Culture is in the eye of the beholder

Brief introduction: BenHarvey, Library Science, from York, Pa
After having read Raymond Williams’ writing, I decided to break the piece into two sections. The first contains the first two paragraphs, and is a look at the contrast between the cultures of the past and present in Wales. The second section encompasses the third and fourth paragraphs and is the part of the work that lays out Williams’ arguments on why culture is ordinary.
In the first section, Williams juxtaposes past and present culture of Wales. One example that he gives is a cathedral on one corner, with a cinema on the other. The cathedral represents past culture, and is probably hundreds of years old, while the cinema is relatively new, and showing cartoons! This contrasts the religious and pious culture of past generations with the newer culture focused more around self-gratification and enjoyment. Another reference to the evolution of culture in the first segment deals with the expansion of the roads to accommodate the lorries. This visual shows the shift in an agricultural culture. The goods farmed by Williams’ parents and grandparents would have been taken to market by train, however in this new generation, the culture has evolved to using trucks and gasoline instead. This entire section serves the point of illustrating the change of culture, which Williams gives his opinions on in the next section.
In part two, Williams lays out the thesis of his work. The thesis is that culture is ordinary. I, however, do not wholly agree with this. Though many of Williams’ points are excellent, the fact that he has so much to write about culture alone proves that it is extraordinary. Williams writes in the fourth paragraph, "Every human society has its own shape, its own purposes, its own meanings." This alone verifies that culture is more than mundane. The fact that culture can have a life of its own makes it a thing of amazement. Williams’ defines culture as society, "writing themselves into the land." This too is an aspect of culture that makes it something special. The fact that business, people, and government can imprint itself on culture, considered the arts and learning, is amazing. It is fascinating to see culture change in front of your eyes and even though you may see it as commonplace, someone else probably views it as a miracle. So, I guess my views are not entirely at odds with Williams’. I however, believe that culture’s ability to be ordinary is in the eye of the beholder.