Post Class Blog 11/10

 “The best that has been thought and said in the world” -Arnold

“Ordinary behavior”- Williams

Hebdige brings in these two quotes from Arnold and Williams to help explain two different definitions of culture. Arnold has a historical and unchanging understanding of culture, while Williams has a postmodern and ever changing view of the meaning of culture. Arnold believes that culture has a classic view culture meaning he believes that culture is defined by the past and will always be defined by it. Williams believes that culture changes alongside and coincides with the developments of society. I agree with both Arnold’s and Williams’ definitions of culture. While I believe that culture is influenced by the classics of the past, I also believe that the past does not solely define the present and culture is constantly changing. I believe we can see this in the development of new technology. In the past, society has not been centered around technology and everyone was more focused on their own lives. Times have changed however and culture has evolved alongside the advances in technology. People’s lives revolve around technology and the need to know all information via the media. Most every person who is of an age to have a cell phone has one. The culture of the world has changed due to the technology of cell phones. People have started to structure their lives around virtual worlds offered through the technology. The culture of being present with the people around you is shifting to a new culture of connecting via the internet. While this can be negative because people are less engaged in real life, it can be beneficial for people to meet people they would have otherwise not gotten the opportunity to meet. Technology is one of the many factors that contribute to an ever changing culture.