Culture is ordinary essays

Culture is ordinary essays Culture is Ordinary. Critically Evaluate this Statement with Reference to the work of Williams The discussion and debate of culture and what it represents in British society is very much a modern phenomenon. The first academics to discuss the topic, people such as Leavis, Hoggart and Williams first did so around the 1950s and 60s. Before such time there was no concise, recorded commentary on the meaning of culture, how it affects society and how it is to be approached. This development of cultural debate and the foundations of the specific academic discipline of cultural studies is intricately linked to the economic environment of the time and the time preceding it, in particular the rise of industrialisation. With the development of a division of class, differing educational opportunities and the rise of consumerism the issues surrounding a debate on culture and what it is became particularly relevant. However, what is to be discovered by anyone investigating culture is that it is a very complex concept due to its multi-dimensional nature. The word culture is used ev eryday with many different meanings intended. As Williams says, "Culture is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language" (Williams,1976, p87). It can be used in the context of mass culture, popular culture or high culture. It has been used to describe whole nations or a particular group within a nation. Hebdige talked of subculture referring to a movement against the dominant values of a society and culture can also be a growth of micro-organisms. Therefore, it is important that whenever discussing this topic one takes the up most care to be clear and precise about the intended meaning of culture. Williams contribution to the culture debate is one of the most insightful and immense to date. His argument is based on the view that "culture is ordi...