Raymond Williams, Jurgen Habermas, and communicative resources

Using a concept of humanism taken from the field of philosophy, and using the theory of Jurgen Habermas and Raymond Williams, this thesis explores changes in beliefs about communicative interaction in response to changing social organization. Using a process of historical survey, this thesis focuses on the methods of transmission and reproduction of beliefs about communicative interaction, beliefs that, like ideology, create boundaries and pressures that protect the privileges of some groups in society. It is argued that these beliefs materialize in the lifeworld, but are institutionalized in the education system in capitalist societies. It is also argued that there is a link between an education that supports a humanist approach to communicative interaction and the general propensity for social inclusiveness and openness to change.