布波族(Bobos)一詞首度由大衛?布魯克斯(David Brooks)在西元二○○○年的著作〈BOBO族─新社會精英的崛起〉(Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There)當中提出。這個在布爾喬亞資產階級與波西米亞叛逆嬉皮當中演化而成的高學歷精英族群，大衛?布魯克斯為他們取了一個相當符合當代資訊社會的新穎名字─布波族(Bobos)，以布爾喬亞(Bourgeois)以及波西米亞(Bohemian)各別的第一個字來相結合─來形容這個高學歷精英族群最明顯的特徵：一種選擇在布爾喬亞與波西米亞之間走中間路線的新社會精英階級，一種布爾喬亞式的波西米亞人。 這批主導社會價值觀的高學歷菁英階級確實握有當代文化品味的詮釋權，他們一方面以布爾喬亞的理性看待工作與消費，一方面卻又以波西米亞的感性面對生活與享樂。於是當代的網絡社會上開始興起一種嶄新的混種文化─布波文化。布波文化以人本精神的個人主義為基本態度，強調快速的反應與慢速的生活。他們重視複雜的細節，卻認為凡事都應該簡約。他們是一群不走偏峰的中間路線份子，他們是布爾喬亞式的波西米亞人，他們是「理想的現實主義者」。 在當代的消費社會當中，他們也將布波文化的融合精神帶入消費態度當中。在消費認知上，他們一方面希望自我能夠被他人所認同，一方面卻又不願意被同化。在消費情感上，他們是一群重視精神層面的理智型消費者。而在消費的行為導向方面，他們則因為消費的升級，而在消費過程當中建構自我主張的一個族群。於是，一種強調品質、品牌、品味，卻並非如此昂貴的新奢侈品誕生，當代的購物型態因布波文化的消費態度而改變。在扁平化世界的時代脈絡之下，介於布爾喬亞與波西米亞之間的布波文化，或許即將主導未來幾年的社會文化觀點。 The term ‘Bobo’ was first proposed by David Brooks - the author of 〈Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There〉 in 2000. This educated upper class is shaped within the thought of both Bourgeois and Bohemian. David Brooks used the first two letters of both terms ‘Bourgeois’ and ‘Bohemian’ to construct the term: ‘Bobo’. Bobos are those in the educated upper class who choose the Middle-of-the-road line (a.k.a. Centrism) between Bourgeois and Bohemian. They rule the interpretation of contemporary taste. They face jobs and leisure with the sense of Bourgeois on the one hand, and treat life and enjoyment with the sensibility of Bohemian on the other. Thus, ‘Bobo Culture’, a brand-new hybrid culture is rising in today’s network society. Bobo Culture demonstrates the spirit based on individualism, and emphasizes both quick response and slow life. They place importance on complicated details, but suppose things should follow minimalism. They are a bulk of people without radical behavior. They are Bourgeois Bohemian. They are ideal pragmatists. It seems that Bobo Culture had spread within the social context of the contemporary flat world in this Network Age. This research will proceed within the following three main dimensions: The first one is about the rise of Bobo Culture from the historical sequence of era. The second one is a description of the contemporary social scenes reflecting Bobo Thought. The third one focuses on the analysis of consumer attitudes in Bobo Age.
