Lukáš Kala

Narratives and Practices of Voluntary Simplicity in the Czech Post-Socialist Context

Voluntary simplicity is usually seen as an alternative social movement that is responding to the current social and environmental crisis within affluent societies. Many scholars draw on Inglehart’s concept of post-materialism and consider voluntary simplicity to be a way of limiting one’s consumption in order to free oneself and seek satisfaction in the non-material aspects of life. These scholars assume that the values associated with simplicity emerge out of over-saturation with consumption. This article discusses the results of research conducted among Czech households who voluntarily reduce consumption and who do so in a post-socialist context, without having first lived in affluence. Theoretically and methodologically, the article builds on the work of Hana Librova [1994, 2003; Librova et al. 2016] and is rooted in three main concepts: the concepts of post-materialism [Inglehart 1977], ‘new luxury’ [Enzensberger 1996], and the normative ethical theories of motivation [Pelikan and Librova 2015]. The findings of the study call into question Inglehart’s structural assumption that non-consumption lifestyles like voluntary simplicity only develop in affluent societies and suggest that the Czech socialist past created conditions suitable for the emergence of a non-ideological and primarily self-oriented version of voluntary simplicity. The roots of simple lifestyles may also lie in people’s dissatisfaction with the promise of modernity, a promise suggesting that it is possible to attain and lead the good life through material abundance. Prior experience with an affluent lifestyle did not play a role in the decision of participants in this study to live a nonconsumption lifestyle. This study in a post-socialist country therefore has the potential to provide a deeper understanding of the motivations for choosing voluntary simplicity.

Věrní a rozumní: kapitoly o ekologické zpozdilosti

Kniha „Věrni a rozumni: kapitoly o ekologicke zpozdilosti“ navazuje na uspěsne tituly „Pestři a zeleni: kapitoly o dobrovolne skromnosti“ a „Vlažni a vahavi: kapitoly o ekologickem luxusu“. Autorka si klade otazku, proc v době pokracujici devastace přirody klesa zajem o jeji ochranu. Jsou vinny sdělovaci prostředky, nebo je nase hluchota vůci ekologickým problemům zakotvena v nasi mentalni výbavě, ktera se snaži nepřijemne skutecnosti vytěsňovat? Autorku zajima, proc někteři lide zůstavaji přirodě věrni. Odpověď hleda v rovině sociologicke, filozoficke, psychologicke a teologicke. Kniha vsak ctenaře překvapi i necekanou otazkou, proc vlastně přirodu chranit, když si poradi sama; neni slaba, ale silna a kruta. Empiricka cast ctenaře přivadi mezi terenni ochrance přirody – ochrance dravých ptaků. Předevsim vsak se zajima o věrnost přirodě spocivajici v ekologicky přiznive každodenni životni praxi, v male spotřebě hmotných statků. Autorka se po deseti a třiadvaceti letech vraci sociologickým výzkumem k „pestrým“. Žaci profesorky Librove, Vojtěch Pelikan, Lucie Galcanova a Lukas Kala se zajimaji o děti „pestrých“: zdědily skromný životni způsob rodiců? Kdo je vlastně v dnesnim světě rozumný, a kdo zpozdilý? Ten, kdo s pokrcenim ramen rezignuje, problemy přirody hodi za hlavu a věnuje se radostem, ktere může přinest život v umělem světě? Nebo kdo hleda prostřednictvim takzvaneho environmentalniho žalu katarzi, ktera může vyustit do aktivni ochrany přirody?

Ecological habitus intergenerationally reproduced: The children of Czech ‘voluntary simplifiers’ and their lifestyle

The intergenerational reproduction of values and lifestyles has been at the centre of attention for the social sciences for several decades. However, only rarely has this topic been examined from the perspective of environmentally friendly lifestyles. In this article, we build on unique longitudinal research that includes generations of parents and children from Czech ‘voluntarily simple’ families. Drawing on sociological theories of consumption and the Bourdieusian concept of habitus, we deal with the question of whether and how the intergenerational transmission of eco-habitus emerges. The original research with the parents – called ‘the Colourful’ – was conducted by the Czech sociologist Hana Librová in 1992, 2002 and 2015. We participated in the third wave, conducting 12 in-depth interviews with the Colourful and supplementing it with 21 interviews with their adult children, focusing on how they look back on their childhood and in what respect their lifestyles and attitudes differ from those of their parents. We describe the reproduction of the Colourful’s habitus and identify the main lines of influence that may play a role in this process: positive reflections on a non-affluent childhood, awareness of the values behind simplicity, a liberal model of upbringing, the higher cultural capital of the families, the family atmosphere, religiosity and diverse experiences among siblings related to their birth order. We show that while for the Colourful it was typical to revolt against parents, their own habitus has been reproduced relatively successfully.

Green and single: The role of green distinction among environmentalists

Abstract This paper examines profiles on online dating sites for environmentally aware singles identifying as ‘green single’. The research was motivated by these research questions: What kind of people use these sites to search for a partner? How do green singles earn ‘green distinction’, the markings of a green identity? The main objective of this research is to find out how green singles impress a potential partner on dating sites. The paper discusses recent research influenced by the work of Bourdieu and Maffesoli. It considers a specific group of singles obtained from the quantitative and qualitative analysis of one thousand randomly selected profiles. It investigates self-presentation strategies, characteristic green performances and identity construction among green singles, particularly ‘green cultural codes’ and ‘green scripts’. The paper contributes to the knowledge on symbolic boundaries, social differentiation and collective identity in the environmentalist subculture, discussed as a kind of neo-tribal community.

Residential preferences in the context of voluntary simple lifestyles: What motivates contemporary Czech simplifiers to reside in the countryside?

Abstract The aim of our paper is to broaden the international discussion on environmentally friendly lifestyles. In most of the previous research, via a survey technique involving the self-nomination of participants, voluntary simplifiers are presented as part of a social movement typically connected with an urban environment. Our paper follows the third wave of longitudinal research conducted in the post-socialist Czech Republic in the years 1992, 2002 and 2015. The data were collected using in-depth interviews combined with observations in 20 voluntary modest households. The biographical style of interview enables us to interpret the sources of the participants’ motivation for relocating to the countryside or staying in the urban environment as they interpret it retrospectively. Four dominant narratives emerged: 1) narrative of distaste for city life, 2) narrative of a nice life, 3) narrative about living in freedom, 4) narrative of a return to roots.