论文总字数：39528字

摘 要

乐活，源自西方继而传入东方，是一种不断发展的新型态生活方式，由LOHAS音译而来。LOHAS是Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability的首字母缩写组成词，所蕴含的含义是要重视自身健康和环境保护，争取达到自给自足，与自然和谐共处，推崇可持续发展的生活方式。 “乐活”体现了环保理念，蕴含着文化内涵，是时代的产物。作为一种贴近生活本源，自然、健康、精致的生活态度，它顺应了社会发展的大趋势，早已流行于欧美发达国家，并在中国逐渐兴起。调查显示，四分之一的美国人是“乐活族”，欧洲则约为三分之一。乐活理念传入中国的时间虽然不长，但很多人已经开始不断了解并接受它，这种生活方式逐渐成为一种时尚。乐活，以健康和环保为前提，革故鼎新，将创造与反思融入生活，逐步渗透到我们的思想观念以及生活的方方面面，这种倡导“成长、环保、健康、分享、实用、时尚”的生活态度，必将是21世纪全球生活的主流方向，并能够成为全面迎击全球化能源危机、环境恶化、疾病横生等威胁的一种生活方式。

关键词：乐活 健康 环保 可持续发展 自给自足 生活方式

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ························ I

Abstract（Chinese）························II

Abstract ( English ) ························III

1. Introduction ··························1

1.1 Research Background··························· 1

1.2 Significance of the Research························ 1

2. Literature Review························3

2.1 Overview of LOHAS····························3

2.2 Previous Studies at Home and Abroad·····················3

3. A Cross-cultural Study of LOHAS·················4

3.1 Comparison of Different Lifestyles between the West and Chinese··········6

3.1.1 Similarity between Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability and Chinese Lifestyle····6

3.1.2 Difference between Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability and Chinese Lifestyle ···6

3.2 Reasons for Prevalence of Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability···········7

3.2.1 Social Life Styles Proposition························7

3.2.2 Social Exchange Interaction························· 8

3.2.3 Relationship with Chinese Traditional Culture·················· 8

3.2.4 Successful Models for Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability Abroad········10

3.3 About Consumers and Businesses of LOHAS and Categories of LOHAS ······11

4. How to be LOHAS and How to be Better··············13

4.1 The Elements and Expressions of LOHAS···················13

4.2 LOHAS Related Industries·························14

4.3 Typical Labels of LOHAS·························14

5. Conclusion···························16

References ··························17

1. Introduction

1.1 Research Background

LOHAS is an acronym for Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability, which focuses on health, environmental protection, personal development, social justice and sustainable development. LOHAS builds on foundation work from the mid 1990’s in the United States by a sociologist named Paul Ray, who had undertook extensive researches which found that nearly a quarter of the America population identified the concepts of health, social justice and sustainability as major elements forming their world views and how they chose to lead their lives.

Paul Ray (1998) called this ethnic group the “Cultural Creative” and described them as innovators and leaders of culture changes, whose values embrace a curiosity and concern for the world, its ecosystem, and its people; an awareness of and activism for peace and social justice; and an openness to self-actualization through spirituality, psychotherapy, and holistic practices. Also major drivers of a new type of consumption that demonstrated recognition of individual and community impacts. However, in Ray's early work, there was little broad recognition of the power or true size of this cultural phenomenon because it was too difficult to define from market perspectives and defined “normal” demographic stereotypes. In 1999, the term LOHAS was coined by Conscious Media, who was one of the founders of the LOHAS Journal, in an attempt to define the spring up of a global trend to more conscious platforms of choices in a wide range of industries. LOHAS has been a hot issue in our 21^st century, increasingly people are paying attention on it and more and more people tend to change their lifestyles. So we should do further study to explore this cultural phenomenon in length and in depth. With making efforts continuously, we will acknowledge more about it and live in a better way.

1.2 Significance of the Research

This research focuses on the values constituting a Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS)-oriented lifestyle. From comparing different lifestyles, we could explore their similarity and difference.. The aim is to make more people know which lifestyle is better and begin to learn about LOHAS, especially our Chinese, and hope we can lead a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Although the LOHAS is an ethnic definition in America, at present, there are lots of reports about it all over the world, which is generally believed that all cultures and countries have LOHAS groups more or less. It is suitable for the world nowadays, and the people no matter in West or East should live in this kind of lifestyle step by step.

