Authenticity: Attribution, Value, and Meaning
Title
Authenticity: Attribution, Value, and Meaning
Author
Carroll, Glenn R.
Research Area
Culture
Topic
Culture and Society
Abstract
Consumers and scholars show increasing interest in authenticity in products, services, performances, and places. As typically used, authenticity is an attribution that is socially constructed and appears in many domains of social life. The interest in authenticity presumes that its attribution conveys value and emerging evidence agrees. Authenticity, however, carries some very different meanings, including those about classification, morality, craftsmanship, and idiosyncrasy. Parsing these various interpretations requires attention to cultural and historical context.