Culture and Society (1958) by Raymond Williams is widely regarded as a foundational text in cultural studies and one of the most thorough examinations of how the very idea of "culture" emerged and evolved in England from the late eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Williams' analysis does not simply recount the historical progression of cultural practices; rather, he traces the development of the idea and the meanings attached to "culture" as a response to enormous social transformations—chiefly, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of democracy12.
Williams reads the writings of several key authors and thinkers, among them Edmund Burke, William Blake, Thomas Carlyle, John Stuart Mill, Matthew Arnold, John Ruskin, D. H. Lawrence, F. R. Leavis, T. S. Eliot, and George Orwell. Instead of treating culture as a static body of artistic work, Williams investigates the shifting definitions, noting how each generation reimagined culture in response to sweeping changes in economy, class, and social life13.
He demonstrates that "culture" acquired special significance precisely as industrial capitalism disrupted old ways of living. In response, writers and critics began to frame "culture" as a means of preserving values and community, or as a critique of the dehumanizing aspects of industrial society21. Williams argues that, for these thinkers, culture often functioned as an antidote to mechanization, commercialization, and the alienation of the masses.
Williams identifies several phases in the development of the idea of culture:
Culture as Art and Refinement: In earlier phases, culture was often synonymous with the arts, or with refinement and education, and primarily associated with the elite1.
Culture as a Source of Community: Against industrialization’s corrosive effects, writers invoked culture as a source of organic unity—both personal and communal—capable of opposing social and psychic fragmentation.
Separation of the Artistic from the Social: From the Romantics onwards, a tendency emerges to separate "the artist" from society, valorizing the former as a specialized, even superior category. This resulted in the gradual divorce of art from ordinary social life and exacerbated elitist approaches to culture1.
Culture as a Whole Way of Life: Williams powerfully critiques this elitist, artistic view, advocating for a broader, more democratic conception of culture. To him, culture should be seen as "a whole way of life": not just the fine arts or intellectual products but the everyday meanings, values, customs, and relationships that make up people’s lives124.
A recurring theme in Williams’s analysis is that the idea of culture—especially as promoted by critics from the Romantic period onward—often masked class prejudice. While the critique of industrialism was valid, it frequently devolved into disdain for “the masses,” which risked reinforcing social stratification. These writers, Williams observes, sometimes lapsed into nostalgia for an imagined golden age, failing to articulate practical means of achieving the alternatives they proposed15.
Williams critiques the "ladder" concept of culture—the idea that education allows a select few to escape their origins and climb the social hierarchy. He suggests this reproduces inequalities rather than creates genuine social transformation. Instead, Williams advocates for a dynamic and democratic common culture, accessible and relevant to all classes15.
Some foundational ideas developed by Williams in Culture and Society include:
Culture as Ordinary: Williams’ famous assertion that "culture is ordinary" rejects the notion of culture as the exclusive domain of elites. Instead, he emphasizes its existence within the everyday lives and practices of all people46.
Cultural Materialism: Williams insisted on understanding culture not as an autonomous sphere, but as one shaped by and shaping material conditions, historical events, and political forces78.
Structures of Feeling: He describes “structures of feeling” as the lived experiences, values, and emotions specific to an era—ways of being and relating that are not always fully codified but nonetheless crucial to understanding culture and social change8.
Residual, Dominant, and Emergent Forms: Williams introduces a framework for analyzing how forms of culture coexist and interact—how traditional (residual), prevailing (dominant), and new (emergent) cultural forces shape society over time7.
Culture and Society represents a seismic shift in thinking about culture. Its importance lies in several areas:
Redefinition of "Culture": Williams reimagined culture as a complex, collective process, not just a set of privileged artifacts. This broadened the field of cultural studies beyond literary and artistic criticism to include the study of everyday life, popular practices, and social institutions13.
Challenge to Elitism: Williams dismantled the persistent division between "high" culture and "mass" or "popular" culture, opening the door to new, more inclusive, and democratic analyses of cultural life46.
Foundation of Cultural Studies: Williams’ arguments provided the methodological and conceptual backbone for the future development of cultural studies as an academic discipline, influencing sociologists, historians, literary theorists, and media scholars alike98.
Critique of Class and Power: By tracing the intersections between culture and social power, Williams laid the groundwork for later critiques of hegemony and the role of cultural practices in both reinforcing and challenging social inequalities87.
Influence on Education: Williams' work challenged traditional approaches to education, arguing that true democratization involved not just widening access to the arts, but rethinking the cultural content and objectives of education itself1.
Raymond Williams’ Culture and Society remains a landmark in the study of culture. Its depth, historical range, conceptual originality, and political commitment have made it essential reading for anyone interested in how culture takes shape and why it matters. By showing that culture is something lived, collective, and open to change, Williams did not just chronicle the past—he empowered readers and scholars to imagine cultural transformation in the present and future158.