Lifestyles are a topic of intense interest in sociology and critical discourse analysis.
A person’s lifestyle is the sum total of intangible and tangible factors affecting their choices, decisions, preferences and outlooks – such as social/economic background, family status, personal values, health condition and communication styles.
Location, education and culture (or sometimes a combination thereof) are the three primary influences on lifestyles. How someone lives may be greatly shaped by their neighborhood as well as proximity to natural and cultural resources.
It is not unusual for individuals to lead multiple lifestyles, and in some cases these may shift over time – particularly if they relocate.
Lifestyles provide marketers with a useful tool for segmenting and understanding their target audiences, in addition to demographic and socioeconomic data.
In conclusion, lifestyles are an accurate reflection of a person’s daily activities and life experiences.
Lifestyles have been studied since the late 1800s, yet it wasn’t until recently that sociologists made it a research priority. Recent advances have been made in recognizing and categorizing different types of lifestyles as well as studying their diffusion within populations.
