The importance of being ordinary

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.