The concept of "performativity" is regarded as a key category in postmodern theory formation and is primarily associated with names like Derrida or Butler. This book goes beyond this unnecessarily narrow canon. Through well-founded analyses of classics such as "Outsiders" of the performative, it documents how deeply the humanities and social sciences of the 20th century are permeated by the idea of the performative, even when they do not use the term itself—wherever the productive autonomy of culture and social practice comes into focus. The book provides a comprehensible definition of "performative" cultural analysis, allowing for a clear and cross-theoretical understanding of this often rather obscure term.