The transformation of cultural theories In his book published in 2000, based on his doctoral dissertation, Reckwitz presents "cultural theories" as an autonomous explanatory framework in sociological theory. He distinguishes between four concepts of culture (normative,
holistic, differentiation-theoretical, and meaning-oriented) and builds upon the meaning-oriented concept of culture. He contrasts cultural theories with action explanations based on
utilitarianism and norms: cultural theories explain action by referring to knowledge orders. In contrast to utilitarian theories of action, cultural theories posit that action is not solely motivated by individual interests or norms, but by cognitive and symbolic orders that structure how individuals perceive the world.Cultural counter-movements, such as Romanticism, artistic avant-gardes, or the 1960s counterculture, played a decisive role in transforming forms of subjectivation, offering alternatives to dominant models. Reckwitz explores how creativity has become a dominant social expectation in late modern society. He introduces the idea of a "creativity
dispositif" centered around a regime of the aesthetic new. This dispositif involves a constellation of producers and audiences that define what is considered new. Creativity is no longer an exceptional attribute reserved for artists; it has become a generalized social norm in late modern society. To be creative now means participating in the production of the new, whether in the arts, the economy, or everyday life. Reckwitz analyzes the structure of late modern society through the fields of economy, labor, digital technologies,
lifestyles/classes, and politics. Cultural production has shifted from a logic of standardization to a logic of singularization, where the production of uniqueness and difference has become a central goal. Reckwitz continues the reflection begun in
Die Gesellschaft der Singularitäten. The book consists of five essays that analyze the consequences of the transition from industrial modernity to the post-industrial society of singularities. It addresses the dynamics between hyperculture and cultural essentialism in late modern culture, the emergence of a three-class society, and the asymmetries of cognitive capitalism. We live in an era where culture is both hyper-cultural, with a constant flow of creations and differentiations, and essentialist, where fixed cultural identities are reaffirmed in the face of the uncertainty of the modern world.The final essays examine the spiral of disillusionment linked to self-commercialization and self-realization, as well as the limits of
liberalism as a political paradigm. The ideal of self-realization in the society of singularities ultimately generates a spiral of disillusionment, as the incessant quest for recognition and singularity becomes an unbearable burden for individuals.Reckwitz concludes by proposing a model of "embedded liberalism," inspired by
Karl Polanyi, which aims to re-integrate economic, cultural, and political dynamics into collective social frameworks.In light of the limits of open liberalism, it is necessary to reintegrate economic and cultural dynamics into broader social frameworks, in order to create a balance between individual freedom and collective solidarity. == Selected publications ==