As we all know, our environment is suffering from serious threats. The reason is that we burned too much coal and oil, and we wasted a huge amount of energy. Now we should learn from the West, begin to change our lifestyles so we can save our earth and ourselves. How do individuals become change-agents? As publishing executive Richard (2011) suggested in his last chapter, “change begins with the individual” in LOHAS, but what sort of individuals are we talking about? Where do they receive their vision for change? What motivates them? What sorts of actions do they take and where? The LOHAS discourse, particularly that occurring within the consumer oriented texts, tells us that each individual needs to pursue their “bliss.” This idea says that each of us has a unique and distinct path to follow toward ultimate self-fulfillment and happiness. Sam (2011), CEO of a chain of national LOHAS-related magazines, considered my question: did social and environmental change figure into the ideals of the health? “Healing the natural world, society, and yourself are completely interrelated,” he told. “I don’t believe you can heal yourself and do inner work without engaging in protection and healing of the planet and pursuing healing in the social and political realm, between people and nations.” How are we to live? The question brings to mind both spiritual and lifestyle considerations, concerns that are merged in the LOHAS movement as a way to mobilize an answer to that pervasive question of the ages through the discursive construction of two concepts: “health”—represented as a state of balance—and “sustainability,” the acts and beliefs it takes to maintain that balance. Health serves as the representation of the sacred in LOHAS. It not only makes reference to the socially constructed and physically imperative needs of the self, but it also frames these as interdependent with the needs of our world.

2. Literature review

2.1 Overview of LOHAS

From organic produce and clothing to socially conscious investing and eco-tourism, the lifestyles of health and sustainability, or LOHAS, movement encompasses diverse products and practices intended to contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle for people and the planet. In The Gospel of Sustainability, Monica M.Emerich（2011）explores the contemporary spiritual expression of this green cultural shift at the confluence of the media and the market. This is the first book to qualitatively study the LOHAS marketplace and the development of a discourse of sustainability of the self and the social and natural worlds. Emerich draws on myriad sources related to the notions of mindful consumption found in the LOHAS marketplace, including not just products and services but marketing materials, events, lectures, regulatory policies, and conversations with leaders and consumers. These disparate texts, she argues, universally project a spiritual message about personal and planetary health that is in turn reforming capitalism by making consumers more conscious. In lucid and engaging prose rife with relevant contemporary examples and anecdotes about the LOHAS movement, Emerich traces the creative ways in which populations transfer ideas normally assigned to the sphere of religion to the materials and environments at hand, including to markets and the labor they perform. The result is a riveting discussion about the interlocking roles of media, marketplace, and sustainability. These ideas are also suitable for our society, and we should change our living ways. The first step is walking toward LOHAS. Only in this way, can we save our environment and ourselves.

2.2 Previous Studies at Home and Abroad

Researchers have reported a range of sizes of the LOHAS market segment, for example, Worldwatch Institute reported that the LOHAS market segment in the year 2006 was estimated at $300 billion, approximately 30% of the U.S. consumer market; and a study by the Natural Marketing Institute showed that in 2007, 41 million or 13% of the Americans were included within the LOHAS demographic. In Japan roughly 17 million adults or 12% of the population are LOHAS consumers. The growth of organic and natural foods, complimentary medicine and personal development was viewed as the convergence of shifting consumer values based on sustainable, environmental and socially responsible platforms. LOHAS describes the marketplace for these products and services and the consumers that shop them. The existence of a common thread of ‘values’ that is consistent in consumer behaviors across each of the defined marketplace segments allows for a targeted approach to attracting and retaining customers with a LOHAS lifestyle. Longitudinal research shows these values, rather than being fringe and marginalized, are increasingly becoming broad based and entrenched across a wide cross-section of the population, driving changes in consumer markets, politics and society. With LOHAS spreading across the globe recent years, LOHAS Journal thought it timely to reflect on what is driving the phenomenon globally, some of the key differences in interpretation across the world, and what binds LOHAS and together that where they are. Despite many similarities, key differences have emerged in the use of LOHAS between Western countries and countries of East Asia, including Japan, China and South Korea, where LOHAS is a booming consumer term. The emergence of LOHAS-branded foods and beverages, fashion labels and even LOHAS department stores heralds a new use of the LOHAS term as it crosses from business-speak into the consumer vocabulary.

