Minimaism in consumption and uses of goods as a way of life - narrative research

Svrha ovog kvalitativnog istraživanja, provedenog metodom narativne analize, jest istražiti, opisati i razumjeti fenomen minimalizma u potrošnji i korištenju dobara kroz biografska iskustva ljudi koji su se odlučili na takav način života. U ovom istraživanju minimalizam, ili konkretno minimalizam u potrošnji i korištenju dobara, definiran je kao način svakodnevnog života ljudi koji sebe smatraju minimalistima te koji posjeduju, i teže ka tome da kupuju i troše, samo onoliko životno esencijalno neophodnih materijalnih proizvoda odnosno dobara koji su, prema njihovim kriterijima, potrebni za lagodan život i neometano funkcioniranje svakodnevice. Minimalizam često uključuje stvaranje prostora i odricanje od viška materijalnih stvari (eng. decluttering) koje se ne smatraju potrebnim za svakodnevni život. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 10 sudionika koji se prema svojim osobnim definicijama nazivaju minimalistima. Proveden je polu-strukturirani intervju kroz koji je opisan svakodnevni život minimalista, od kupovanja do posjedovanja materijalnih dobara. Korištena je snowball metoda prikupljanja uzorka, a sudionici su muškarci i žene, 25-35 godine, različitih razina obrazovanja. Fenomen minimalizma u potrošnji i korištenju dobara sve je češća tema u svijetu, a polako dolazi i u Hrvatsku, što možemo vidjeti u pojavljivanju minimalizma u potrošnji i srodnih tema kao što je „zero waste“. Pojavljuju se u časopisima i organiziranim udrugama koje pokušavaju promovirati ekološki prihvatljiv način života kao neku vrstu odgovora na potrošačku kulturu koja nas okružuje u suvremenom društvu.The purpose of this qualitative research, conducted by the method of narrative analysis, is to explore, describe and understand the phenomenon of minimalism in the consumption and use of goods through the biographical experiences of people who have decided on such a way of life. In this research, minimalism or specifically minimalism in the consumption and use of goods, is defined as a way of everyday life of people who consider themselves minimalists and who own, and tend to buy and consume, only as many vital material products or goods that are needed for their criteria of a comfortable life and the smooth functioning of everyday life. Minimalism often involves the creation of space and the decluttering of material things that are not considered necessary for everyday life. The research was conducted on a sample of 10 participants who, according to their personal definitions, are called minimalists. A semi-structured interview was conducted through which the daily life of a minimalist was described, from shopping to owning material goods. A snowball method of collecting the sample was used, and the participants were men and women, aged 25-35, of different levels of education. The phenomenon of minimalism in the consumption and use of goods is an increasingly common topic in the world, and is slowly coming to Croatia, which we can see in the emergence of minimalism in consumption and related topics such as "zero waste". They appear in magazines and organized associations that try to promote an environmentally friendly lifestyle as a kind of response to the consumer culture that surrounds us in the modern society