Reading Raymond Williams’ “culture is ordinary” made me think a lot about what culture is/can be and he described culture in ways that I never would have thought of, although it all made perfect sense when reading.
The phrase “culture is ordinary” was something that really intrigued me throughout this reading. Because, culture is ordinary; both in a personal sense as well as a larger, national/regional sense. Everyone is part of one or more cultures whether they know it or not, and these affect all aspects of our lives. This phrase also got me thinking as to whether there really are set-in-stone cultures. Are there “borders” between different cultures? Is there a definite line where one ends and another starts? Or is culture more fluid, in a sense that it is a constant yet changes for each individual? In addition, this made me wonder if there even are different cultures. There are differences between cultures, however, if one was able to “travel” between cultures would there be stark differences or would it be more of a gradual change and you only realize the differences after some distance, like a spectrum?
Williams also emphasizes in his writing that culture is for everyone, and that there is no good or bad/right or wrong culture. I think that for things such as holidays or traditions, (usually) anyone can participate and they are for everyone to enjoy. However, although I do not disagree that culture is for everyone, I think that there are some cultures only accessible depending on your place in society. Richer people or people who are part of the upper class have access to a larger variety of resources, as well as their personal cultures typically being different from the lower class. I think it is inevitable that these elements shape our cultures, therefore I believe that although culture is for everyone to enjoy and be a part of, I also believe that certain cultures are only attainable to a specific demographic.
Question for class: Although Williams says culture is for everyone, there are exceptions to this such as attainability due to social class. That being said, can there also be right or wrong, good or bad cultures?
Hi!
I also found Williams’ various descriptions of culture to be quite interesting and the article definitely made me think. However, in my case, it definitely did not all make perfect sense while reading haha! There was a lot to unpack.
I really like the question that you pose about set “borders” around cultures and the fluidity. I found myself going down a similar line of thinking as I read, and I discussed my thoughts on individuality’s role in culture in my own blog post.
Your post makes me think of the idea of ‘culture shock’. It’s a relatively common term, and I’ve personally been asked by various different people whether I ever experienced culture shock moving from the prairies to the mountains, or spending time in Latin America vs. in Canada. To be honest, the only version of shock I feel I’ve ever experienced between different cultures has been less of a shock and more like what you described – a gradual change that you don’t even really notice until you take a step back.
This is some really valuable insight and reflection on Williams writing! You pose a great question on the ‘accessibility’ of culture- I guess it comes down to how we view or approach the concept of culture. I would argue, depending on how you look at it, that while certain traditions or celebrations present an air of exclusivity, culture isn’t necessarily defined by them and rather permeates every person’s life, no matter their place in society.
Hey!
I was thinking more or less the exact same thing. I don’t think any culture is bad per se, but I believe people give more credit to middle and upper class cultures. Moreover, I think social media normalizes the culture of the very rich and makes it seem like “the culture”, which could be really harmful for those who cannot afford that kind of lifestyle (which is like most people :D).