Starting point. Voluntary simplicity is a form of lifestyle. Its typical feature is selection intensity in all areas of human life. Severity of voluntary simplicity lies in self-control of consumer behavior in the daily confrontation with the media pressure, which is oriented at a high rate of consumption. The task of this thesis was to find out if people raised in voluntarily simple families keep living this way, or if they turned away from this lifestyle and joined the high consumption society. Methods and results. Research included 40 respondents who met the requirement that voluntary simplicity was part of their upbringing. Addressed were people from alternatively living groups (preppers, ecovillages, macrobiotics, minimalists, forums dedicated to maternal education and child care, and other groups possessing forums on an alternative way of life of voluntary simplicity). The investigation was conducted by a questionnaire which was distributed electronically among respondents. We found that 13 out of 40 respondents (32,5 %) fully met our stated profile of voluntary simplicity. Relative frequency of responses from all respondents that meet the requirements of modest behavior amounted to 74,3 %. Hypothesis H1 predicted that the influence of upbringing in a voluntary simplicity will make respondents prefer...

The object of this work is mobile dwellers in Germany and Portugal. This lifestyle express itself firstly in the form people create their home. This lifestyle appear as an alternative to the mainstream society. These difference everyday practices are anchored in different perception of what constitutes a good-life and happiness for people. The choice of home place of mobile dwellers is defined by the perception of good life and imagined ways to seek for it too. To understand how they perceive a good life, enables us to understand what they strive for and how do they motivate their lifestyle choices. Research Problem How do mobile dwellers comprehend good life and happiness as an alternative to the dominant norms of the society? Research Tasks 1. To define analytical framework, which could be used for analysis of good-life of mobile dwellers? 2. To compare how the contradiction between ideas of good-life of mobile dwellers and mainstream is experienced and evaluated? 3. To reveal how ethics, morals and ideologies influence their notions of good-life? 4. To reveal how they feel about their lives? Method The empirical data for the work was gathered through 2 months fieldwork in Portugal and Germany. The main methods employed were participant observation and conduction of ethnographic notes, 18 in-depth, semi-structured interviews of approximately 1,5 hour. Snowball method was used to make contacts and move from people to people. Some extra information was gathered in the... [to full text] / Šio darbo objektas yra mobilieji gyventojai Vokietijoje ir Portugalijoje. Šis gyvenimo būdas pirmiausia skleidžiasi per tai, kaip gyventojai kuria savo namus. Jis randasi kaip alternatyva dominuojančiai visuomenei. Šios skirtingos kasdienio gyvenimo praktikos kyla iš skirtingo tų žmonių gero gyvenimo ir laimės supratimo. Pasirinkimas, kaip kurti savo namus, yra tampriai susijęs su gero gyvenimo ir laimės suvokimu ir įsivaizduojamais būdais jo siekti. Atskleidimas to, kaip jie suvokia gerą gyvenimą, leidžia mums suprasti dėl ko jie stengiasi ir kaip motyvuoja savo gyvenimo pasirinkimus. Tyrimo problema Kaip mobilieji gyvetojai supranta gerą gyvenimą ir laimę kaip alternatyvą dominuojančios visuomenės normoms? Tyrimo uždaviniai 1. Nustatyti analitinius rėmus, kuriuos pasitelkiant galima būtų atlikti mobiliųjų gyventojų gero gyvenimo analizę. 2. Nustatyti kaip yra suprantama ir vertinama prieštara tarp gero gyvenimo idėjų tarp mobiliųjų gyventojų ir pagrindinės visuomenės. 3. Atskleisti kaip etika, moralė ir ideologijos veikia gero gyvenimo supratimą. 4. Atskleisti kaip jie vertina savo gyvenimus. Metodai Empiriniai duomenys tyrimui buvo surinkti dievų mėnesių lauko tyrimo metu Vokietijoje ir Portugalijoje. Pagrindiniai naudoti metodai tai dalyvaujamas stebėjimas, lauko užrašų darymas, 18 giluminių pusiau struktūruotų interviu po vidutiniškai 1.5 valandos. Kontaktai lauko tyrimo metu rasdavosi naudojantis sniego gniūžtės principu. Papildomos informacijos buvo ieškoma... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

