This book examines the changing lifestyles in transforming societies, focusing on the interplay of lifestyle choices, social status and the society as a whole. When individuals choose their careers, mates or networks to belong to and to identify with, they are influenced by rapid technological developments, economic uncertainty and other ongoing changes in society. On the other hand, by their choices they also construct new social realities. The book addresses lifestyles and social change in connection with a wide range of issues: belonging to different movements and networks; changes in gender order, work and partner choices; changes in home cultures and ways of residing; emerging translocal belonging and cross cultural relationships; consumption choices and construction of identities. The first part of the book gives the wider context within a longer perspective and the second part is focused on specific cases of lifestyle choices.

Airi-Alina Allaste is the Head of the Centre for Lifestyles Studies at Tallinn University. Her research interests focus on young people, subcultures and new social movements. She is the coordinator of the Estonian project on changes in lifestyles and the country coordinator of the FP7 project Memory, Youth, Political Legacy And Civic Engagement.