Raymond Williams’ 

Culture is Ordinary
 
Author Background:
 
 Born 1921 in Wales, in a farming valley
 Father was a railway worker, grandfather was a farmer
 England is at its industrial peak, through its post-war depression
 
Definition of Culture
1. a whole way of life; the common meanings shared and experienced by a
society
2. the arts and learning, the process of discovery and creative effort
 
 These two must be taken together; some people try to argue that these are separate
entities, but they are both culture, and are one and the same, one being apart of the
other in an inextricable way.
 
What is culture?
 
Opposing Views of Culture
1.      The Teashop: highbrowed people who consider themselves an elite
class for being ‘cultured’ or more sophisticated than the
average farmer or uneducated person. These people
believed that learning  was something only the few could
do. Trivial differences in behavior does not make one
cultured.
2.      Culture Vultures: people who will spit on anything resembling
culture because of its arrogance
 
         Williams disregards these because culture is ordinary; it is in every aspect
of our society, whether we are aware of it or not.
 
         Learning is ordinary. You do not need to have a degree or go to a
prestigious college to learn. It is done in everyday life, through experience
of the most ordinary activities.    
 
Examples:
-A farmer will learn which crops to grow in which seasons; a young girl will learn
to read from her mother.  
 
 
-7 Up:
One of the boys came from a farming family, ended up studying physics at Oxford.
Susan, Came from a rich family, dropped out of school and did not pursue a career.
 
Do you agree with this? Do you believe Education is in fact ordinary, or do you
think that in order to be fully knowledgeable you must be educated?
 
         An interest in learning or the arts is simple, pleasant and natural. He was
not overwhelmed by Cambridge.
 
Reflections on Marxism
 
Agreed with: 
1. A culture must be interpreted in relation to its underlying system of production
(economy)
2. Education is restricted – only the deserving poor get educated, Williams being one of
them, while many opportunities remain unavailable to the working poor
 
Disagreed with:
1. Culture is restricted to the elite class. Arts and learning are a national inheritance.
 
Example: Vincent VanGogh (poor), Claude Monet (father was a
grocer) Leonardo Da Vinci (born an illegitimate peasant)
 
2. A system of production dictates what makes up a cultures arts and learning; “if you
honestly want socialism you must write, think, and learn in certain prescribed ways.”
[p.9]
 
Reflections on Leavis
 
Agreed with:
1.      The relations between art and experience.
 
Disagreed with:
1.      Lack of knowledge of modern English society and the diagnosis of
English society is rapidly becoming an orthodox one.
 
 
Industrial Revolution
 
         Agricultural England with a culture of great value became a ‘modern
organized industrial state whose characteristic institutions deliberately
cheapen our natural human responses’
         However it was a good thing, that gave power to men who worked with
their hands
         Williams is all for the Industrial Revolution. It made life better for
everyone; it was progress.
          When we think of the height of England, we tend to think of the
Renaissance period, but it is important to acknowledge the advancement
that occurred during the industrial period as well. 
 
New power brought ugliness:
 
 No longer true now thanks to improved methods of production
 
Popular education brought about bad commercial culture (Education Act
1870)
 
 In other words, providing education to the masses dirties culture and is the source of
bad arts and literature
 There was plenty of literature worthy of a cheap press prior to 1870; it came out of the
chaos of the industrial revolution
 
Commercial culture reflects the state of mind of its consumers
 
 Those who enjoy low-quality entertainment are not necessarily stupid eg. his father
got just as much out of the Daily Herald as he did out of scholarly journals
 Those who have a high quality life can still enjoy low-quality entertainment
 
 
Williams points out the flaw in a cultural form of “Gresham’s Law” that bad
culture will drive out good culture: the quantity of good literature and good music
and good artwork being appreciated is in fact increasing. Populations are rising,
and with that will come the growth of culture and how it is being appreciated.
 
Three Wishes
 
1.      Education is ordinary – recognize that all people are capable of
learning, not just a fraction of the population, and that
all can profit from a university education. Remodel the
curriculum to better encompass the human condition,
not just as training for a job.
2.      More provision for the arts and learning – spend more money on
libraries, museums, schools, galleries. Encourage
regional sites, so it is more accessible: “You don’t have
to go to London to get it.” However, it should not be
thrust upon those who do not want it
3.      Remove the dependency of culture on capitalist profit – People should
not seek to extend a ready-made culture to the masses.
We should accept that if we extend our culture we shall
change it, some that is offered will be rejected and
others will be criticized. This should not prevent our arts
 to be unchallenged or changed. People must accept that
both “fine” and “shoddy” work contribute to culture.
 
What do you think he hopes to attain by these wishes? Do you think that these
are important issues with regards to the working class movement?