The topic of this diploma thesis is Alternative lifestyle as a form of content human existence. This thesis is focused on specification of subculture and I defined the subculture of homeless people, which as I assumed and also as my own research data showed, can demonstrate the content form of human existence. The theoretical part of this thesis is divided into four chapters. The first chapter constitutes a theoretical scope of this thesis where I put emphasis on social norms and theory of social deviation, which are crucial for homeless people who are demonstrating alternative lifestyle which is significantly different from the lifestyle of mainstream conformist society. Second chapter describes characteristics of homelessness. The third chapter includes procedure of help to homeless people in their life situation. There are also stated social services for homeless people. The last chapter is focused on the alternative lifestyle. I also deal with the topic of voluntary homelessness. The aim of this diploma thesis is description of aspects of lifestyle of the observed subculture of homeless people. The target group consists of 20 homeless people in age from 18 to 70 years. A method of qualitative approach was applied and a method of analysis of case studies was used for data collection. The main technique of data collection was an interview with directions which I used with 10 homeless people who were in asylum house and with 10 homeless people who were present directly at the public areas. In the context of this thesis five research questions were determined. The primary data was coded/indexed and then processed with the framework analysis according to Ritchie and Spencer. The outcomes of the research showed that the most frequent reason for the origin of homelessness is alcohol addiction. Most frequently it is related to single or divorced man and women. The daily regime of homeless people is from a greater half regular. Among the most frequent daily activities in the asylum house can be mentioned watching television, cleaning common areas of the asylum house, fixed activities and drinking coffee. The outdoor activities mostly constitute of collection of metal, cooking, shopping for food and searching the garbage bins. They usually spend winter nights in facilities of social services (doss house, asylum house), in a tent, in makeshift shanties, or in a squat. Most people spend their days with their friends or partners. People who live in public areas are more willing to make some extra money. There was three times higher experience with begging of the people who live in public areas than people who live in asylum houses. People in asylum houses usually pay for day board meals. People who live outside in public areas procure their food in supermarkets, day centres and doss houses and in garbage bins. For homeless people nicotine addiction is more frequent than alcohol addiction. They perform their personal hygiene in the facilities of social services (day centre, doss house, asylum house). They usually get their clothes from social or asylum clothes supplies. They do not live in relationships with partners however people who live in the public areas have more sexual contacts. More than half of respondents do not think about their future. People who live in asylum houses are more satisfied with their life situation, nevertheless more than half of respondents would like to change their life situation. On basis of the results of this research theoretical concepts were induced.

Thesis will be focused on multilayered ideal of sobriety and closer examination of its meanings in the text of the Encyclical Laudato si'. The analytical part of the thesis will examine the term sobriety (sobrietas), its occurrence in texts of the Old and New Testament and the context of its use as a cardinal virtue or moderate political action. The Encyclical Laudato si' by Pope Francis will also be presented. The second part will deal with ethical aspects of sobriety in relation to the environment, to oneself, to the other person and to God in the footsteps of Pope in the Encyclical. Keywords sobriety, virtue ethics, moderate politics, alternative lifestyle, Encyclical Laudato si', Pope Francis, socio-ecological crisis

This thesis is an attempt to detect and interpret the elements of environmental frugality in the lifestyle of young Tramps, mainly in connection with activities related to their everyday lives. Based on a qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured interviews, I am trying to ascertain the point of view of the informants in several areas. These areas are mainly represented by the concept of tramping itself and its related forms of leisure activities, attitudes and preferences in selected areas of lifestyle (housing, food and waste, travel, transport and leisure, everyday objects, clothing), relating to nature, to the environment, nature protection and reflection of the current problems in this field, including the reflection of their own attitude (concept of responsibility, risk, etc.). I interpret the observed data on the basis of selected theoretical concepts, especially using Jan Krajhanzl's eco-psychological model of relationship to nature and its components, with emphasis on environmental awareness as one of its parts. Furthermore, I confront the results of my research with selected concepts related to the topic of an environmentally frugal life (voluntary and intentional modesty, ecological luxury etc.). Key words: Tramping, (alternative) lifestyle, leisure, everyday life, subcultural...

This thesis handles with the lifestyle of Straight Edge youth subculture. This subculture is identified by refusing alcohol, drugs, tobacco, sexual promiscuity and emphasizing moral compassion. First the thesis describes the lifestyle in general, including the typical attitudes, values and freetime activities. Further it reflects subcultures, their place within society, their specifics, and maps the academic studies of (post)subcultural theories. Following part describes the Straight Edge subculture in detail and is asking the question whether this subculture can fulfill the function of the substition of religion. The qualitative analysis then focuses on the lifestyle of the individual followers, their perception of the community, the relationship with society and selfpresentation. Additionaly the thesis presents the ethical and moral dimension of Straight Edge and delas with the problem of commercialism of subcultures.