LIFESTYLES

Lifestyle is the interests, opinions, behaviors, and behavioral orientations of an individual, group, or culture. A lifestyle is a means of forging a sense of self and to create cultural symbols that resonate with personal identity.

American Lifestyle

Americans strongly believe in the concept of individualism. They consider themselves to be separate individuals who are in control of their own lives, rather than members of a close-knit, interdependent family, religious group, tribe, nation, or other group.The American way of life is the unique lifestyle of the people of the United States of America. It refers to a nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.The society of the United States is based on Western culture, and has been developing since long before the United States became a country with its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, folklore, etc.The American Declaration of Independence states that all people are created equal and this belief is deeply embedded in their cultural values. Americans believe that all people are of equal standing.In 1970 Robin Williams identified core American Values. They were:

• Equal Opportunity
• Achievement and Success
• Material Comfort
• Activity and Work
• Practicality and Efficiency
• Progress
• Science
• Democracy and Enterprise
• Freedom

In America clothing styles vary by social status, region, occupation and climate. Jeans, sneakers, baseball caps, cowboy hats and boots are some items of clothing that are closely associated with Americans. Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors and Victoria Secret are some well-known American brands.American fashion is widely influenced by celebrities and the media, and fashion sales equal around $200 billion per year, according to a paper published by Harvard University in 2007.

indian lifestyle

Family bonding and kinship is one such valued tradition that is given utmost importance in India. Even today there is joint family systems where more than two generations live together under the same roof. Important decisions are taken by the senior members of the family. Respect, love and care form the cornerstone of the family bonding.Another widely followed phenomena in India is the Doctrine of Karma that preaches that every person should behave justly as every act or deed comes back in full circle in one of the births of an individual.The beauty of the Indian people lies in their spirit of tolerance, give-and-take and a composition of cultures that can be compared to a garden of flowers of various colors and shades of which, while maintaining their own entity, lend harmony and beauty to the garden India. Meditation and Yoga are synonymous with India and Indian spirituality. Meditation is one of the most important components of Yoga, which is a mind-body therapy involving a series of exercises. There are a variety of clothing styles worn in India. Some of the traditional clothing worn in India includes churidar, salwar kameez, sarees, lehenga, etc., which are worn by women, and kurta-pyjama, sherwani, dhoti etc., worn by men. Though simple versions are adopted for day to day life, more lavish styles are worn on special occasions like during festivals and weddings.

russian lifestyle

Russians consider themselves a well-educated nation. They read a lot.Books in Russia are cheap, and most people can afford to buy 5-10 books a month. Russians are also very fond of live performances at the theater. Russian culture is non-individualistic. The power of an individual in Russia is much less than in the west and most deals are pushed through family, friends and acquaintances. The majority of Russians consider themselves Christians and belong to the Russian Orthodox Church.Health care and education are free in Russia.Russians can be considered a highly cultured nation. Their general knowledge is very good: they know a little bit about virtually everything. Primary and secondary school is mandatory for 11 years, and includes a program of History, Literature, Music and Geography. A foreign language, usually English, is studied for 6 years, although French, German and Spanish are also available. Russians like to emphasize their different attitude towards material values and consider themselves as sincere, cordial, understanding, and unselfish.Russians love their country.They are citizens of the largest county in the world, which has a rich history and deep cultural roots, and they are proud of it.Traditional Russian clothing is different from clothing of other countries of the world and even from the neighboring countries. The unique Russian clothing brings out its cultural diversity.There is a distinct difference in the color and theme preference of the Russian men and women; while the men do not usually like flaunting bright colors in clothing.A shirt like long-sleeved garment that is mid-thigh long, known as a kosovorotka is the traditional Russian shirt.

Credits: Artworks by Muskan Tiwari, JNV Jhajjar, Text by Suraj JNV Jhajjar & Nari, RBS USA, photos by Voznesenskaya School ,Russia,Video by Jatin, JNV Jhajjar

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifestyle_(sociology), https://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/United-States-of-America.html, http://knowindia.gov.in/culture-and-heritage/lifestyle-values-and-beliefs.php