"Culture is Ordinary"

My name is Greg Brittain, and I am a freshman this year at Kutztown University. I was born and raised in Mechanicsburg, PA, a suburb of Pennsylvania's state capital, Harrisburg. This location is integral to who I am as a person and who I am becoming. I have had an aversion to "blogging" the last year or so in my life, because most that I have encountered have been self-absorbed and were created for the sole purpose of drawing attention to oneself. More recently, I have discovered political blogs, which often aren't far removed from extremist propaganda on each side of the "ideological identity" spectrum. Sensationalization is paramount for these blogs in order to gain a certain amount of "hits", either for egotistical satisfaction or money from advertisers. I digress; my writing tends to lack the organization or cohesion necessary to communicate a complete thought. Hopefully this class or this forum can help me to build a clearer, stronger narrative.

My initial reaction to Williams' essay was that he felt not so much that culture was "ordinary" in the sense of it being plain, but more that culture is "the expected or commonplace condition" (WordNet, wordnet.princeton.edu). It is expected, of course, that humans develop a culture as an aspect of the greater structure of "civilization". "Every human society has it's own shape" seems to be a clear statement that the existence of a society necessitates the existence of individual or unique aspects that are discernable enough to set specific societies apart from one another. The society creates a "cultural currency" when it establishes "common meanings and direction" that are shared by those who partake in that society's activities. Therefore, I interpret that Williams is telling his reader that ones actions that are not apparently tied to what is considered "culture" will consequentially affect the greater society and therefore the culture. This connection is well illustrated by Williams' as he describes the widening and straightening of nearby roads to accomodate larger lorries. The reason larger transportation is needed is likely the result of local farmers creating a surplus of goods, and the need to sell their goods on a larger market. After being "turned out" as a farm labourer, likely the result of the change of the farming "culture", Williams' grandfather becomes a roadman. This eventual yield to a change in culture by Williams' grandfather is ironic because of the somewhat indirect connection to the loss of his farmworking job as the result of the increasing agricultural success of local farmers.

edit: After rereading my post, I'm not entirely sure I "got" the essay.