Culture is Ordinary...

When I first read Culture is Ordinary, I wasn't sure what to make of it. It hadn't caught my attention in any special way. I had to reread it several times for it to truly sink in. The author's writing style didn't make me want more like other books that I've read had. I think the author had a good message but the way he went about telling his message didn't appeal to me all that much.

I like how Raymond Williams tells his story as he is traveling back home from where he goes to school. It illustrates very well how two very different settings could be united by something so simple. The author benefits from both worlds because he has a pretty complete view of life. He has experienced both viewpoints while most people only ever experience one.

Culture is something that can't be escaped no matter where you go. Every society has their ways and beliefs. That is why culture is ordinary. It's something that is experienced every day and something that affects every person. Culture is what makes the world so great and exciting. It doesn't matter where you come from or how much money you make or what color your skin is. The one uniting factor for the human race is that we all have a culture.

I agree with the author when he says both meanings of the word, culture, must be used to fully understand it. The arts and learning affect our whole way of life and vice versa. I believe that you can't have one without the other. Culture is a vital aspect of our life and we must respect it, even if it's different than our own.