COMMODIFICATION OF LIFESTYLE AS A MEANS OF INDIVIDUALIZATION: EXPLORATORY QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN THE UKRAINIAN CONTEXT

This article explores the commodification of lifestyle as a mechanism of individualization in the context of late capitalist transformations in Ukraine.Drawing on semi-structured interviews with middle-class respondents, the study demonstrates how consumer practices shape self-definition, group belonging, and identity construction under conditions of uncertainty and crisis.The findings reveal the ambivalent role of consumption as both an adaptive and compensatory resource, encompassing not only material goods but also symbolic and ideological domains.The research contributes to debates on individualization, highlighting the constructivist potential of consumption in transitional societies.