Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and SocietyFirst published in 1976, Raymond Williams' highly acclaimed Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society is a collection of lively essays on words that are critical to understanding the modern world. In these essays, Williams, a renowned cultural critic, demonstrates how these key words take on new meanings and how these changes reflect the political bent and values of our past and current society. He chose words both essential and intangible--words like nature, underprivileged, industry, liberal, violence, to name a few--and, by tracing their etymology and evolution, grounds them in a wider political and cultural framework. The result is an illuminating account of the central vocabulary of ideological debate in English in the modern period. This edition features a new original foreword by Colin MacCabe, Distinguished Professor of English and Literature, University of Pittsburgh, that reflects on the significance of Williams' life and work. Keywords remains as relevant today as it was over thirty years ago, offering a provocative study of our language and an insightful look at the society in which we live. |
Contents
Introduction | 9 |
List of Abbreviations | 25 |
A | 27 |
B | 35 |
C | 42 |
D | 82 |
E | 95 |
F | 108 |
M | 155 |
N | 178 |
0 | 189 |
P | 194 |
R | 209 |
S | 232 |
T | 264 |
U | 270 |
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Common terms and phrases
abstract active adjective aesthetic argument association became bourgeois capitalism capitalist civilization common complex conscious context contrast conventional creative critical culture defined definition democracy derived describe diflicult distinction distinguished E. P. Thompson earlier sense early eCl9 economic effect emphasis empiricism English especially example extended fiction find first formalist formation French French Revolution human ideas ideology important indicate individual industrial Industrial Revolution influence intellectual interesting kind labour language lCl8 liberal literature mainly Marxist mass material mCl9 meaning mediation ment modern sense nature neutral noun objective organization original overlap particular person philosophy phrase physical political popular positive practice predominant psychological qq.v radical range Raymond Williams realism reference relation relationships representative democracy revolution scientific seen sense ii significant significantly singular social socialist society specific structuralist structure tendency term theory things unconscious unconscious mind unfavourable usage word