What, according to Raymond Williams, is the right description of the term 'Cultural Materialism'?

Correct option is C

Explanation:

The correct answer is The material effect that culture has in wider social life.

Raymond Williams, a key figure in cultural studies, defines cultural materialism as an approach that examines culture through the lens of material conditions, such as economic, social, and political contexts.

He argues that culture cannot be studied in isolation; it must be understood in relation to the material conditions that shape it.

Williams emphasizes how culture, shaped by material conditions, has a direct influence on broader social life, affecting both individual and collective experiences.

Information Booster:

Cultural materialism is an approach to understanding culture that emphasizes the role of material conditions (such as economy, class, and power) in shaping culture.

Williams, a Marxist scholar, focused on how culture reflects and impacts material conditions in society, such as the influence of capitalism, class struggles, and power relations.

The term cultural materialism is central to Williams' theoretical framework in which he explores how culture is connected to the material world. This approach looks at how cultural forms and practices arise from and reflect material conditions.

Williams’ work is heavily influenced by Marxist theory, focusing on how culture serves to perpetuate or challenge dominant social structures, and how it is both shaped by and helps to shape the economic base of society.

Williams argues that culture is not just an abstract realm of ideas or expressions but is deeply connected to the material realities of social and economic life. Cultural materialism highlights the dynamic relationship between culture and its broader material context.

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