Alternative Lifestyle
Written by TPOK Archivist on August 15, 2017
If most people aren’t doing it, or won’t openly admit to doing it, it is an alternative lifestyle (or alternative sexual interest).
An alternative lifestyle is any lifestyle that deviates from the mainstream or most socially acceptable way of living. The term is especially used to refer to lifestyles that are sexually unconventional, such one that involves swinging or BDSM. Saying that someone leads an alternative lifestyle can also be considered a euphemism for being gay, although this is usually considered derogatory because it assumes that sexuality is a choice.
An alternative lifestyle is a lifestyle diverse in respect to mainstream ones or generally perceived to be outside the cultural norm. Lifestyle is a media culture term derived from the concept of style in art. Usually, but not always, it implies an affinity or identification within some matching subculture (e.g. hippies, goths and punks). Some people with alternative lifestyles mix elements from various sub cultures (grunge musicians were often influenced by a mixture of the punk, hippie, emo and heavy metal subcultures).
Not all minority lifestyles are held to be “alternative”, so the term tends to apply to newer forms of lifestyle, often based upon enlarged freedoms (especially in the sphere of social styles), or a decision to substitute another approach or to not follow the usually expected path in most societies.
Examples
- Nudism and clothing optional lifestyles
- Body modification, including tattoos, body piercings, suspension, and transdermal implants
- Non-normative sexual lifestyles, such as LGBT (often used euphemistically), BDSM, swinging, polyamory, and certain types of sexual fetishism or paraphilia
- Adherents to alternative spiritual and religious practices, such as vampirism, Wicca, Satanism, or cults
(Note: only those that might fall into the focus of tpok.network are listed above)
Reader's opinions
Continue reading