Joan Baez (2005), singer and activist, stood before the 2005 LOHAS Forum 9 audience. “We are a greed society and the rich are going to have to give to the poor,” she said. “I believe you are all here to address this. This is community.” With that, she deftly wove together the assortment of nonprofit workers, doctors, consultants, industrial powerhouses, yoga teachers, movie stars, recording artists, politicians, and publishers, interpreting them as a collective of people who shared deep convictions about the nature of capitalism as a contradictory system of “power and conflict, of poverty and inequality, of environmental degradation”. The publisher of The LOHAS Journal hoped to use the magazine, the conference, and the concept to create new arterial networks among disparate industries that would allow each to share knowledge and build the market for healthy and sustainable goods and services through partnership. In effect, the mission is to cohering a community or a collective around specific sets of values.

LOHAS has been all in fashion in Europe and America for many years, and the first country that begins to embrace it is Japan. Li Lin (2007) told that in her study, there are about 68 million Americans and 80 million Europeans, who have focused on LOHAS at that moment. In 2006, the first issue on LOHAS catching people’s eyes in Taiwan. And in the mainland areas, LOHAS is growing stronger and stronger.

Everage (2002) told readers that how to understanding the LOHAS lifestyle, so in his way, we can continue to study it in details. Step by step, we will find the best lifestyle suitable to our Chinese. And in Understanding the LOHAS Consumer, French (2007) told us how to be the LOHAS consumer, which will help us do better in our lives. We can do more to protect our environment and ourselves. In The Rise of Ethical Consumerism, Roger (2007) talked about the trend of LOHAS. There still are many questions waiting to answer on this topic. We need do more work to familiar with it, so I will explore the benefit of LOHAS from those resources, improve the supports of the study and make a cross-cultural study of LOHAS.

3. A Cross-cultural Study of LOHAS

3.1 Comparison of Different Lifestyles between the West and Chinese

3.1.1 Similarity between Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability and Chinese Lifestyle

LOHAS focuses on “sustainable” spirit, in China, we abide by sustainable development. Nan Feng (2009) ever said that, with a view of our Chinese traditional culture, the lifestyle of health and sustainability, whose ideas and proposals is a part of Chinese culture. Thus, LOHAS is regression of tradition in essence, and added with some other elements from the West and the modern societies, then it swift become a kind of cultural phenomenon.

How many Chinese believe in LOHAS on earth? It is still an open question. On other words, that Chinese lohas group is still in the state of the unstructured mostly. In 2006, the concept of LOHAS for the first time introduced by Shenzheng BYD auto company to mainland China, and through a series of activities to promote and advocate such a positive and upward way of life. In fact, no matter “Do Good”(chose to nature, pay attention to environment protection) ;“Feel Good”(care of society, share joy) ; “Look Good” (physical and mental healthy, lead organic life) or the most original “healthy and sustainable lifestyle”, they are the ideas that Chinese are quiet familiar with. Beijing Normal University, International and Comparative Education Institute Dr. Shenli ever said that: “LOHAS is the fusion and combination of the western industry or the post-modern trend and Chinese traditional natural production and lifestyles. And he thought, LOHAS is the collective reflection comes from those too much rich social experience in the end of the 20^th century, which is the consequence of the highly pursuit of pleasure and excessive consumption. (Huang Hong, 2012, Chinese LOHAS)

3.1.2 Difference between Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability and Chinese Lifestyle

Although with the rapid development of economy, Chinese lives have been improved from all the respects. LOHAS is still the fashion of a few people in China. In the fast pace of modern society life, almost everyone is extremely busy. Lots of Chinese often work overtime, physical strength overdraft, feel tired all the time. They are living in a hurry, even many people in China died of excessive fatigue. So, we Chinese should change our lifestyles and try our best to lead high quality lives. Furthermore, our industries need do learn from LOHAS, for instance, Britain’s national brand “Body Shop”, all the products from it never take experiments with small animals, and all the materials used can be renewable. In addition, Japan’s “Muji” is a successful example of LOHAS. Its brand means “no trademark printing fine produces”, and it emphasis on “no design”, “low processing” and remove all unnecessary processing and packaging, finally, just leave the raw material and the function itself. Even the clothes are made of leftover material of clothing, and notebooks and pen containers come from recycling paper. (Li Lin, 2007)

