Paper short abstract:

The paper will focus on the intersection of do-it-yourself (DIY) and sustainable lifestyles and consumption in contemporary Czechia. It will study practices and meanings related to an ideal of self-sufficiency in a post-socialist society.

Paper long abstract:

The paper will focus on the intersection of do-it-yourself (DIY) practices and sustainable lifestyles and consumption in contemporary Czechia. It will study practices and meanings related to an ideal of self-sufficiency which has become quite popular recently. Contemporary sustainable DIY culture can be understood as a set of environmentally-friendly activities and lifestyles practiced on a do-it-yourself level. It has been influenced by lifestyle movements such as permaculture, back-to-the-land movement, zero waste movement, and so on. The do-it-yourself logic relates to various lifestyle aspects such as: producing home grown food, cooking healthy food from scratch, building natural homes, making homemade medicine and eco-cosmetics, but also home birthing and homeschooling. The activities are framed by strive for autonomy for individuals, families and communities and turn to nature in opposition to overconsumption, reliance on expert knowledge, and dependence on multinational corporations. The sustainable DIY practices are studied in the context of globalization, environmental issues and climate change, and post-socialism. The paper draws on qualitative sociological research that includes participant observation, analysis of media contents and in-depth interviews.