Blog: "Culture is Ordinary"

First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Natasha Zimmer and I am a freshman here at Kutztown University. I live with my mom, my brother, and my sister. I am the oldest, therefore I am the first to attend to college.

As I came to the conclusion of Raymond Williams' piece entitled "Culture is Ordinary", I began to liken it to our college experience as freshman this year, such that we are all used to the norms of our hometowns. Williams uses his family history to show the importance of culture and how it shapes an area and its' people, which I feel captures his point of view and makes it clear. He states that "human society has its own shape, its own purposes, its own meanings." Once again referring to our newly beginning college experience, Williams' ideas hit home in the sense that one becomes accustomed to the conveniences and culture of the area that they hail from. All of the things, people, and places that we were used to are at home, and we are all in a new place, gaining more knowledge, not only academically speaking, but of the world surrounding us. I agree with Raymond Williams that each and every group of people creates a culture that fits their wants and needs, no matter where they live. Therefore, in their eyes or our eyes depending on where you are from, the thoughts and people and places that surround your every day life are what become "ordinary" to you. To conclude, Williams uses his family's experience, along with his own, to create an image of what they considered "ordinary", but then goes on to prove that the area you live in and the people that you are surrounded by add to ones' perception of "ordinary", which in turn creates different opinions of normal for everyone.