THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF LIFESTYLE IN SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY

Abstract

In the analysis of social stratification, relevant contemporary sociologists pay much
more attention to lifestyle, than to traditional concepts of social classes and social strata. It is a
reflection of the dynamics of modern society that develops much more complex stratification
schemes that are analysed with a new categorical apparatus that includes lifestyle. This article
aims to present the conceptualization of lifestyle in the theory of two classical authors in
sociology, such as Thorstein Veblen and Max Weber and three contemporary sociologists,
such as Pierre Bourdieu, Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens. By analysing the concepts of
these authors we will discover the evolution, characteristics and meaning of life style in
different socio-historical contexts.