBN)
Description
Lifestyle and Social Structure: Concepts, Definitions, Analyses is devoted the relationship between lifestyle and social structure. The book begins by constructing a meaningful concept of lifestyle in order to understand and model this relationship. The general formulation of the concept hinges on the descriptive word style, defined as ""any distinctive, and therefore recognizable way in which an act is performed or an artifact made or ought to be performed and made."" After developing the implications of the definition, lifestyle is defined, by analogy, as ""any distinctive, and therefore recognizable mode of living."" The notion of social structure is then introduced, arguing that structural differentiation engenders lifestyle differentiation. The remainder of the work is concerned primarily with the modeling of this relationship using data from the 1972-1973 Survey of Consumer Expenditures, and with the concept of stylistic unity. Key topics discussed include the relationship between the theory of lifestyle differentiation and modern economic utility theory; psychographic notions of lifestyle; and the relationships between lifestyle and other key sociological concepts (stratification, alienation). The concept of lifestyle should be of interest to a broad range of applied and theoretical researchers.
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01/1981
Academic Press
€44.64
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Author
Columbia University Columbia University, USA Columbia University Columbia University Columbia University, USA Columbia University Columbia University, USA Columbia University Columbia University, USA Columbia University, USA Columbia University
Editor
University of Massachusetts University of Michigan, USA University of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts
Content
PrefaceAcknowledgments1 Introduction2 Lifestyle and Sociological Thought Early Theoretical Approaches The Symbolic Approach Some Empirical Inquiries Defining Lifestyle3 From Style to Lifestyle: an Analogy to Art History Style in Ordinary Language Esthetic Style Idiosyncratic Style Descriptive Style Lifestyle4 Lifestyle, Consumption, and the American Experience: A Historical Sketch The Historical Argument Consumption and Expressiveness Work and Expressiveness Leisure and Consumption Summary5 Toward a Sociological Theory of Lifestyle Differentiation Where Does Lifestyle Come from? Social Structure and Referent Generators Lifestyle and Alternative Lifestyles Economic Work on Consumption The Relationship between Economic Theories of Consumption and the Sociological Theory of Lifestyle Differentiation6 Implementing the Theory: Data and Methods Indexing the Causal Factors Consumption Engel Curve Analyses The Data Estimation7 Social Structure and Lifestyle: A Preliminary Analysis Some Preliminary Results Adding Variables to the Basic Model Data Analysis Interpreting the Results Effects of the Socioeconomic Variables Summary8 Social Structure and Stylistic Unity Lifestyle or Stylistic Unity? Exploratory Factor Analysis A Confirmatory Analysis The Socioeconomic Effects Descriptive Form, Spatio-Temporal Invariance, and Social Structure: A Speculative and Nontechnical Exegesis9 Lifestyle, Stratification, and Alienation: Conclusions and SpeculationsAppendix A Creation of the Education CodesAppendix B Creation of the SEI ScoresAppendix C Creation of the Dependent VariableReferencesSubject Index
