Abstract
In effect, one of the primary missions of ethnographic research is to explore the lifestyles of the people falling within its purview. Yet, rare indeed it is to find a study in the several disciplines presently conducting such research where this idea serves as the avowed focus of data collection. The concept of lifestyle is first reviewed, then defined with an eye to establishing a generic conception sufficient for guiding ethnographic exploration in a wide range of areas. Next, lifestyle is located theoretically with reference to the concepts of culture, status, status group, subculture, idioculture, everyday life, and social world. The many different types of lifestyles in modern life are then briefly examined. Finally, we consider certain methodological approaches thought to be especially appropriate for exploring lifestyles.
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Stebbins, R.A. Lifestyle as a generic concept in ethnographic research. Quality & Quantity 31, 347–360 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004285831689
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Keywords
- Data Collection
- Everyday Life
- Methodological Approach
- Generic Concept
- Status Group