A Society of Signs? is an introduction to current debates around the themes of culture, identity and lifestyle. Such debates often begin with the assertion that we live in a "society of signs". A Society of Signs? will help students of sociology, media and cultural studies to make sense of these often complicated arguments. It summarizes and critically discusses some basic approaches in social theory and cultural analysis; offers specific reading of some of the work of writers including Barthes and Giddens; reviews work in more traditional areas, for example, the sociology of identity and the embedding process found in social life; and gives advice on further reading.