Why bother to ‘downshift’? The characteristics and satisfaction of downshifters in the Brisbane-South East Queensland region, Australia

Abstract

Using the data collected as part of a Quality of Life (QoL) survey in the Brisbane-South East Queensland region (SEQ) of Australia, this paper examines differences in satisfaction levels between downshifters and non-downshifters, and identifies socio-economic predictors of the downshifting phenomenon. Almost 30% of survey respondents are classified as downshifters. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance reveals significant differences between downshifters and non-downshifters in a number of life-satisfaction domains, although the degree to which they were satisfied with their life before downshifting is unknown. Analysis of Covariance shows that downshifters reported a significantly lower level of satisfaction than non-downshifters, especially with respect to satisfaction with the amount of money available to them, independence or freedom, and employment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis reveals that post-secondary education and employment were positively associated with downshifting, while age was significantly associated with downshifting. It is argued that if downshifting is associated with lower levels of satisfaction, intervention may be required to initiate programs to engage downshifters more fully in the workforce by facilitating more flexible work arrangements and an improved working environment.

Speed Kills: The Complex Links Between Transport, Lack of Time and Urban Health

“…47,48 To enable more workers to downshift requires a major shift in the flexibility of work arrangements. 49 To facilitate a shift to public transport, greater investment is needed in many cities in a 'network' of public transport that serves dispersed land uses. 50 Good public transport networks exist in cities such as Zurich, Hamburg and Munich.…”

Zrównoważony Rozwój Małych Miast W Świetle Warunków I Wymogów Stowarzyszenia Cittaslow

“…mieszkańców 5 , które nie są stolicami powiatów. Proces certyfikacji przebiega dwuetapowo, są to etapy:…”

“…Obecnie jej siedziba mieści się w Biurze Jakości i Znaków Regionalnych Urzędu Marszałkowskiego w Olsztynie. 5 Według specjalistów zajmujących się zagospodarowaniem przestrzennym miast i socjologów, takie ośrodki zapewniają najbardziej ludzki wymiar życia.…”

The Greening of Work: How Green Is Green Enough?

“…The third subject area concerning the greening of work covers all the issues and phenomena that strive to strengthen the role of more self-supporting and informal social and economic arrangements at the expense of formal wage labor. Downshifting is one such phenomenon that has gained popularity in recent years -especially within the wealthy western world -as an alternative to today's frenetic work and consumptionorientated lifestyle (Andrews and Urbanska 2010;Chhetri et al 2009a). In short, downshifting is about working less, spending less, and doing things differently (e.g.…”

“…More research is therefore clearly needed for assessing the actual level of commitment of downshifters to the tenets of voluntary simplicity (cf. Chhetri et al 2009a), but for now, it is safe to assume that in today's society there might be more pressing (e.g. health-and family-related) reasons for people to jump off the 'frenetic work treadmill' than the pursuit of a truly ecocentric way of life.…”