Raymond Williams - Keywords. An idea.

I have had a quick skim of Raymond Williams Keywords.  He came up with the theory that at any one time, social culture had elements of Dominant, Residual and Emergent.  There are many different beliefs and practices going on concurrently, but some are historically more long lived (and may be out-of-date), some take precedence, and others are comparatively new and still evolving.

If I think of my 6 samplers that I want to make, I wonder whether I can fit my six women to this theory. I would like to have two women in each category.  I see my Aunt Joan (stay at home housewife and mother) as fitting with the Residual theory.  Miss Evans as a Geography student at Girton 1942-45 and subsequent headmistress might fit with Dominant from a culture that valued education, but could also be Residual because during her educational years, women were not awarded a Bachelors degree!  Women at Girton (and other universities) were only awarded degrees from 1948.  In order for her to have letters after her name (on the School sign at the entrance to Beal Grammar for Girls), she had to get her MA, and was never allowed to put BA, MA.

Mrs Evans, Sharon's Mum who took me swimming, worked full time when it was unusual for women with a family, to work.  I am not sure where she would fit. Emergent? Or Dominant, because she carried out the usual motherly, caring skills?  Mrs Konieczny, Anita's Mum, I think would fit with Residual, because of the way in which her family treated her.  She was a qualified nurse but was instructed to give up her job, and work unpaid, as carer to elderly family members.  There was an expectation that her role was to serve them, with no thought to the impact on her personal life. When she met and married her husband, this couple wrote her out of their will!

The fifth person I would like to include in one of my samplers is one of my former tutors.  I have a lot of time for this tutor, because of the commitment and energy she puts into sharing her skills with students.  This tutor also represents a couple of minority groups, who previously have been under-represented (and under-valued in my opinion) and I would very much like her to consent to being one of my subjects for portrayal.  I can see her in no other category than Emergent.

Who else would I like to portray, who might be deemed Dominant?