ABSTRACT
This chapter synthesises the key theoretical and empirical arguments developed in the book and offers wider reflection on what the research findings mean for comprehending the state and future of contemporary moralities. The chapter considers the strengths and limitations of using blog data and considers a range of questions and ideas for future research based on the significance of interiorised forms of morality across diverse areas of social life, including spirituality, religion, self-help, ethical consumption and vegetarianism. Drawing together the theoretical framework and the empirical research, the chapter highlights productive theoretical tensions and possibilities, including the significance and implications of a moral culture of authenticity and ‘being true to yourself’ in an age of identity reinvention, instant transformation and intensified individualism. In considering these tensions and possibilities, the chapter highlights the importance of sociology going beyond decline models and attending closely to the moral structures that constitute the practices and experiences of everyday moral life.