LOHAS is a recognized market segment in the United State, Western Europe. LOHAS consumers firstly adopted the products of sustainability, and they are always on the lookout for new ways to lighten their figurative footprint. In fact, compared to other segments, they are less price sensitive, more eager from green products, more likely to be the first to try green products, and more likely to influence others. General Kofi A. Annan, former U.N. Secretary General said that “we thrive and survive on the planet Earth as a single human family. And one of our main responsibilities is to leave to successor generations a sustainable future.”

3.2 Reasons for Prevalence of Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability

3.2.1 Social Life Styles Proposition

Lohas as a new group phenomenon is all the rage, mapping out the huge change of the signs of social activities. Marx pointed out: “how individuals sample show their life, then what is their own.” Here Marx reveals the important proposition about the construction of human activities: the way of production set the way of life, and the way of life is made up of the way of production. On one side, it indicates the foundation of LOHAS. There is no doubt that LOHAS is closely connected with economic conditions, that is, the rising of lohas is closely bound up with the social stratification in the industrialization processes. The most of the lohas individuals are on the middle class, living with luxury materials and confusing without proper life value. After the “consumer society”, they began to reflect on the true meaning of life, stripping the utilitarian flaunt. Lohas declare their situation with a collective concept and improvement of materials. And they show LOHAS through their behaviors. On the other side, it illustrates the social effect of lohas, which means that lifestyle reflects people’s activities, providing the direction and motivation for the opening of new markets. Because of the rising of LOHAS, related markets emerge in response to the need of time, such as: environmental and energy-saving cars, green organic food, natural tourism and so on. ( Zuo Xuesong, 2009 )

3.2.2 Social Exchange Interaction

As a special group phenomenon, lohas is a kind of reflection of psychological pattern in the way of life. On the one hand, LOHAS can meet the psychological needs of being different from others. With the appearance of widely circulation and come into vogue and behavior styles, it demonstrates the current psychological claim for organic healthy food and sustainable development. This psychological claim also affected by the psychological cultural evolution. Social public accepted the method that through a certain way of consumption and leisure to reveal the connotation of this kind of lifestyle by. Lohas, on the other hand, is a kind of mutual infection after long-term thinking and pursuing of healthy way of life, but it’s not simple imitation. LOHAS is totally different from the external of conspicuous consumption, instead a real apparent of intrinsic psychological activities. And the more important is, this is a new construction of psychological change pattern. The emergence of LOHAS gives people an opportunity to rethink lifestyle, review fashion and refine the concept of fashion. ( Xia Daoyu, 2009)

3.2.3 Relationship with Chinese Traditional Culture

From food, clothes to live, transportation, and from the inner to nature, the life pursuit and ideological level of ancient Chinese, all of them are in the interpretation of simple connotation of Chinese LOHAS. Chinese LOHAS originated in the vitality from nature restoration, which is an important evolution of the way of nature. Chinese LOHAD stems from ancient plain way of life and life views, whose gene is beginning from “Tao”. This is a rarely known but endless system of health and intelligence that bases on the oriental philosophy and continues today, which can arouse wisdom and potential energy in life, and promote human health, natural, healthy way of life, ideas and attitudes. It emphasizes that as a whole, the internal and external harmony between human being and nature, integration of body and mind, others and I. And it emphasize on inner spiritual health and ecological environment to promote good behavior and right way of life. Lao zi advocate eliminating multifarious singing and dancing entertainment, dwelling in the deep seclusion.

