ABSTRACT
I begin with the proposition that the concept of culture has been a key invention of social thought in the modern era; but I shall argue that, in the course of being extensively used, it has acquired new meanings. I shall further argue that as part of this process implied relationships between cultural forms and social forms have also necessarily changed. I shall argue that the concept of lifestyle is a good example of a new social form. Quite what we mean by lifestyles and some of the implications of this social form will be briefly explored. In particular I will suggest that a key element in the traditional discourse of culture, the value of authenticity, is now being understood less as an inherent quality of objects or actions and more as something produced in lifestyling. I will further suggest that these arguments are more generally an exploration of the implications of recognizing that the discourse of culture has been popularized.
