Dropping out and staying in: Recruitment, socialisation and commitment engenderment within contemporary alternative lifestyles

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Hall, Adrianne

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Chase, Athol

Rickson, Roy

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1986
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Abstract

Australia, like most contemporary 'western' nations, has a large and growing movement of people into alternative lifestyles. In this thesis I firstly explore the history of utopian social movements, both in the broad context of western cultural history and within the more limited sphere of Australia. I conducted a nationwide survey of alternative lifestyle participants and undertook several years of participant observation study in order to elucidate the different types of contemporary alternative lifestyles, and to describe the social characteristics of participants. In general, participants are older and much better educated then was previously assumed. A number of myths, such as the central role of 'the dole' in the contemporary alternative lifestyle movement, were found wanting. I identify three main theoretical issues in alternative lifestyles: recruitment, socialisation and commitment. Recruitment is a problem both for groups looking for new members and for individuals seeking to join a group. Alternative lifestyle publications are employed by many groups as a means of recruiting new members. These same publications are also central in the process of anticipatory and adult socialisation. I explore the images of 'alternative lifestyles' presented by national publications such as Grass Roots and Earth Garden, and reach two conclusions: Firstly the 'alternative reality' is far more prosaic than one might have assumed, and secondly the range of alternative lifestyle publications provides a choice of socialisation patterns. This latter feature ensures that recruits can select a socialisation pattern which will challenge their pre-conceived notions as little as possible while still facilitating a myth of radical social change...

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Thesis (PhD Doctorate)

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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School of Australian Environmental Studies

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The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.

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Subject

Alternative lifestyle

Alternative lifestyles

Social reality

Utopian social movements

Social movements

Contemporary alternative lifestyles

Radical social change

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