Ancient times, farmers go to work at sunrise and go home at sunset. People gradually realize that people have to adapt to the nature to survive and get a harmonious life. Ancient Chinese hold the unity of man and nature, also pay equal attention to both physical and mental health perspectives. Zhuang Zi hopes people know the tremendous power of the nature, and then learn to follow it. People who want to get real happiness and freedom, they should exit from acquisitiveness and selfish heart. Chinese LOHAS stems from the influence of the source of Chinese culture, which is the ancient Chinese lifestyle, attitude to life and view about life. It is based on the Chinese traditional culture, including the philosophy of the integration of body and mind, self and others, people and nature, what is more, it can promote people’s health, environmental health way of life, life concept and attitude towards life. According to the Inner Classic of Emperors, the principles of ancient Chinese LOHAS, one is to regulate mental and physical states as time went by, so people can fight against aging. The other one is to adapt to the surrounding environment, and avoid of the attacks outside. During the Western Han Dynasty period, people begin to pay attention to the philosophy problems about life and death. At that moment, health maintenance and prolong life were catching on, and original Qigong came into being.

Chinese LOHAS is the reflection of times and society, is a product of collision and fusion of west and east civilization, is a kind of lifestyle that close to the nature, relaxed and healthy. Chinese LOHAS is corresponding to modern fast rhythm of life, and it is based on the source of Chinese culture and a new concept from Chinese characteristic way of thinking, full of new connotation of the current era.

More than 30 years of economic reform and high speed development have changed Chinese economy situation. Prosperous living make a large number of Chinese have the chance to think about the relationship between man and nature, and with the strong impulse of many scholars and activists, LOHAS has been rooted in China.

In fact, before the concept of LOHAS had been introduced into China, there were many people in the practice of the concept of LOHAS. The fundamental of the traditional Chinese survival philosophy is LOHAS. As Ms Liao Xiaoyi said: “make reasons simple, noble- minded character, fortify health, harmonious coexistence,” it is LOHAS. Today, it becomes the postmodern life fashion. Environmental degradation, mind hardening, context has dried up, these are the modern people’s suffering. LOHAS is a choice, and it is the human journey, which is a return for spiritual home, natural mother and own real life.

3.2.4 Successful Models for Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability Abroad

When we Chinese have a smattering of knowledge for LOHAS, and stay at the consumption stage, foreigners abroad have accepted LOHAS for many years, and gradually extended to the daily life from the basic concept of consumption.

Britain is the earliest country that carries out organic food certifications in the world. From the prince Charles issued organic brand and developed organic farm, to every general supermarkets have a complete monopoly area for organic food, from top to bottom, the whole country shows the determination of LOHAS. In addition, the government has set up a green community Bea ZED on southern London in 2002, which have received much concern since it was in implementation. In this environmental community, the building materials selected local wood and glass recycled materials as far as possible. If the local recycling materials are not enough, builders will purchase in the area of 50 kilometers, in order to reduce the toxic gases produced by the truck in the long-distance transportation. The design key of the entire environmental community is to reduce air pollution, for example, thicken the house walls so that to reduce heat consumption; encourage carpooling and shopping online to reduce the use of cars; equip with spare solar panels and rainwater collection as basic devices. People who live here could enjoy comfortable as well as environmental life, in other words, it can be said to be thorough practice the concept of LOHAS.

In Paris, France, Brownlee Kay Museum specially invited botanist and vertical garden designer Patrick Brown, in the aim of covering a layer of green garments for a high-tech building. Brown built a complete vertical ecosystem for plants with artificial carpets, PVC layers and metal frame, and without any soil, so it also can cool buildings, filters the rain on the surface of vegetation, improve air quality, reduce energy consumption, and give people who live in city a natural and green environment.

The most surprising outcome is the organic agriculture with positive input in Cuban in recent years, the reason is that after the economic blockade and embargo since 1989, people thing out this kind of self-help way. Cuban farmers in the case of no fertilizer, choose to use plants and animals organic fertilizer. But they never think that brings new environmental vitality for Cuba. With a range of implements, not only the residents could enjoy the most fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables, but also the government stipulated the organic products prices must less than 20 percent, which is committed to the popularization of organic food.

Nowadays, even the Cuba medical system also starts cultivation of natural herbs, in order to reduce the imported drugs. The most of the people who devote to organic agriculture are young farmers, because they never have the ideas of traditional farming fertilizers baptism, they are happy to accept this new way of farming.

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