User:Cdamama/bobo

Bobo is, according to David Brooks, an individual combining ideals of the bourgeoisie such as hard work, education, social cohesion with bohemian counterculture ideals of individualism, self-expression and spirituality. Bobo is a portmanteau of BOurgeois and BOhemian. The book 'Bobos in Paradise' claims that Bobos are the current cultural in the US, rising to prominence after successfully combining the white anglosaxon protestant (WASP) establishment of the pre-1960 US with the counterculture rebel ideas of the 1960-70s.

Historical Origins
The urban elite that emerged in 18th and 19th centuries US emphasized material advancement through work ethics, which was in contrast with the rural frontier life of the rest of the country. The economic growth of the late 19th century created an elite that retained its dominance until the 1960s. The rapid growth in university education, led to the emergence of a generation dissatisfied with the conformism, spiritual void and even racism they saw in their society. This counterculture generation emphasized many of the values that the establishment scorned: individualism, spiritual and sexual exploration, and simplicity. They have tapped ideas from American transcendentalism which critiqued the loss of natural and spiritual values to material advancement. They have also saw inspiration in the groups of "bohemian" artists with their emphasis on creativity. The bobo culture saw to find a compromise between the two extremes, and to restore the pre-1960 "civility" while retaining ideas of the bohemians. By the 1990s, Bobos became the new elite thanks to growing rewards of their high education.

Cultural Traits
Because Bobos combine two heritages, they are a diverse group with yuppies on the right extreme and hippies on the left. The perfected bobo is a highly educated (frequently with a graduate degree) and earning several times the average wage. In personal life, the bobo like the hippie is non-conforming and professes non-consumerism, sensitive to the wider community, as well as nature. Yet, like the yuppie, the bobo is not explicit about sexuality nor rebels against society or their parents. The bobo's purchasing power conflicts with its askew of excessive consumerism. Thus, Bobo uses expenditure to pay tribute to ideals of the bobo culture, including the simpler traditional and thus more spiritual life, natural and hand-made as opposed to manufactured, minutely sophisticated and "professional" as opposed to simple and easy.

Wider Effects

 * Companies emphasizing the positive effect of your purchase on your spirituality of your community, eg. Volvo "that can not only help safe your life, but help safe your soul as well."

Test: Are you a bobo?

 * Do you think it is "acceptable to spend $4,400 on a Merlin XLM road bike because people must exercise, but it would be a sign of superficial nature to buy a big showy power boat"?