[자료] Yearning for Balance

자료(source): Yearning for Balance Views of Americans on Consumption, Materialism, and the Environment


July 1995

Prepared for the Merck Family Fund by The Harwood Group
 
※ 메모:
 
The Downshifters


It appears that millions of Americans are already "downshifting" - they have chosen to scale back their salaries and lifestyles to reflect a different set of priorities. Twenty-eight percent of the survey respondents said that in the last five years, they had voluntarily made changes in their life which resulted in making less money - not including those who had taken a regularly scheduled retirement. The most common changes were reducing work hours, changing to a lower-paying job, and -uitting work to stay at home. It is unclear from this research whether 28% is a historically high or low figure, or if the proportion of downshifters has remained fairly constant over the years.

Downshifters offer a wide range of reasons for making these changes in their lives. In the survey, the most fre-uently cited reasons are: wanting a more balanced life (68% of downshifters); wanting more time (66%); and wanting a less stressful life (63%). About half (53%) of the downshifters did so to spend more time caring for their children. Downshifters are somewhat younger and more likely to have children than the population as a whole; 60% of them are women.

Downshifters spoke up in the focus groups as well, such as the Indianapolis man who recounted:

"I'm whole sold for simplifying your life, because that's what I just [did] . I left a job making three times the money that I'm making now; but by the same token, I've got more time with my family. I just had a little boy. I want to watch him grow up . I've got more time with my family, less stress."

A Los Angeles woman also described her decision to change her priorities:

"As I started climbing the corporate ladder, I really decided that I was hating it more and more, and I was bringing more and more work home . I was already hiring people to clean my clothes, watch my kid, and now clean my house. And I changed careers and got paid less. I sold the car and I bought a `65 Ford Falcon. And I'm much happier. I work two blocks from home and I'm doing something that I really enjoy."

Although many say they miss the extra income they once had, most downshifters describe themselves as being happy with the changes they made. "It's been a sacrifice, our pay was cut in half," said a Dallas woman who decided to leave her job, "butI I think it's the best choice that can happen, because you're with your children and they're in a loving environment." The Indianapolis man also felt he had made a good choice: "I'm much more content. I may not have the extra pocket money I had before, but I'm telling you, it's worth it."

On the survey, 87% of downshifters describe themselves as happy with the change, with 35% saying they do not miss the extra income (Figure 8). On other survey questions, downshifters are more likely than others to say that they are happier than their parents at the same age, and that they are more involved in their community - but they also tend to be less satisfied with their economic situation.

But the problem of materialism is as much a collective as an individual one - it is society that is out of whack, people say. And yet people cannot seem to describe how a more collective kind of change could take place. In a fragmented, atomized society, people are unsure where and how to begin; they seem fearful that if they act, others will not join them. A Frederick man described the sense of paralysis: "As an individual you don't really know what can be done about it, and how it can be fixed." A Dallas woman also feels stuck: "I'm not sure how you do it or how it would be received."

When given a list of policy changes that might help the environment and reduce the level of materialism in our society, survey respondents thought several policies were good ideas, but many doubted if they would make a big difference. 52% thought that limiting the amount of advertising allowed on prime-time television was a good idea and would make a difference while another 28% liked the idea but didn't think it would lead to positive change. 49% agreed that changing the tax structure to reduce taxes on savings and increase taxes on consumption was a good idea and would make a difference while another 24% liked the idea but were skeptical about its impact.

When people lack a sense that collective change is possible, even individual change then begins to seem ineffectual. "It seems like such a big problem," explained an Indianapolis woman, "how's one person going to be able to do it?" Thus, some conclude, it is pointless to act at all.

Yet others are hopeful that change is possible, and insist that changing our priorities is necessary - that we must try. "We can do it," declared a Frederick woman, "because so many of us have.... Some people have come to the realization that it's serious." A Los Angeles man agreed: "As an individual, I have the ability to change my behavior, the way I'm approaching something or doing something today and to make a difference." The question is whether people can find a way to reach out and work through these issues together. For now, people are skeptical of that. A Frederick man lamented, "You can't get everybody around the table. They can say it, but to get them to do that...."