Everyday Life and Lifestyles of Social Classes in Montenegro

The author analyses the everyday life and lifestyles of social classes in Montenegro based on a survey conducted on a randomized, proportional, and stratified sample of 805 respondents. The survey covers the topics: consumption; family and professional life; citizens' attitudes towards society and the state; leisure time; cultural practices; value orientations; time management; and general satisfaction with various aspects of life. The theoretical approach accords with Pierre Bourdieu's. The everyday life of the Montenegrins emerges as having the following characteristics: restriction to necessities only in purchases; high deprivation; family conflicts brought about by poor financial circumstances; stereotypical leisuretime activities; a low opinion of governmental and social institutions fuelled by perceptions of nepotism and job allocation based on political party membership; differentiation of cultural practices from the dominant mass culture; value confusion; and a focus on everyday routines. The basic line of differentiation turns out to be social class, as all the listed characteristics are much more pronounced in the lower social strata.