Write a short essay (about 500 words) on the following.
“Culture is ordinary: that is the first fact … The making of a society is the finding of common meanings and directions … The questions I ask about our culture are questions about our general and common purposes, yet also questions about deep personal meanings. Culture is ordinary, in every society and in every mind.” (Raymond Williams, “Culture is Ordinary” [1958] as quoted in Nick Couldry, Inside Culture, p. 24)
(1) Explain in your own words what this means, and
(2) Discuss why and how Williams’ argument about the “ordinariness” of culture is significant for Cultural Studies with reference to TWO of the following cases of cultural analysis:
• Giard, “Doing Cooking”
• Goffman, “Front and Back Regions of Everyday Life”
• Highmore, “Absentedminded Media”
Keep your answer brief but precise.