In Culture is Ordinary, Raymond Williams debunks the notion of culture as it had long been understood, namely the reduction of culture to high culture (what he calls the “teashop culture”) and he undermines the preconceived idea that culture is the monopoly of an elite. As suggested by the title of his work, Williams “redistributes” culture to everyone; culture appears to be “ordinary”, not the privilege of a happy few. Indeed, the author underscores that everyone is cultured because as social beings culture (language, codes, ways of life) is what we all live in. By redefining culture in an anthropological sense, synonymous with everyday life, Williams describes culture as instinctive, as the natural product of social life (human interactions), as well as the result of creative activities (literature, philosophy, arts, etc.).

Williams both draws on and fends off Marx and Leavis’ conceptions of culture. For instance, William disproves Leavis’ “false equation”, which argues that popular education gives rise to commercial culture and that the consumption of popular culture impairs one’s cultural evolution. On the contrary, according to Williams, one’s culture consists of a variety of components, which, indeed, include popular culture. I am particularly convinced by William’s refutation of this argument, as I tend to think that popular culture can be a major component in one’s cultural development. Therefore, I’d like to illustrate and, hopefully, corroborate it with my personal experience.

I think popular culture often facilitates the discussion around subjects that are deemed ‘taboo’, that are overlooked or eluded in most institutional contexts; that are in short hard to broach without a pretense that expressions of popular culture can provide. The issue of transgenderism strikes me as a relevant example of a subject that is tackled by popular culture more than by conventional education. Many people, just like I was and to a certain extent still am, are unfamiliar with this topic since it is often “untalked about” in education (at least before college), as well as in familial and social contexts. Hence, popular culture is particularly relevant in such cases, as it can shed light on transgender situations, lifestyles, ethics, etc. For instance, some TV shows deal with transgenderism, thereby allowing people to learn more about it, the community it concerns, the everyday issues it faces, etc. Personally, it is thanks to a popular TV show, Orange is the New Black, that I acquired a better understanding of one’s choice to become transgender and of various issues that this entails.

The third episode of the series, Lesbian Request Denied, revolves around Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox), a transgender woman who has been incarcerated because she financed her operation with stolen credit cards. In this episode, the viewer is invited to understand intimately the reasons of her transition and the manifold ways changing gender impacts her life. First of all, the spectator notices the extent to which being transgender disturbs Sophia’s familial balance. Not only does it jeopardize her relationship with and authority on her son and spark tension in her couple, but it also triggers people’s hostility towards her. Furthermore, social prejudices and disrespect in regard to transgenderism are reflected by the fact that her transformation is threatened by the prison’s abrupt and unjustified decision to take her off of her estrogen. However, the viewer is led to understand that, for her, becoming a woman is worth facing the hurdles it brings about since it is what allows her to be herself and at ease in her body.

I believe that these forms of popular culture participate in my education and improve my culture and understanding of social issues, such as gender issues.

Thus, it seems to me that popular culture is an essential tool in education as, on top of the information it provides, it can actually challenge our perceptions and open debates and discussions around topics that could otherwise be difficult to raise, especially in contexts in which we are assessed and judged (such as schools, universities and workplaces).

Work cited

Foster Jodie, Orange is the New Black, Lesbian Request Denied . 2013

Willam, Raymond. Culture is Ordinary The Everyday Life Reader  first ed