In a phrase, a lifestyle or mode of life is characterized by what an individual consumes and also that by which he himself is 'consumed'. It includes the selection by or allocation to individuals or families of their material requisites on the one hand, such as diet and nutrition, housing quality, and quality of social infrastructures available such as roads, public transportation, public sanitation, and hospitals etc. The mode of material life is differentiated most of all by income and occupation. Beyond the material and economic life one can speak of differentiated moral, aesthetic, educational-cultural and spiritual life.
Servas is an international cooperative system of hosts and travellers established to help build world peace, good will and understanding by providing opportunities for deeper, more personal contacts among people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Visitors are invited to share life in the home and in the community, and to share their concerns on social and international problems, their interests in creative activity and mutual responsibility for the fellow beings. In about 100 countries on six continents, there are over 9,000 host addresses – mostly individuals and families, neighbourhood centres, ashrams and communities.