This article identifies the significance of ‘the ordinary’ in
Richard Hoggart’s The Uses of Literacy and notes its distinction
from philosophies of ‘the everyday’ that have been ascendant in
recent cultural studies theory. It does this in order to oppose the rhetorical use
of ordinariness promoted by conservative politicians such as Australian Prime
Minister John Howard. Such etymological specificity is argued to be necessary so
that cultural studies and other scholars can continue to promote the relationships
of empathy in class-segregated societies that Howard’s use of ordinariness
strategically lacks.
Brett, Judith
(1992) Robert Menzies’ Forgotten People.
Sydney: Pan Macmillan
.
4.
Brett, Judith
(2003) The Australian Liberals and the Moral Middle Class:
From Alfred Deakin to John Howard.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
.
5.
Brett, Judith
(2005)
‘Relaxed and Comfortable: The Liberal Party’s Australia’
, Quarterly Essay19:
1-79
.
6.
Gibson, Mark
(2001)
‘Myths of Oz Cultural Studies: The Australian Beach and
“English” Ordinariness’
, Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies15(3):
275-288
.
7.
Gregg, Melissa
(2006) Cultural Studies’ Affective Voices.
London: Palgrave
.
8.
Hage, Ghassan
(2003) Against Paranoid Nationalism: Searching for Hope in a
Shrinking Society.
Annandale: Pluto
.
9.
Hartley, John
(1999) The Uses of Television.
London and New York: Routledge
.
10.
Hoggart, Richard
(1958 [1957]) The Uses of Literacy: Aspects of Working-Class
Life with Special Reference to Publications and Entertainments.
Harmondsworth: Penguin
.
11.
McCarthy, Anna
(2006) ‘From the Ordinary to the Concrete:
Cultural Studies and the Politics of Scale’, in
Mimi White
and
James Schwoch
(eds) Questions of Method in Cultural Studies.
Oxford: Blackwell
.
12.
McKay, Hugh
(2006)
‘Howard: An Ordinary Bloke Who Feeds a Nation’s Prejudices’
, The Age (21 February).
13.
O’Brien, Kerry
(2006) ‘John Howard Reflects on Highs and Lows as
PM’, Interview, The 7.30 Report,
ABC Television
(2 March).
14.
Williams, Raymond
(1958) ‘Culture is Ordinary’,
in
Norman MacKenzie
(ed.) Conviction, pp. 74-92.
London: MacGibbon & Kee
.
15.
Wilde, Oscar
(1985) The Importance of Being Earnest: And Other
Plays.
New York: Signet Classic
.
