ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some problems associated with lifestyle approaches. The foundations for approaches using variables of consumption are well defined by the works of Uusitalo. The comparison of consumption modes between different countries is challenging and explains the differences in research presented, for instance, by Cosmas in the United States and by Uusitalo in Finland. Anderson and Golden and from Lastovicka, indicates that in the United States, almost all of the studies unfolded without a theoretical frame of reference or any explicit definitions of lifestyles. These flaws called Activities, Interests and Opinion (AIO) type studies into question and led to the rise of the VALS approach, which is more structured and built around the identification of values. In France, confidentiality is observed in the works achieved by both the Centre for Advanced Communication (CCA) and by COFREMCA. The authors recognize that the CCA and COFREMCA classifications differ from sociodemographic profiles.
